Craig Church has a collection of over 2,300 movies. So it’s no huge surprise that he’s a film & television production major (and an English writing major) and that he was the executive producer, writer, and director for the short film The White Abyss, filmed at PUC with professional actors and a RED digital film camera and premiered at the Cameo Cinema.

He didn’t start out in such a lofty place. “Like most visual art students arriving fresh out of high school, I was revved up to create the next deep, meaningful project that would floor everyone. … Two weeks later, I slowly sank lower in my chair as my first college film production effort played to unintentional laughter, confused glances, and my professor struggling to find the nicest way to tell me how horrible it was.”

But Craig became a part of the supportive “FTV family,” which allowed him to grow and learn. “It’s that closeness and empathy that enables us to look at the mistakes we all make and help each other become better filmmakers,” he explains. With a lot of work and support from peers and mentors, he got past the “horrible film” stage — as demonstrated by the way he came together with classmates and teachers to produce The White Abyss.

“These days, my classmates and I spend our summers working at Hollywood prop houses, television stations, and directing music videos for platinum-selling bands. I guess you could say we’ve gotten a bit better over the years.” Now, whatever project he delves into, he knows he has both the skills and the friends to make it happen.