Student making waves in cinematography, photography

By Lauren Thorp

Senior Gareth Cox developed a passion for directing, cinematography and photography during his junior year of high school.

Being as visually oriented as he is, Cox got involved in a 30-minute, low-budget short film as production assistant and first assistant camera. This was the beginning of his filmmaking career.

“Film making and still photography is my life, from wake up to sleep,” Cox said. “You can even ask my fiancé about that.”

Cox is a broadcast communication major and a business minor at Flagler College, but he doesn’t stop there. He has always been proactive about his career by working outside of school on multiple projects.

Over the years he has been attending as many film festivals as possible. For his photography, he makes new challenges for himself every day by practicing with different lighting exercises, just to see if he can do certain things.

Many of his projects are posted online and through MySpace. He met the band Brown Eyes Blue and eventually shot a music video for them for the song, “Long Winter.”

Throughout Cox’s college career he has achieved many awards and honors including being the featured artist in February 2007 at MarCor and More Gallery on King Street and winning the Best Surf Skate Video award at the Melbourne Independent Film Festival in 2005 for “What Matters,” which he directed, shot and produced.

Cox also worked on “The Dredge,” a documentary by the Surf Station, doing camera work and creating a seven-minute, behind-the-scenes piece. Last summer Cox was first assistant director for “Happy Talk,” directed by Professor Jim Gilmore.

To check out any of Cox’s videos or photography go to www.myspace.com/birdsthatflyalone.