Anakin Bond, BFA in Film and Media Arts, double minor in Communications and Cinema Studies, MFA in Fine Arts Oxford Brookes University, Expected Graduation August of 2024.

Personal Statement

If I had to describe the two most important values in my life, I would choose authenticity and individuality. To be happy, I must always stay true to myself and who I am, even if the road may be challenging. Growing up, I have always been the odd one out. The entirety of my family is in either the medical or transportation, and I wanted to do something new and different. 

Throughout elementary and middle school, I was always considered the creative one of the family, constantly drawing, making crafts, or searching the internet for new ideas. Once I got my first computer, I became enthralled with using technology and sandbox games, where I could build, design, and even record my gaming content starting in the 8th grade. After entering high school, I enrolled in a unique digital video production program, where I learned the basics of filmmaking with a teacher who not only wanted to shape his class as filmmakers but as better individuals as a whole. I wrote daily journal prompts centered around questions on the person I wanted to be when I got older and how I would achieve that goal. This class sparked a passion in me that would continue for years into the future. 

In my junior year, I decided to join a pre-college program at the University of South Florida to further expand my knowledge of film after working to create three different short films honing my skills in writing, directing, cinematography, and editing. I knew that being behind the camera was what I wanted to do. I applied for the University of Tampa shortly after, hoping to get into the BFA program offered to enhance my skills. Once accepted, I thrived in the diverse program opportunities I was given. 

Here I learned how to develop my stories in a way that could be brought to life vividly on screen. I worked on many different film types, from narrative to experimental, documentaries, and even music videos. I found myself on set almost every weekend, offering to be a part of what was being created no matter what role I was placed in. I became highly diverse in the departments due to my flexibility and have done everything from production assistant, and sound mixer, to director of photography and much more. I even got into Madmapper and worked with the Virtual Production studio and Unreal Engine to create unique projections and 3D computer graphics for environments to film.

Then a new aspect of art was introduced into my life. After taking a studies class at my university titled Communication and Cultural Studies, I was introduced to a deeper meaning of stereotypes and film analysis. I fell in love with deconstructing films and learning about the history and tropes surrounding them. I began writing multiple papers and presentations about the films I most enjoyed and quickly fell into my niche. 

During my studies, I struggled with my identity and constantly felt out of place in my body. I came out as transgender during my first year of university and started physically transitioning the following year. Finally comfortable with myself and progressing to a happier future, I knew I wanted to help other people that felt like me and spread the message that being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is not something that you should be ashamed of.

I combined my love for fine art and cinema studies and used it to my advantage to create my senior thesis, Swim: An LGBTQ+ Romance. This film was the most influential film I had ever written, directed, produced, and edited, and I had the support of an entire crew backing me. I wanted to make a film that showed people who were a part of the community could find love and be accepted for who they were.

My goal is to get a terminal master’s degree and become a professor to write academic papers and teach students about the importance of creating diverse and inclusive films while also allowing myself to create meaningful films that resonate with the audience.  I want to encourage students to make films that do not rely on stereotypes, tropes, and myths that perpetuate prejudice and negative views of marginalized communities. I hope my studies abroad will allow me to expand my horizons and open up my mind to new experiences and opportunities surrounding the fine arts.