Benjamin H
- Research Program Mentor

MFA at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Expertise

Cinematic arts, filmmaking, screenwriting, film directing, film editing, producing.

Bio

Benjamin Howard is an award-winning writer, director and producer. His short film "Deviant" received Emmy recognition at the PSW Emmys for Student Programming - Short Form in 2019. After graduating from San Diego State University, Benjamin worked as the Camera and Lighting Instructor at Options For All Film & Media Studios, a vocational program for young adults with developmental disabilities. In 2018, Benjamin was accepted to UCLA’s prestigious School of Theater, Film and Television, where he’s currently earning his M.F.A. in Film Directing. His thesis film "Riley", which he wrote, produced, and directed, will act as his feature-length debut and his Master’s Thesis. "Riley" will premiere in 2023. Benjamin lives by the motto "if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life," so he often finds that his hobbies and his work are one in the same! In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, writing stories, and producing small music videos when the opportunities arise. He loves going out to eat, ogling at historic buildings and chatting about old architecture, and (when they're playing up to par) is a loyal San Diego sports fan (go Padres and Chargers!).

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Make a Short Film!

I've worked as a filmmaking teacher / mentor in several different capacities. During these endeavors, the course curriculum often consisted of a hands-on approach to the essential filmmaking process. If you're interested in storytelling and want to make your very own movie, I'd love to help you with the process! We'll start in pre-production, from conceptualizing ideas, to writing a short script (3-10 pages). Then we'll get into principal photography, where we'll go over best practices in casting, storyboarding, shot-listing, cinematography techniques, directing actors, and film scheduling. After you shoot your movie, we'll see our project through to the end, with mentorship on film-editing and utilizing music in film. By the end, you'll have your very own short film!

Teaching experience

I've taught a variety of students at different age levels and learning abilities. After earning my B.S. in Film Production at SDSU, I worked at a vocational program teaching young adults with developmental disabilities filmmaking techniques. I specialized in camera and lighting, and acted as creative director on several short film projects too. The program covered all aspects of filmmaking, from screenwriting to shooting, to editing. I've also taught high school age students the basics of the craft. Most programs I've taught at saw students work through all fundamentals of storytelling-- we would start with pitching a script, then learn about screenwriting basics, before getting on a small film set and shooting. Finally, I taught students the basics of film editing, and gave them a brief overview of the marketing / distribution process. I've always believed getting the most hands-on experience (be it with screenwriting, directing, editing, etc) is the most effective way to learn how to make movies.

Credentials

Work experience

Windsor Film Company (2018 - Current)

Founder / Filmmaker

Education

San Diego State University

BS Bachelor of Science (2017)

Television, Film and New Media - Emphasis in Production

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

MFA Master of Fine Arts

Film Directing

Interested in working with expert mentors like Benjamin?

Apply now

Benjamin H - Research Program Mentor