My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that film education must bring together craft, discipline, imagination, ethical responsibility and professional practice. Film is an art form, a collaborative process, a technical discipline and a way of thinking about the world. As a teacher of film directing and editing, I want students to understand that every cinematic choice carries meaning: where the camera is placed, how a performance is shaped, when a cut happens, what is heard, what is withheld and how an audience is invited to feel, think and witness.

I teach film as both practice and inquiry. In directing courses, I emphasize mise-en-scène, performance, visual storytelling, blocking, preparation and collaboration. In editing courses, I teach editing as authorship: the construction of meaning through structure, rhythm, continuity, contrast, sound and point of view. Students are asked not only to make films, but to understand why they are making specific choices and how those choices affect story, character, emotion, representation and audience experience.

My classroom is a production laboratory. Students learn by doing, revising, failing, reflecting and trying again. My courses combine analysis, hands-on exercises, critique, technical instruction and completed creative projects. I want students to develop the practical habits required to finish work: preparation, discipline, patience, collaboration and revision.

Mentorship is central to my teaching. In film education, some of the most important learning happens outside the formal classroom, in thesis meetings, editing sessions, production planning, script consultations and conversations about creative challenges. I see advising and mentorship as extensions of teaching. My goal is to help students develop confidence, independence and professional judgment.

Howard University is a meaningful place to teach film because our students bring urgent stories, complex histories and ambitious creative visions into the classroom. I try to create a demanding but supportive environment where students are pushed to improve while also being respected as artists in formation. I want them to leave Howard with stronger portfolios, stronger voices, deeper craft, greater confidence and a clearer sense of responsibility as filmmakers.

get photos from dvir, when Jami came to advanced + Khalil Joseph