Within Amarillo, a small film making scene has been gestating under the radar for a few years. While not quite to the same degree as what cities like Austin or Dallas may possess, our local film making scene is quickly finding a home next to the galleries and music venues that those involved with the creative scene may be most familiar with. HPPR had the opportunity to talk to one rising star of the local film industry, writer and director CJ Scott, about two of her recently released films and her experience working in the independent, no-budget film making scene. (To hear the full interview, click the link at the top of the page)
Scott is best known for her horror films. One of her newest films, “A Night Worth Living For,” is a drama that incorporates elements of the horror genre. This film tells the story of a college student who reluctantly attends a party. After getting too inebriated, she is faced with the decision to either drive herself home or find someone to take her home. The film shows the potential life-ending consequences of drunk driving through a what-if scenario wherein the protagonist decides to drive home, crashes her car, and dies as a result. However, in reality, a fellow party-goer offers to take her home, which allows her to avoid the tragic ending foreshadowed in the opening of the film.
Scott's other recent film is of a decidedly different genre than “A Night Worth Living For.” “Art Saves Amarillo” is a documentary that, in Scott's words, "is about more of our underground art scenes; so a lot of the galleries, a lot of the artists that live here in Amarillo. It's less about the staple art pieces that most people already know about, but it's about the community that's here." She interviewed a handful of local figures in different niches of the art community here, from gallery owners to graffiti artists. The final product is a love letter to the underground art community that has given Amarillo its new visual identity over the past 5 to 10 years.
Besides the two films that Scott recently premiered, her portfolio includes 10 other films that she has released over the last five years. When asked about her favorite aspect of the film making pipeline, Scott says that while she is most comfortable with directing and cinematography, she is excited to learn about every facet of the process. "I think especially with independent and no-budget film making, learning yourself is such a great thing to experience. I don't want to ever throw a project onto somebody and say 'you do the lighting, I'm going to do this'".
As for future plans, Scott says she is excited to move to Denton and return to school. There, she will major in film studies and minor in technical theater. Her future plans are squarely focused on finishing school, but she says that she hopes to remain active creatively in her personal endeavors as she works toward her degree.
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