Teaching Philosophy
I came to teaching unexpectedly. I am a documentary filmmaker with a background in civic activism and independent art cinema. After a decade producing and directing for film and television, I was asked an intriguing question by an anthropologist who was an early adopter of new digital technologies in the late 1990s: Could lay people use the newly-affordable media tools to make professional-looking films about their lives? At the time, I did not know the answer, but was inspired by the prospect of a more democratized, inclusive media. I wanted to be a part of this emerging movement.
The technology has changed rapidly in the last 20 years, moving from broadcast-quality camera gear that was available mainly to professionals to HD-quality video on personal Smartphones. In this dynamic environment, I want to foster in my students an understanding of media and film history and competency in the production process—everything from camera and composition and editing to collaboration with community members and presenting work back to audiences. I am interested in teaching students the language of film, in particular the rhetoric and syntax of non-fiction film, so that they are ready for whatever new technologies emerge in their lifetimes.
My teaching philosophy is grounded in my belief in the power of storytelling. No matter the medium, my core values rest on the foundation that we come to know the world through stories. Despite a broad societal demographic trend toward diversity, many of us find ourselves in increasingly homogeneous communities, reading and viewing niche programming that does not challenge our assumptions or present stories that counter our worldview. Our media ecosystem amplifies this trend through its use of algorithmic selection of programming delivered into our news feeds and suggested viewing queues.
In the classroom, I am interested in countering some of these forces in three primary ways: 1) providing students with a history of visual and media cultures which gives them factual knowledge about the film and develops their critical abilities, 2) teaching a new generation of students at one of the most diverse schools in the country how to make professional media and film so that the media production community is more inclusive, and 3) provide students with hands-on production experience working in partnership with communities off campus.
My teaching methods have evolved and will probably keep evolving as I gain more experience as a teacher and a filmmaker in new media. Some of the key lessons I have learned in the classroom revolve around student engagement. I have been lucky and have taught a number of exceptional students who strive to learn no matter what the incentive. For the rest of us, the context, structure, and rewards of a project matter. As both a filmmaker and passionate film lover, I understand that I have an advantage over other courses solely based on the medium: movies. Students have grown up consuming visual media and they want to learn how to master the form themselves. They live in a world in which visual information—a snapshot from their phone, a video uploaded on Instagram, or a podcast about their favorite band—is part of their regular conversation. My task has been figuring out a way to harness that energy, and convert their native interest into something more scholarly, deliberate, and critical.
Student Work
Films by UAB Media Studies students is streaming on Vimeo
Ethnographic Filmmaking
UAB Media Studies students work in partnership with community members in the Greater Birmingham area to share stories about their lives and experiences.
Of Note
Firelight Media, Reel South, And CAAM Select BIPOC Filmmakers For Hindsight Project
“Anissa Latham nurtured her storytelling and filmmaking skills during her time at University of Alabama at Birmingham — now, with new partners and supporters investing in her work, she’s bringing her creative vision to the world…
She will also premiere her new film “Missing Magic” at the American Film Institute (AFI) DOCS Film Festival, which will take place the week of June 22-27. She directed and co-produced — along with UAB alumna Kelsey Harrison — the film which will be included in the festival’s Spotlight on the Hindsight Project series. "Missing Magic" will be screening free throughout the duration of the AFI DOCS Film Festival”
from Chris McCauley’s UAB grad and filmmaker reaching bigger audiences
From Student Film to Emmy Win
In January 2015, Cowart and Shikany began working on a film about UAB football as students in Michele Forman’s Ethnographic Filmmaking class in the UAB Media Studies program in the Department of History. That initial documentary was called “4th Down” and examined the issues around the cancelation of the football program at UAB in late 2014. The film was distributed widely through the university, alumni and surrounding communities, and as a result of the attention it was getting, as well as the growing interest in reviving the football program, Cowart and Shikany decided to produce a feature-length documentary called “4th and Goal.” It was that project that led the pair to Richard Brooke, a producer with Raycom Sports.