Rolling Stone

As far back as I can remember I have always loved videos, the ability to capture a moving picture. This concept is truly a staggering feat to me and a medium that I’ve come to immensely admire and enjoy. It was when I was just a kid that I started to realize I wanted to make it my profession. When I was five years old, my Dad decided to purchase a camcorder to acquire footage of my recently born youngest brother Wesley; it was not long before I got my hands on it. The next summer when my cousin visited he thought it would be fun to create a play. My Dad decided to video tape it, and that’s when I got the bright idea to go a step beyond just videotaping by writing screen plays. It wasn’t long before my brothers, friends, and I started making short films. I was the director of course. Even before I knew the names of filming techniques, such as close-ups and medium shots, I was already putting my observational skills to the test by trying to copy practices I saw on TV and at the movies. At the time I knew nothing about using editing software, so if mistakes were made we simply rewound the VHS tape and stuck it back in the camcorder. In second grade when I received a Stephen Spielberg Movie Making Lego Kit, I started to learn about software. The program educated me in how to use basic editing and stop motion animation, which was my first introduction to creating special effects. I added editing skills like transitions and mixing to my repertoire by participating on my elementary school news team. Next, I built on to my film and editing skills even further in middle school by purchasing more software. In high school I completed a two year dual college credit program dedicated to the subject of video. In this Interactive Media class for example we learned how to use green screens, create audio, computer animation as well as work with clients. My sophomore year I job shadowed a professional who taught me many advanced techniques in animation. In 2014, I graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in Film Video Studies and Theater Production as well as received a second degree in history. While attending, I worked for the student newspaper Purdue Exponent (2010-2013), the Liberal Arts department (2012) and completed an internship at the Central Indiana’s Educational Service Center (2012). I also worked on several short films, promotional videos, and other projects for clients. Additionally, at Purdue, I have also received the 2014 Award for Outstanding Writer in Film & Video Studies and the 2014 Award for Outstanding Student in German Cinema. Currently, I’m enrolled at Ball State University where I’m working on completing my Master of Art’s in Digital Storytelling. At Ball State, I’m a graduate assistant for Newslink Indiana where I help undergraduate students prepare videos for broadcasts. I also have continued to working on films, animations and music videos. Lastly, though I doubt I will ever learn everything there is to know about motion pictures, I’m so passionate about production and filmmaking I decided to pursue it as a career and this was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made in my life.