Keara Davis
BFA Film
Graduating Spring 2024, May 4th
https:fmx298.santiago.bz/keara
My name is Keara Davis, I am a senior at the University of Tampa and will be graduating with a BFA on May 4th. I was raised by a single mother in the military, growing up without a good father figure for a majority of my formative years. I attended a very small beachside Catholic school for several years until I reached my pre-teen years. I was often bullied for being “fat and poor” by some of my classmates and would often lash out in retaliation (sometimes physically). During this time, film and television became solace, immersing myself into worlds that were far more exciting than reality. Movies and television fueled my imagination and creativity and allowed me to imagine a bigger and better world for myself, one where I had a bigger purpose.
My love for the craft of filmmaking began when I was in high school while attending a school for the arts. This school had more than your typical art electives and had classes for any form of art you can think of, ranging from theatre, to cartooning, to even martial arts. My first film class was called Film and Humanities and where we would watch and analyze films from all around the world. It was the first time that I watched films beyond a surface level of understanding and realized how impactful film is as an artform on humanity. Film not only speaks to human experience but also reflects it back at us and forces us to examine and critique our existence. I then decided to pursue film after high school and began taking film classes at community college.
Already having a natural inclination for visual art and storytelling, my skills fit best in screenwriting, cinematography, and art department (especially costuming, makeup, and set design). I enjoy working hands on and love working with practical effects whenever I get the chance. I find myself drawn to horror films and films that explore darker themes in general. Not only are horror films fun to make (speaking from personal experience) but they usually have the most to say when it comes to critiquing society and humanity as a whole. I find existential horror to be the most compelling, especially when it comes to themes of religion and religious paranoia. I want the future of my art and career after I graduate to explore such themes but from my perspective, which is that of a bisexual agnostic woman.
I will continue to strengthen my skills in editing and postproduction. I used to hate having to edit films together, especially when I first got into filmmaking and struggled with learning how to use editing software. My learning disability and my lack of technological expertise made me feel very disheartened in the editing room. However, over the years, I saw just how much the film transforms during postproduction and learned just how many important decisions and changes are made in the editing room that may. As someone who considers themselves to be a bit of a control freak, I would feel a lot more comfortable in my craft as I continue to home in my editing skills.