Dean Rasmussen – Film and Media Arts – 7th Semester – Expected Graduation Date Spring 2019.
Hi I’m Dean, and If you’re looking for somebody who does things differently, then you’ve stumbled upon the right filmmaker.
A Jack of All Trades, I am confident enough to achieve any task set forth in front of me. Filmmaking is both my passion and career, and to balance the two I must never stop making, and never stop improving. Every time that I pick up the camera or log into premiere, I find myself learning more efficient or creative ways to create a better product and increase my workflow productivity. Every time I work with an actor, or a musician, or a bride, I learn better ways to more efficiently communicate my ideas. My strengths lie in my vast technical knowledge, capable of operating or learning to operate anything put in front of me. I also hold proficiency as a cinematographer, with the ability to successfully operate a fully manual camera and a well trained eye. I have experimented with many different forms of visual media. Narrative film, photography, 16mm film, 3-D animation, stop motion, audio engineering, graphic design – just a small list of the different mediums that I’ve worked in. I also see myself as being highly proficient in the cutting room, where I truly feel that I get to reflect myself and my creative sensibilities. When tasked with creating art, I do it with a personal fervor that will not be quenched until I am convinced that my client will be highly satisfied.
I tend to mix traditional styles with modern pomp, and my work reflects that. With this being said, I would like to move away from traditionalism. My stylistic choices tend to be modest in regards to camera work, but I want to learn to more efficiently use the camera as a creative device. I feel that I must continue to develop my eye to see the world in a different light. I say this literally. I want to learn to notice every shadow, I want to notice every little pattern that exists in the natural world. I feel that I must exploit my surroundings more, if I wish to further myself and my personal growth. I also find weakness in regards to subject direction, I tend to find myself at a creative loss when it comes to spontaneous instruction. In film, I believe that learning to act, myself, could greatly increase my communication efficiency. In photography, I have come to learn that a predetermined set of poses could be of great assistance to me. I need to spend more time in the Pre-production process, often I get excited and start working on the production stages prematurely.
Many aspects of my education at The University of Tampa have come to teach me so much. Professor Warren Cockerham has taught me to push new boundaries in creative filmmaking, introducing me to many new and innovative examples of the medium. Even before he was my Professor, he took the time to show me and teach me how to use many of the tools that I was either unfamiliar with or unaware of. Professor Gregg Perkins is also responsible for positively reinforcing many of my creative ideas during my lower level formative years, helping to lead me down my current creative path. Professor Selena Roman and Ty Stude helped to polish my skills in the Adobe Creative Cloud. Professor Kris Atkinson gave me my first opportunity in college to truly consistently work with another set of creative individuals in order to create a string of films together, improving my teamwork and communication skills. Professor Dana Plays taught me to work under a strict set of requirements, making me a more versatile filmmaker, and Professor Greg LeSar taught me about what it means to be cool, man. Overall, the FMX Professors at The University of Tampa have almost completely created me as a creative individual. They gave me the tools to create, and they made me make magic.
After I graduate, I hope that i can take my degree with me to Atlanta and find work on set. Working as a feature film or television camera operator has always been a huge desire of mine. The skills that I learned at UT are so numerous, however, that It’s opened me up to a completely different world. I enjoy every aspect of filmmaking during production and post-production, so just making a living by working on a film set would be amazing. Currently, I am working as a Wedding Photographer. I plan on continuing my career down this path, as I am currently increasing my skills and notoriety in my local community and I find the work incredibly satisfying.