Faculty Spotlight: Andrew Reed joins FMA
0By Shelby Schilling
Andrew Reed is a name that is new on UPIKE’s campus, but it’s also a name that will soon be known. Reed is the new assistant professor of film and media arts. He is hoping to make a great impression with his knowledge and skills of media arts.
Reed comes from a small Alabama town.
“People joke about Pikeville being small, but Phil Campbell is much smaller. We don’t even have a Walmart,” Reed said.
Coming from a small, country town, many people may be surprised about how much Reed has accomplished in film. As a senior in high school, Reed started his film career working with video production. Reed said that his interest in technology was what started his passion for film. After high school, Reed continued his career with film at his community college. He worked a part-time job producing videos for a nonprofit organization doing projects about wood working.
He said, “It was challenging. It really helped me figure out a lot of stuff and pushed me to develop more skill sets quickly.”
Reed said that the easiest way to learn how to use a camera is to go out and just use it.
Reed has big plans for the media arts department at UPIKE. Already, Reed has secured five new cameras for students to use in class. He is continuing to get more equipment for his classes. He said there is just now enough hardware for the students to get a true hands-on experience.
Reed said, “Film and media arts is a major that is very worthwhile for students, but simultaneously, it’s a fun major.”
Even if a student is not a film major, Reed recommends his introductory class to media arts because it will give students extra skills.
Reed said that his favorite classes are introductory classes. He also said that he tries to make his classes fun while learning a hard skill.
Script writing is also one of Reed’s favorite. He said that he usually focuses on documentaries, so script writing is new for him, and he is learning a lot himself.
In 2011, Reed started his first feature film called “I Am with Phil.” This film is about a New York man named Phil Campbell that finds out about Reed’s hometown of Phil Campbell, Ala. Reed expected a short film making process, but it was interrupted by a tornado outbreak. The documentary was based around the tornado and even raised $40,000 for reconstruction of the town. This year, the film is going to be shown at the Heartland Film Festival.
While Reed is not teaching or making films, he enjoys playing disc golf, fishing, hiking, and attending concerts.
Reed expressed his love for Auburn football. Although Auburn is Reed’s favorite team, he graduated from Alabama. Reed said that during his time at Alabama, he wore his Auburn socks around campus proudly.