Welcome! My name is Autumn Juliano, and I’m a soon-to-be graduating senior Film student of Freestyle! I have had a love for filmmaking for years, especially helped by the lockdown of 2020, when I spent my quarantine teaching myself how to shoot and edit small parodies of classic adventure films like Back to the Future or Indiana Jones.
In my time at Freestyle, however, I have been given access to so much more, and have moved far beyond those little home movies. I have been granted resources and experiences unlike anywhere else I can imagine, to the point where I worried about finding a college that would live up to Freestyle! Gladly, I have found an excellent next step, being granted a large merit scholarship to study Film at California College of the Arts! My portfolio certainly would not have looked a fifth as good as it does now were it not for Freestyle.
The work I have chosen to present to you is a scene from my Senior Narrative project, the largest undertaking I’ve ever tackled. I was extremely ambitious with this project and have put my every waking moment into it for the past 7 months. The final film will be completed by the end of May. As you watch, I would like you to keep primarily the visuals in mind, as the sound editing is not yet complete.
Additionally, I am proud to present my project reel to you, containing a selection of some of the best shots from a wide variety of my projects over the past 2 years at Freestyle.
It need not be said how large an impact my time at Freestyle has had on me and my artistic abilities, but what I feel has changed me most is the community. The small, tight-knit classes filled with such unique and vibrant personalities helped me grow more connections and bonds than ever before.
The teachers also have made such a difference. The constant flexibility and communication was always wonderfully helpful in times when I was struggling, and the meaningful, in-depth feedback proved that they didn’t only care about the grades, but about me and my art. Mr. Taylor shows constant dedication to helping students make their films the best they can be, Mr. Greco always shows kindness, support, and accommodation, and Mr. Florendo provides a constant stream of resources and materials!
I hope you appreciate what an amazing program Freestyle Academy is. I am incredibly lucky and even more grateful to have been able to experience this for the time that I have. Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing your critiques!