Outstanding Majors
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Bryant Womack
2022-23 Student of the Year
Department of Theatre & Film
Where were you born and raised?
North Carolina.
Why did you choose to study at UAF?
I want to be a screenwriter and the UAF FLPA program was an obvious choice to get
started on that goal.
When did you first decide to pursue a degree in FLPA/ Theatre Concentration?
In 2019, I decided to go back to school and finish a bachelor’s degree. I had originally
started as a music major many years ago, but I’m more interested in writing screenplays
and seeing my stories turned into movies. In the spring of 2020, I started my first
semester in the FLPA program and started to make that dream come true.
What first attracted you to film?
Like many people, when I was growing up I had love for reading, storytelling, movies,
and fantasized about being a film director or actor. I never knew where to start
on that journey and life took me on other paths, so years passed. When I found out
there was a program at UAF that would guide me to make real that childhood fantasy
– I took it.
What experiences at UAF have contributed to your academic and artistic success?
There are too many positive experiences to list here, but I cannot commend the faculty in the FLPA department
enough. I remind myself daily of a statement Maya Salganek made early in my first
year in FLPA. She said, “I want to unlock the inner artist I feel everyone has inside
them.” The faculty in FLPA does in fact show their students the artists they are.
Carrie Baker showed me how acting is vital to both professional and personal aspects.
She showed me how to harness emotion and use it to embody a character. When I write
a screenplay, I’m able to act out the very characters I write and that makes my story
all the more real. Kade Mendelowitz showed me how to make worlds for my stories,
bringing attention to every conceivable detail that brings realism to my writing and
cinematography. Maya has shown me how to capture the narrative, images, and processes
to make real movies.
Do you have any advice for new FLPA students?
My advice for incoming FLPA students is to truly embrace what is being taught here.
Each instructor wants their students to succeed – personally, professionally, and
even spiritually by developing the craft that is Theater and Film. Yes, there’s going
to be homework. Yes, some of it is going to be tough, and sometimes a student may
want to throw in the towel – don’t. Go to an instructor and each one will make time
and effort out of a hair-pulling schedule to guide and counsel. For me, it was a
simple enough task – do the work, enrich myself in the processes of filmmaking, and
try to do everything to represent the teachings of my instructors to the fullest.
They want me to succeed in whatever I do, and they’ll want you to do the same. I
have a genuine love for the instructors in the FLPA, and I guarantee they will love
you in the same manner they’ve shown me.
Please tell me about your most influential theatre or film projects while at UAF.
For me, the most influential project was writing, directing, and editing my own student
film. I made several and the entire production of two of those films was done by
me. I want everyone to know that I learned a very valuable lesson in why films require
a collaborative effort. One person cannot be an entire film crew. Sure, doing the
writing and directing, and even the editing is more than possible. I even put in
my own music that I wrote and performed. With that said, I cannot overstate how important
it is to have the extra hands on board to make a truly professional film. Learning
to direct a film will not happen unless you bring a crew in and learn how to manage
the production. The ironic thing is that I never wanted to direct since I cared only
to write the screenplays. However, being given the opportunity to “do it all” was
eye opening and oddly enough, made me want to direct more of my own films.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I’m currently enrolled as an MFA graduate student at Western Colorado University in
their Creative Writing program in Screenwriting. This fall semester I’m working on
a feature length adaption film that will be pitched to Hollywood production companies
as part of the curriculum. My education in the UAF FLPA program has made me FAR MORE
ADVANCED than most all my current grad school classmates. I do not exaggerate and
want everyone to know my teachers at UAF made this possible by giving me the tools
I needed to progress in my chosen field.