Melanie Carr, 19 years old, has certainly grown from a little girl obsessed with the Lion King to the aspiring filmmaker we see in the video above. “I’ve always loved watching movies,” she says, “and when I was younger I wanted to be a part of them. It just looked like so much fun. I guess the love grew from there.”
Carr, native of Lynn, is in her second year at Boston University in a dual degree program: film and business administration and management with a concentration in entrepreneurship. An avid fan of the movies and their filmmakers, Melanie picked up her own camera a few years ago to learn the craft that she so admired. It was when she started college that her “hobby” really took flight.
She became focused on the networking that is so vital to the film industry. Carr aims to build her resume while she goes through school. She has applied for several production assistant jobs in Boston and works at BUTV on several shows. “Experience is key,” she says.
Melanie also took part in a summer program with New York Film Academy this year where she honed her editing skills, learning the ins and outs of production. All her independent projects are showcased on her YouTube pages, MelCahh and TrueHullabaloo. “I use YouTube to not only share my own work, but to offer help to other filmmakers and get feedback from them - networking.”
She draws her inspiration from dozens of her favorite directors. “I can’t just pick one!” she exclaimed when asked her favorite. “Stanley Kubrick is one of my favorites because every frame is thought out so carefully, and the effort he puts into every shot is obvious. I admire Quentin Tarantino for his willingness to experiment and do things differently. He’s not afraid to do things his way, regardless of what people are going to say. As long as he likes what he does, he’s happy; I want to be that type of filmmaker.”
“I like the Cohen brothers because they are obviously amazing filmmakers and they make great films so cheap, which is the boat I’m in. I like Scorsese for his distinct style and Tim Burton for that crazy imagination. I would love to find out what goes on in that man’s head when he’s directing.”
As for her own style, Carr says she’s working on that. “I’m trying everything at this point to see what style fits me and where I want to go with film. I guess I could say that for now, I want my videos to be well made. I want them to look professional because that’s the only way I’ll be taken seriously as a filmmaker. It’s a difficult field.”
The strive for professionalism and finding her own unique style is exhibited by Carr’s most recent project, entitled “Exposed,” as seen above. The reactions have been mixed, as this is her first “artsy” video. The description reads, “I hope you feel uncomfortable after watching this…I consider this is self portrait, with video. We all have moments like these.”
Melanie explains, “I make my videos primarily for me, but I do want people to watch them and experience them. Not necessarily to have the same experience that I have, but to make it their own. Part of the beauty of film is the subjectivity, which I am exploring now.”
