Hi! I’m Alisha
Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview with me.
Below you will find my work from the past few years.
I hope that my portfolio gives you insight into my artistic practice and conveys my motivation and dedication. I would be truly honored if it convinces you to accept me into the Basic Year Fulltime program at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie.
Let’s dive into it! 🙂
Animated Short film
traces of connection
APPROACH:
Artificial world / intimacy not accessible
Woman (voice only) vs. system voice
Refusal to upgrade
Being near others without touching them
Feeling less alone through small connections
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Script & Animation: Alisha Svestka
Female Voice: Alisha Svestka
Male Voice: Samuel Svestka
Song: #20 – Aphex Twin
Personal Note: To all the strangers I never really met, but will keep in my heart forever.
Feature Film Storyboard
Stürmerinnen
APPROACH:
Children’s feature film / girls’ football team
Visual direction: playful, dynamic, childlike
Storyboard for key scene (6 pages)
Focus: rhythm, movement, emotional timing
Collaboration with director & cinematographer
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Storyboard: Alisha Svestka
Production: Ellly Films
Script: Roland Habelsreither & Maria Hinterkoerner
Director: Jasmin Baumgartner
Cinematography: Anna Hawliczek
Personal Note: Enjoyed turning movement and energy into drawings; learned a lot about how rhythm shows feelings.
Documentary Short
Dort, wo ich nie war
APPROACH:
Sexual abuse during sleep
Multiple female perspectives
Intimate, quiet visual language
Call to action: do not look away
Interviews in a underground parking garage
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Director & Script: Alisha Svestka
Camera & Sound: Alisha Svestka
Assistant: Luca Antonia Dittmar
Sound Mastering: Fabian Deutsch
Sample: Mila Lien
Campaign Concept
Spice from Space
APPROACH:
Avant-garde Austrian cuisine
International audience (CH / US)
No clichés (no schnitzel, no Sissi)
Fictional culinary meteor impact
Mockumentary tone / bold visual world
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Client: Österreich Werbung, Agency: Klebermetzler
CREDITS:
Concept & Script: Alisha Svestka
Director’s Interpretation: Alisha Svestka
Director: Philipp Kleber
Production: Soviso
Personal Note: Born from a sleepless night and the desire to challenge clichés with bold ideas.
Music Video
Schwarz in Weiss
APPROACH:
Grief, loss, emotional emptiness
Song written & performed by me
Personal processing of loss
Filmed with close friend as protagonist
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Song & Mastering: Alisha Svestka
Music Sample: Eno Kasaj
Direction, Camera, Edit: Alisha Svestka
Cast: Emily Schreiber, Felix Nejad
Personal Note: A very intimate attempt to translate grief into sound and image.
Social Media Campaign
Offfhand Reels
APPROACH:
Brand launch 2025
Art direction from scratch
Instagram-focused growth
UGC aesthetics / lifestyle realism
Organic brand building over performance
Meta Ads campaign setup
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Art Direction: Alisha Svestka
Direction & Camera: Alisha Svestka
Assistant: Anna Marit Pilz
Personal Note: Building a brand from zero taught me the beauty of slow, organic growth.
Video Experiment
Digital Love Letters <3
APPROACH:
Valentine’s Day project
Hopeless romantic perspective
Humorous / slightly absurd gestures
Short social media love messages
Shot on phone at Vienna locations
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Concept & Script: Alisha Svestka
Direction, Camera, Edit: Alisha Svestka
Cast: Alisha Svestka, Charline Desire Köck, Javier de la Cruz
Personal Note: A playful response to being single.
Illustration
Commerical Storyboards
APPROACH:
Commercial & feature film storyboards
Dynamic composition & pacing
Collaboration with directors
Clients incl. win2day, ADEG, Sentimental Fail Club
Performance
Humour in the Water
APPROACH:
Performance by Olivia Erlanger
Alternative narratives of household devices
Role: longing lamp
Audience invited to participate
Exhibition setting / performative reading
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Art Book
Between naive and wise
APPROACH:
Diploma project
Theme: youth
Illustration, text, bookbinding
Editorial design
Self-produced artist book
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Illustrations, Design Photography Assistant: Alisha Svestka
Photography: Rea Djurovic
Personal Note: A personal reflection on youth — written, illustrated, and bound by hand.
Print Publication
Egger Bier
APPROACH:
Biannual newspaper
Illustration, layout, partial text
Regional brewery publication
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
CREDITS:
Photography: Martin Gmeiner
Text: Marc Metzler
Graphic Design: Philipp Kleber
Personal Note: A fun project that strengthened my love for storytelling through design.
Exhibition Lookbook
Blood & Tears
APPROACH:
Group exhibition in Berlin
Theme: menstruation (taboo)
Lookbook for orientation & atmosphere
Visual translation of exhibition experience
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Logo Design
Einfeld
APPROACH:
Sustainable agriculture brand
Seasonality & regional focus
Modular symbol system
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Web Design
Mechatronik Website
APPROACH:
Website for Vienna Mechatronics Guild
WordPress / Divi
First professional website project
Personal Note: My first website — a project where I learned by doing.
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Illustration
Music Covers
APPROACH:
Various Vienna-based musicians
Digital releases
Concept, typography, visual identity
Personal Note: Small visual worlds created to frame someone else’s sound.
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Short Film
Ketten reißen
APPROACH:
Young man at Vienna Prater
Grief & ritual remembrance
Contrast: amusement park vs. inner silence
Fast montage / emotional carousel sequence
Inspired by personal story
Location: Wiener Prater
Personal Note: A film about grief, memory, and the strange comfort of repetition.
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Merch Design
Soviso
APPROACH:
Merch for film production company
Film-related humor
Wearable inside jokes
Minimal graphic system
Personal Note: Designing merchandise that balances identity with humor.
Behind the Project: Process and Insights
Campaign Concept
Extase ohne Zucker
APPROACH:
Client: Österreich Werbung
Setting: Schwarzenberg
Grandmother cooking / missing sugar
Chef via smartphone tutorial
Cross-cut between tradition & innovation
Modern reinterpretation of regional dessert
Parallel kitchens / visual dialogue
Personal Note: A concept about tradition meeting modernity — and generations learning from each other.
Thank you for
your time!
Hopefully I’ll see you soon!
