Nicole Flores is on her first semester of the BFA in Film and Media Arts program at the University of Tampa with an expected graduation of Fall 2022.

Create your world. I do. I am constantly discovering stories every day. I recently learned the sweet little old lady at the grocery store just bought 5 pounds of tofu for the pack of aliens residing in her basement.   The child smiling at the park is walking next to her invisible magical friend. And dogs are extremely sarcastic. It is only fair that the rest of the world gets a chance to see this with me. To share these stories, I plan on starting my own independent film company in Tampa, Florida. But first I need to work with other studios to learn how they navigate the business.  I am looking for opportunities to work in all aspects of the company from casting to directing.  I understand I do not need to be an expert at each of the roles, but it is necessary to understand them well to be a competent boss and filmmaker.

My strengths are creativity, determination, knowing my abilities, and picking good subject matter to film.  I am also willing to keep repeating the work until I get it correct in my eyes. Digital media forced me to use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I never saw a purpose for either program before, however, after utilizing them I now comprehend the possibilities. In class I was seriously asking myself “why do I need Illustrator and that horrible pen tool; I want to make films?” Well, I used that horrible pen tool to make some quick dinosaurs in my first documentary, and I am looking into effects using photoshop.  Introduction to Screenwriting is an amazing class as I am no longer afraid of Final Draft. Now I break down movies, debate if it followed Dan Harmon’s circle, and decide how I would change the plot.  I am truly enjoying this style of writing, straight forward and to the point.

When I first started Sound, Image, and Motion I was disappointed because COVID limited interaction in the classroom. Instead the instructor encouraged us just to go out and just shoot, and it was good advice. I made so many mistakes while filming that I learned an incredible amount of what not to do and how to better prepare for the day. For our documentary he made us write down not only the documentary topic, but also explain why people would want to watch it. It turned the decision into a business question for me. Unlike “art” that does not have to be good or get an audience, the film business is a business, and you need to make a product the customer wants to watch

                My previous job required perfection and strict procedures. I constantly have to remind myself that it’s ok to make mistakes and go off script, it’s part of the creative process. However, the perfectionist in me still looks for ways to improve as quickly as possible. I am grateful that the professors at UT have introduced me to the variety of webinars and online sites to gather information. In my filming this semester I have grudgingly learned that I still have a long way to go, but I am improving. Also, I really enjoy working with a crew. It is so much more fun than setting up everything on my own.  Expect to see more shorts on Vimeo as I continue practicing. And of course, I am going to take more screenwriting classes, since you cannot make a good movie without a good story.