Everyone has specific moments― an experience, a feeling, or a sensation they have always remembered and will never forget. These moments come as a vision in my mind, with specific colors and shapes interconnecting to compose a full image. They are sometimes seen from my eyes, and other times I can manage to imagine a completely objective view of the moment. Translating these mental pictures into something to be seen or felt is crucial. To me, art represents these translations- perhaps, “slices of life”-no matter how big or small.

I view art as taking a moment and driving it back into reality. Nearly all of my visual art stems from my photography, which I aim to never overdramatize or distort out of authenticity. I’ve always admired how the simplest things can still carry emotional depth and be visually stunning. I use art as a way to take everyday normalcies and make them as alluring as possible without allowing them to become superficial. One of my goals as an artist is to continue exploring this bridge between art and reality. Filmmaking lets me do this, as it integrates moving pictures and sound to create a cohesive piece― a breathing story.

Taking an interest in film is the best decision I’ve ever made. A few summers ago, I was spending most of my days at home in my basement, stuck in a monotonous daily routine. Having lots of time to myself had me considering my plan in life, and I knew I needed to be spending my time more productively. I was still about 14 years old with not much to be productive to, but I made a commitment to watch at least one movie every day for the rest of the summer. And I did. The more I watched, the more I films I found to really love and appreciate more than I thought I ever could. A few months later, I was interested in film theory and more of the “behind the scenes” aspects of filmmaking. In 2018, my parents signed me up for a summer film intensive at UNC School of the Arts, right in my hometown.

The summer program was full of happy memories and is somewhere I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had. I got hands on experience writing and shooting my own film, which was a draining but fulfilling experience. From it, I learned what I enjoyed about the filmmaking process and what I didn’t. I was not taught much regarding the details of art direction, but I learned a lot about building worlds in the context of a script. That was the time that filmmaking grew onto me not only as a hobby, but as a passion.

Since then I’ve grown tremendously as an artist. I understand that not everything will be perfect, nor should it be, and no one said creating was easy. I now know that the process of filmmaking can be torturous as times, but seeing the credits roll on the final product make it all worthwhile. I accept that I only truly needed to satisfy myself, and I do not need a huge, out-of-the-box idea to do that. I’ve come to appreciate mostly everything I create, as long as it’s something I created. I can undoubtedly say that this is my favorite way of approaching art.

Taking seemingly dull or uninvolved slices of life and adding my own visual pizzazz is my favorite aspect of creating. I see production design and art direction as pivotal in defining and highlighting a film, from colors to textures to locations. I already have a solid understanding of “setting the scene,” but I know there’s still so much to learn about creating moods in a setting and how little details can change the bigger picture. More than anything, I want to study the building of cinematic worlds, even if they’re rooted in one simple concept. I hope UNC School of the Arts can teach me more about translating the little moments, all while learning more about myself as an artist.