World View

by C. L. Stambush and Breanna Wyman

WHEN MATT MYERS '83 began travelling abroad shortly after graduating from USI, where he studied communications and media studies, he did so for pleasure. Later, that love grew into something greater as he embarked on a career teaching filmmaking at universities around the world enhanced by three Fulbright Scholar Awards.

A Benjamin Bosse High School graduate, Myers originally thought he would study economics at USI. "After my first semester, I realized I didn't have the interest or the affinity for the subject," he said. "After bouncing around to a few different majors trying to find something that would keep my interest, I realized I enjoyed photography."

Two years before he graduated from USI, Myers received an offer to become a camera operator for a local station. "My professional career in film started two years before I graduated, so I learned a lot of the practical aspects of my field on the job. However, the classes that had [the most] lasting impact on my career were outside my major," he said. "An art appreciation class taught me to think in terms of color and contrast—essential for cinematography, and English literature classes deepened my understanding of story—a foundation I rely on every day."

Today, Myers is an award-winning filmmaker who has worked on feature films, television, documentaries and commercial projects for Orion Pictures, MTV, Discovery Channel, NBC, PBS, CBS, ESPN, Animal Planet and many others.

Myers' love of travel and filmmaking bloomed into a beautiful life when he became a visiting instructor at institutions in England and Dubai, giving him experiences that inspired him to apply for his first Fulbright. "My love of travel and different cultures is what first sparked my interest in the Fulbright program. To be able to live in a country and immerse yourself in that culture is the greatest reward of a Fulbright," he said. "Giving back to that community is a calling.

Since graduating from USI, Myers has worked in six countries, travelled through 26 and been awarded three Fulbright Scholarships. His first Fulbright was in 2010 teaching advanced cinematography in The Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts' Master of Fine Arts program. In 2017, he led workshops in filmmaking for working professional filmmakers at Royal Film Commission in Amman, Jordan. His most recent Fulbright acquisition has taken him to BabesBolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, to teach cinematography.

"It is the biggest (50,000+ students) and the most prestigious university in the country. My main class will be lighting for genres—how light placement and quality can turn a romantic comedy into a horror film. I'll also teach a non-fiction cinematography class in documentary at the graduate school," Myers said. "Beyond that, I'll be helping with curriculum design. The film school wants to increase its experiential classes and is interested in the 'handson' approach I use in my filmmaking classes."

Myers' life as an educator and filmmaker has led him to insights beyond the cinematic scope of the classes he teaches around the world. For all of us, he has this to say. "Trust in yourself. I grew up in a poor family with no advantages. I had lots of doubts about whether I could make a living in my field. I had some good mentors and supportive professionals who gave me the confidence to keep working toward my dream. If you trust in yourself while remaining humble, you truly can do almost anything."