Youth N'Art - The Long and Short of my story

I am 21 years old, a student in college, a

filmmaker, seamstress, artist, writer...sister, friend and small business owner of White Cloud Films LLC.

I have been fortunate to have been supported and encouraged by so many professionals, teachers, and friends. The "sucess / acclaim" behind my recent work is really due to the people who were right there with me. Thanks guys!

The purpose of this blog is really to pay it back -- and share with you some of my experiences in the hopes that my journey may inspire you in your dreams.

So let me tell ya my story...

I often get asked when did you know you wanted to be a filmmaker.

And this is the story I usually tell. When I was a kid really young I'd always watch films and ask my mom: "how'd they do that?" every time I saw a special effect. She always responded "camera trick" which never seemed to satisfy my voracious mind.

The making of documentaries fascinated me from then on and became educational material for me. My first attempts producing and directing followed when I was in the 7th grade. Every school project that could be done in video I did.

By highschool a bunch of my friends would throughly plan out our productions for the annual film fest. Our popular saga was Jane Bond... (YouTube it) When I was 16, I started using White Cloud as a production name in my work.

There is more of course...I consider filmmaking, sewing or drawing a theraputic release in it's own way. Those things became and still are a distraction from the hard life I've had as the older sister to an Autistic sister and Down Syndrome brother.

In college with the advent of production and theory courses my work began to gain more production value. In 2008 my short Tudor Rose went on to CineYouth in Chicago International Film Festival after gaining recognition in the 7th Annual UCCS Student Film Festival.

In 2009 White Cloud Films teamed up with WWII re-enactors, a professional pyrotechnics company, the local Russian Orthodox Church and the theatrical community to produce The Last Bogatyr a historical epic on the eastern front. That film is still playing festivals, has won a Student Award, and was a national finalist in the 37th Student Academy Awards....

Since then I've made more shorts (see my website) and am looking to make more movies of course. I take my work very seriously...and now I am currently interning this summer in Los Angeles on HBO Film's Cinema Veritae (2012) through the Emmy Foundation's college tv internship program.

So much of the blogs may be on that production ;)