During my senior year at Wesleyan University, I had the exciting opportunity to contribute to six senior digital film theses, including my own. Each thesis entailed that every student was tasked with writing, directing, and editing a 12-minute short film, with the collaborative production phase taking place during the fall semester. This period spanned six weeks, with each student allotted two weekends for shooting.
I actively participated in five all of the shooting weekends, taking on various roles such as producer, cinematographer, and background actress. The experience taught me valuable lessons in organization, time management, and adaptability. For instance, during the first shoot for “Just Say Hi,” I learned the importance of thorough preparation after a setback involving a lack of batteries. After that weekend I always made sure to buy more batteries than expected to prevent that delay from happening again.
When it came to directing my own film, “Seeing Double,” I drew from my previous experiences to streamline production processes and manage resources effectively. As a cinematographer for other projects like “Stuff That Matters” and “Crossroads,” I leveraged my experience as a director to enhance the collaboration and communication with directors, in order to execute their creative visions.
Transitioning to roles as a background actor in “Tutto Peppe” and “A Senior Thesis Film,” I applied lessons learned from my multifaceted experiences, ensuring professionalism and attention to detail on set.
Through these diverse roles and experiences, I honed my skills in filmmaking while embracing the collaborative spirit of creative endeavors.
