Major: Cinema & Media Studies
Class of 2019
Hometown: Anacortes, WA
Favorite film: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
What do you like most about the CMS program?
I like how students can explore various subjects and departments. I’ve taken courses in screenwriting, film history and theory, acting, music in film, and different forms of production ranging from narrative cinema to experimental video to the video essay. CMS has shaped me into not only a lover of cinema, but also a community member within the university.
Advice for new majors?
Branch out, take a wide variety of classes -- whatever sounds interesting to you or even scares you. I was terrified to take acting (it counts as an elective in CMS), but it turned out to be one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. If you’re interested in making films, go for it! The only way you can fail at creativity is by doing nothing at all. Pitch your idea, write your script, and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
You're a co-founder of LUX Video Production Club, which is now the home for student filmmaking on campus. Looking back, what do you see?
It’s crazy, Blake Rizzo and I started LUX when the only people at the meetings were friends we bribed with cookies and various refreshments so they would attend. Now, three years later, the club has 70 active members and generates 9 short films every year. I’m amazed at how far we’ve come. It’s an incredible way for students to showcase their creativity and to connect with other filmmakers.
Tell us about the film that you’re currently directing and producing with LUX.
It’s a comedic short that personifies the apps Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Comedy is my favorite genre. I love to laugh and to make people laugh. The film features many talented actors of the UW drama department as well as crew members of LUX.
Plans for life after graduation?
I currently work in the Seattle film industry as a production assistant, so I plan on staying in the area and working my way up the ladder within a department. I’m very interested in camera as well as script supervision. Maybe someday I’ll venture south and see what La La Land is all about, but for now I want to be a member of Seattle’s amazing film community.