Senior Carson Whaley is a film major who aspires to be a director with the use of his film education at UCA, following his May 2023 graduation.

“I wanted to pursue film because I have always had a passion for storytelling,” Whaley said. “I decided to major in it, though I was willing to switch my focus over the next four years if I found something else I really enjoyed. Now that I’m a senior I can say my mind hasn’t changed and filmmaking is still a career that excites me.”

While film is his main passion, Whaley decided to pursue a minor that could promote his success in the film industry. 

“I decided my minor as marketing so that I know how I can best market my films to an audience,” Whaley said. 

Whaley emphasizes the importance of how being a good collaborator is essential in the production of a good film and how working on projects through UCA’s film program has helped him evolve in this area. 

“Great films are almost always the result of many people coming together and giving their unique contribution. Working well with others is an essential part of filmmaking and something I got much better at through experience on many sets,” Whaley said. 

Last year, Whaley worked on a project called “Cossatot” with his fellow film students to gain experience. Mat Fort, a recent UCA film program graduate and current graduate student, was a collaborator of Whaley’s on set.

Fort said, “Carson was really awesome and had a great attitude during the whole shoot and brought a lot of energy … He worked in the camera department and displayed a willingness to go beyond his job description to anything to help production.”

Whaley said he chose UCA because of the film program.

“There are little to no other universities in the state that offer this degree, and I knew that would be the determining factor,” Whaley said. 

Whaley has big goals that only a few can imagine doing, but he’s planned out the steps he needs to take to get the expertise he needs to achieve them. 

“My biggest plan for the future is to direct my own feature film. My shorter-term plan is to work on as many film sets as possible to get better at what I do,” Whaley said. 

Besides gaining an expansive skill set through the film program, attending UCA has taught Whaley valuable life skills. 

“Going to UCA has taught me a lot about time management,” Whaley said. “One of the most stressful days I’ve ever had was the day I directed my own short film for the first time … I had to make sure I was organized enough to get everything done efficiently.”

Whaley’s recent works can be viewed on his YouTube channel, Carson Whaley.