Media Arts student Sophia Deighton
shares how an experiential learning opportunity has enhanced her time at BYU
Being a student in the BYU film program with an emphasis in documentary, I am always looking for new stories to capture.
This summer I had the opportunity to reunite with my two sisters after our missions overlapped. We decided to visit Hawaii, a place we’d always dreamed about going together. Although this was a vacation, I knew I wanted to find a story I could film, so I took my camera gear with me. I’ve always had a dream to make some kind of surfing film and tried making connections on social media prior to going on the trip, but nothing seemed to be working out. About halfway through our trip, we were sitting in a burger place called Seven Brothers – a food chain that makes delicious burgers, founded by a family of seven boys who all love to surf. One of the seven brothers was actually sitting in the restaurant as we were eating and I thought this was the perfect filming opportunity. I walked up to him, introduced myself and said I’d love to make a film about their family, surfing and their restaurants. He was so excited about this and invited me over the next day to film.
We woke up before sunrise and met the brothers and some of their kids and captured the ocean waves, surfed and interviewed the family. It was so much fun! This experience made me realize that when I take my own initiative to work on projects, even outside the classroom, I can develop my skills and style as a filmmaker.
Although I love learning in a classroom, it’s only when I get out into the world and make my own content that I can really put into practice all the knowledge I’ve gained in the school year. Especially in the film major, I believe it’s really important to go out and make your own content because this is what can help you get jobs after you graduate. It’s been incredible to see the kinds of people who have reached out to me and the opportunities that have come just by making this short film. This experience has made me realize that this is the kind of work I want to do for the rest of my life.
You can watch the short documentary here: https://vimeo.com/347390217
The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.