Student Snapshot: Evan Barber

Evan Barber
BFA Class of 2020

My name is Evan Barber and my father brainwashed me into becoming a filmmaker. Well, brainwash might be too strong of a word. Subtly encouraged might be more appropriate. Thanks to my dad and Netflix’s DVD service, I was raised on a steady diet of all types of cinema. I grew up watching old black and white classics, indie movies, and foreign films right alongside my Saturday morning cartoons. Then, in 8th grade I discovered FSU had a film school. In that moment, I knew that was where I needed to be, and I spent the next five years doing everything I could to get there. Now that I’m in the film school of my dreams, my goals are to make films with humor and humanity, to build lifelong relationships with my classmates and professors, and to have a blast doing it.

Favorite Filmmaker?

Hayao Miyazaki

What are you currently working on?

I am currently writing a script about a woman who brings to life and falls in love with a CPR dummy.

What does your typical day look like?

On a productive day, I wake up at 7:30 a.m. and immediately start writing. My goal is to write a page of absolutely anything with my reward being breakfast. Then I walk to the film school listening to my Discover Weekly on Spotify or an episode of the podcast This American Life. During lunch, I make myself a sandwich and relax before my next class. Then, I walk back to school for my final class. After class, I make dinner, work on homework, prepare for tomorrow’s classes, and if I have time before bed, I try to sneak in a movie. And finally, I’m in bed reading a book and falling asleep by 11:30 p.m.

What has been the best part of Film School so far?

The best part of film school has been the friends I’ve made. In high school I always had friends, but I never found anyone who was as interested in making movies like I was. I felt alone in passions. In film school, I am exclusively surrounded by people who feel the same way I do. I found my people here at the Film School.

Which faculty member has made the greatest impression on you and how?

Jason Maurer. Before Jason, I preferred compliments over criticism when it came to my work. Who doesn’t? Because of Jason, I now seek out criticism. Experiencing Jason criticizing my work was like being dunked into ice cold water. Never before had I experienced such passionate, intense criticism. At first it was shocking, but slowly I began to understand that the intensity of his criticism was really a reflection of how much he cared about my success. By pointing out where I failed, Jason was showing me where I could succeed.

What do you think someone applying to the program should know about the FSU Film School?

It takes so much more than just loving movies to get into the Film School, but more importantly, to be a filmmaker. If you really think you want to make movies or go to Film School, you must be a collaborator, you must have something unique to bring to your stories, and in my opinion, you must be kind.

It’s late, you’re at the Film School working on something you need to finish before tomorrow: where are you and who are you with?

If I’m at the Film School working late, there is a 95% chance I am with my close friend and classmate Will Stead, spending an equal amount of time working diligently and having long conversations about some obscure movie from the 90s.