Ryan Potts

Where do you attend school and what activities are you involved in?

I'm a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA Film and Television.

What have your teaching opportunities been outside of Fairfax Collegiate?

Between 2019 and 2021, I taught film and visual arts classes at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA for students from Pre K-High School. I was responsible for developing curricular material and lesson plans regarding story development, screenwriting, filmmaking (directing, writing, producing), and the craft of visual art in storytelling. Students wrote, produced, and directed their own short films that screened at the end of each session.

What subjects have you taught with Fairfax Collegiate in the past?

I started working with Fairfax Collegiate in 2023. I taught film, animation, and public speaking courses.

What sort of experience have you had in the subject you’ll be teaching this summer?

In 2017, I co-founded the independent production company, Director's Company. Under the company, my directed and produced works have been recognized and awarded at festivals across the globe, including the Austin Film Festival, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival, and the Gary International Black Film Festival.

Acclaimed filmmaker, actor, film curator, and critic Kentucker Audley deemed me a "fiercely ambitious filmmaker and a promising young voice" for his directorial efforts on Ludere (2019) and You Almost Saw Me (2020), which earned me an award for Best Directing at the Trinity Film Festival in 2020. That same year, my short experimental film, Run Away, They'll See Us (2020) was nominated for Best Experimental Short Film at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, the largest international film festival for emerging filmmakers. I have worked on projects for major companies, directing and lending my eye to campaigns for Google, Nike, Red Bull, and Members Only, and is in production for an Adidas sports documentary which I am directing and producing.

My debut feature film is in development with a major production company, which I have written and am attached to direct.

What excites you about teaching and working with students?

I was once a young film student. I remember learning how to write screenplays, develop characters, using the camera, and watching my imagination be brought to life. Now, I get the chance to introduce students to the power, beauty, and importance of visual storytelling. It’s always exciting seeing what young minds come up with and the stories they are passionate about. Getting the opportunity to assist them in honing their craft means the world, and it means even more when they take it further than they could ever imagine.

Outside of work, what are some hobbies you enjoy?

Watching movies, writing, eating, and collaborating with great people.