Steven Nye, BFA in Film and Media Arts, Junior, expected graduation Spring 2022. https://fmx298.santiago.bz/nye
Education is an invaluable resource and I am fortunate for the multitude of enriching opportunities I’ve had so far in my life. In highschool, I enjoyed my entry level filmmaking class, but longed for more. Senior year, I created an independent study in film and attended the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, NC. During this time, my eyes were opened to the world of documentary cinema. There is something about the academic nature of a documentary mixed with the art of film that excites me. During my gap year, my mom and I traveled to the University of Illinois to listen to astronaut Terry Virts talk about his 200 days in space and how he shot an IMAX movie on the International Space Station. After his presentation, I was able to speak with him about the cameras he used and the unusual complications he ran into while filming in zero gravity. Since coming to the University of Tampa, I have deepened my understanding in every aspect of film. The most beneficial classes to me have been Cinematography with Warren Cockerham and Documentary with Aaron Walker. These classes were quite hands on and allowed me to express myself and interests in a creative manner.
My strengths are in the technical side of filmmaking. Watching behind the scenes of productions has always fascinated me and this connects to my engineering background. I am a logical thinker and a good problem solver. I enjoy finding multiple solutions to a given issue and the most efficient path. For cameras, I have an advanced understanding of lenses and sensor technology. I’ve been flying drones for the past seven years and obtained my FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone License in 2017. I also specialize in gimbal and Steadicam technology. It can be challenging to balance a rig properly while maintaining all of the functionality. From learning how to control my body in gymnastics, I have an intuitive understanding of how to “dance” with the camera. Finding new ways to utilize my equipment is always rewarding. Lighting has peaked my intrest in the past couple of years where I have learned more about different lighting types and quality. I taught myself DMX which is a system of controlling lights. Being able to control color changing LED lights to music has become a great asset.
An area I have room to improve on is editing. I taught myself Final Cut Pro X and have become quite fast at editing. I try to spend as little time editing as possible. I would rather be out in the field shooting. I have a fair amount of experience in Premiere Pro and limited experience in After Effects. I want to learn Davinci Resolve and Avid Media Composer. I hope to learn more in these programs when I take Advanced Post Production.
After graduation, I plan to use my degree working in the field of film. My passion is documentary filmmaking and I hope to work with a small team. This genre requires a lot of traveling so as long as I’m living near a good airport, I will be content. I would like to do an internship at a production company and learn more from hands on work. Networking with others in the community is high on my bucket list. I also hope to finish my Private Pilot’s License. My dream job would be flying helicopters for major motion picture. This ties together my two greatest interests for a niche position requiring a great deal of precision and a whole lot of skill.