March Edition

Independent Filmmaking at Sly Dog Creative

Wanting to “maintain creative freedom” and “produce work we care about,” Graham Barbour (Media Studies ’21) and Phineas Alexander (Studio Art ’21) co-founded Sly Dog Creative. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the media production company offers “a fresh take on film and photo.” 


Julia Monahan (’14) on Breaking into the Film Industry

On a cool winter day outside Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California, Julia Monahan (Comm, Film Studies ’14) arrives on the set of the forthcoming Apple TV show High Desert for imperfections. As a Showrunner’s Assistant, she works tirelessly to support the writers by ensuring their stories and vision come alive on set. 


Lori Morimoto Explores The Art of the Video Essay

In the age of YouTube, video essays are an increasingly popular and accessible form of media criticism, explored and analyzed in podcasts and academic workshops, and produced by practitioners ranging from professional editors to fans. According to Lori Morimoto, Assistant Professor of Media Studies and General Faculty, the video essay need not read as a formal essay or have a voiceover. It should, however, engage critically with media, which sometimes happens in unexpected ways.


Rasheed Christian (’22) on Promoting Films for Warner Brothers

Between set and costume design, post-production, and marketing, the make and release of a movie is an involved operation. Rasheed Christian (Media Studies and Batten ’22) has acquired a strong understanding of this process as a student intern for Warner Bros where he utilizes his knowledge of UVA’s student body and its culture to develop and execute marketing campaigns for new film releases. 


Black at UVA

Fueled by the racial unrest in 2020, Amelia Delphos (’22) and Heather Thomas (’21) produced an incisive documentary, Black at UVA. Created as part of an independent study with Wyatt Andrews, Professor of Practice, the film explores the experience of Black students and faculty at UVA including how the local Black Lives Matter movement lobbied successfully for the appointment of the Racial Equity Task Force.