Noah Luke / Film and Media Arts / SP 21 / Exp. Grad: SP 22

Throughout my academic career at The University of Tampa, I have developed a lot of valuable skills for working in the film industry. At first, I had no idea what I wanted to do in terms of a job, but after taking classes I have figured out what I like doing. I like being behind the camera, and many of the foundational classes from my major have helped me in the ability to operate and correctly capture images with a camera. I have found a love for experimental filmmaking, and this liking took fruition in the class of the same name. I have a competent ability creating interesting visual imagery in regard to experimental works. I love creating abstract art, so I strive to display complex and detailed images that rely on the use of color in many of my works. Professor Dana Plays introduced me to many different forms of experimental film, and I was able to change my previous confusion into a proficient understanding of what it means to make this type of art.  

With classes like this, I have been able to discover what types of strengths I possess. One notable strength would be in creating characters during the scriptwriting process. I love creating works of comedy, so it is often important to me to have my characters contain an element of humor. Some of my more comical works include The Chadumentary and Avant-Garde­, both works being carried by character performance. One last strength I possess is my ability to create music. Classes such as Recording and Electronic Music I & II as well as Sound in Media have helped me hone my skills in creating sounds. Professors Gregg Perkins and Josh Carney were extremely helpful in guiding me towards a possible career in music production as well. My passion for creating musical compositions and recording vocals came to fruition in my time at the university, and I was able to develop a good understanding of music. This is one of my favorite hobbies as well, so my skills are always improving.

I have noticed some areas that need improvement alongside the strengths. One of which being my editing skills. I find it difficult to stay focused on editing for long periods of time, so some of the larger works were a challenge to get edited. I counteract this problem by editing in small batches, often right after shooting, in order to lessen the workload. Editing is something I am continuously working on and improving, however, and I hope to be better skilled in the future. Another area I can improve is my cinematography skills. I believe many of my visual images are lacking style in some of my narrative works. I am hoping to fix this by continuing to practice filming and taking Cinematography in the near future. 

I see myself pursuing a job in the film industry after I graduate. There are many companies in which I can start at a ground level and learn through experience, and I hope to get internship experience before my time at the University of Tampa is up. I hope to further hone in on my specific career choice during the early days of my work, as I have also considered getting a degree in music production as well. It is one of my personal interests and would go good alongside my Film degree. I think I will be prepared come graduation time to get a job and start working right after school, based on what In have learned from the classes at the University of Tampa.