Mary-Margaret Russo
Film and Media Arts BFA
2024 Spring Semester
Graduating 2025 Spring Semester
For as long as I can remember I’ve loved documenting everything–I’m a very nostalgic person and discovered at a young age that film and photography allowed moments near and dear to my heart to live forever. In high school I didn’t see college as something I would pursue and had no plans to leave my small hometown in upstate New York. Taking my first film class in my junior year changed all of that, and I realized I had the opportunity to make my lifelong interest my future. Once enrolled in the University of Tampa, Professor Warren Cockerham’s Sound Image and Motion class opened my eyes to the complexities of filmmaking and solidified my desire to pursue cinematography as my main concentration.
My interest has always remained in cameras–whether it be through cinematography or photography. Working at the University’s Film Equipment Cage has allowed me to become extremely familiar with camera and lighting gear, and how to troubleshoot repairs. After taking Darkroom Photography with Kristen Roles, I’ve become fascinated with analog film. There’s something so satisfying about pouring hours of tedious work into seeing your images. I found my time working in the darkroom extremely relaxing and rewarding and decided to pursue an independent study with Warren Cockerham on 16mm film production. Shooting and developing film has deepened my understanding and appreciation for lighting. Over the years, my camera work has grown to highlight the female gaze. Growing up the films I watched were overflowing with misogyny, often presenting women as desirable objects, rather than real people with real thoughts and emotions, which made me feel very confused about what it meant to be a woman and my place in society. Through film, I feel as though I’m able to redefine my own perception of womanhood by utilizing intimate camera movements and making it clear that the subject is in control of the exposure. I’ve accomplished this by learning how to clearly communicate and work closely with my actors.
While I feel confident in the technical aspects of filmmaking, I struggle with flushing out complete stories. When creating my own films, I prioritize shot composition and sequence as opposed to story. Ideas for shots and an overarching theme will pop into my head, but I struggle with connecting ideas and forming clear beginning, middle, and ends. To combat this, I’ve been reading more books and screenplays to expand my understanding of storytelling. I’ve also been trying to write short scripts in my free time to better understand script structure and through that have realized how important it is to establish all of your ideas clearly before filming.
The film department at the University of Tampa and the plethora of opportunities and connections it has provided me gives me full confidence that I will be working as a 1st Assistant camera or grip. My long-term goal is to work as a director of photography on independent films. I hope to primarily collaborate on projects that prioritize women’s voices.