 The two classmates, who majored in Film, Animation, and Video intermingled throughout their time at RISD, but did not form a close friendship until attending the Ottawa International Animation Festival together in their senior year.Indovina has described this trip as a "pilgrimage", undertaken annually by RISD animation seniors.In her own words, she and Mayer-Beug bonded over "a mutual belief that getting up early to explore Ottawa is worth sleep deprivation", and while abroad, the two resolved to collaborate on their upcoming thesis film.