Madison Harris

BFA in Film and Media Arts

Expected Graduation Spring 2023

Growing up in a multicultural household meant that I was exposed to many different types of people with different stories and backgrounds. My mother being an immigrant from Sonora, Mexico taught me what it’s like to start fresh, chase your dreams and be ambitious. Although, I still witnessed the hardships she faced like ignorance and racism for being a minority in the United States. My father is Jewish and opened my eyes to the culture and religion but also to the brutal history that our family has faced. Growing up learning about both of these beautiful cultures made me very open-minded and inspired to get to know other peoples stories. 

My first introduction to cameras was when I got the GoPro Hero for my 14th birthday. At this age, I didn’t have the skills to tell a compelling story at the time but I was obsessed with my GoPro. I would take it on every single trip I went on and used it to document everything and by everything, i mean everything. I would follow my instinct and compose a shot that I thought was visually appealing and hit the record button. I got better and better as I kept filming and composing these scenes. While in highschool, I decided to pursue this interest and take a photography class. This was my first formal introduction to photography and I was determined to improve my skills as an artist. This led me to taking AP photography my senior year and then winning the Outstanding Student in Photography Award presented by my highschool. 

When it was time for me to pick a college and get serious about a career path, I couldn’t think about doing anything else with my life except for continuing to meet unique people and tell stories. This led me to majoring in Film & Media at The University of Tampa. Since enrolling and picking this major, I have not had any doubts about changing career paths. Taking the time to seriously study film & media has allowed me to hone my skills and grow so much as a storyteller. While in college I have produced two films that have gotten into the University of Tampa’s Blackbox Film Festival, one an Experimental called A Bottle Of and one a Narrative called The Oracle. Each day I can study what I love is a great day and I am so eager to continue to grow and learn as a filmmaker.

I’m grateful to have grown up in such a unique household, I truly believe that my love for storytelling sparked because of my mom and dad sharing their stories from their different perspectives. This has given me such a different outlook on life and with the help of school has made me grow into a great storyteller and filmmaker. Although I have learned a lot while being in college, I have big ambitions and want to continue learning long after I graduate. My goal is to become an award winning filmmaker and be able to give viewers a different perspective on life. I believe being able to give someone a different outlook on the world is a very powerful thing and I cannot wait to hold that power.