What experiences, personality traits led you to videography?
I grew up running a camera during Sunday services at my home church. I’ve loved watching movies and telling stories my whole life as well, which certainly fed into my passion for videography. In high school, I became more and more involved in action sports like skiing and cliff diving. After receiving a GoPro HD Hero 2 for Christmas one year, I began filming all my adventures for others to see. I love having fun and pushing my limits, both physically and artistically, so I think that determination lends itself to my educational and career choices.
As a videographer, what opportunities have been presented to you that other students may not have?
I’ve had a lot of opportunities to collaborate with people in various fields. I’ve had the privilege to tell other people’s personal stories with video as well as work with companies and organizations to promote them. Every day is different than the previous one in terms of my video work, which is something that other careers sometimes don’t provide.
What about SIU makes for good film? Are there people, places or events on campus that lend themselves to film more than others?
For me, Southern Illinois is a very photogenic place, campus included. Campus is beautiful, and there are so many places in the surrounding area that are visually great for filming, too. For me, the thing that makes campus good for film is the quality of talent that students and faculty bring to the table. I don’t think there are any places that necessarily lend themselves more to film than others, because the diversity of things you can see makes any location on campus a worthy place to film.
What has surprised you while learning about videography and film?
The most surprising thing for me was learning the technical side of photo and video. It was surprising for me to see how small changes in camera settings and lighting setups could make such huge differences in the final product.
Where do you hope videography will take you?
My hope is that videography will allow me to travel and see new places, and continue to give me opportunities to tell my stories and the stories of others. I would love to continue successfully using video to gain financial freedom while working for myself.
What have you learned about SIU while filming for the Day of Giving?
I learned SIU has even more areas of study than I originally thought, and there are extremely talented people in every one of them. The amount of different experiences students can have at SIU is so impressive, and it was a lot of fun to capture those experiences.
Why would you like to see donors support Movie Camera Movement (MCM)? What does MCM offer students that is valuable?
MCM is an awesome organization that furthers film students’ learning experience and allows so many talented people to collaborate on student-produced films. In the short time that I was involved, I learned so much about video production that added to my experiences in class. It allows students to build their film skills and learn from one another. Creating and telling stories is a lot of fun, especially when it feeds directly into your future success.
You can support SIU students during SIU Day of Giving on Wednesday, March 7, 2018: https://siuday.siu.edu/
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