Heaven Hamilton’s inspiration for film making evolved in high school from an interest in photography that led to a short film project. Her innate skills and passion for film making prompted her to switch gears from still photography to film. After high school graduation, and in pursuit of a film career, Heaven enrolled at Suncoast Technical College.
Drawn to the approach of hands-on training and industry-standard education, Heaven says that STC’s Digital Video Technology (DVT) program provided her with invaluable skills, as well as the freedom to take creative risks and make mistakes in a supportive learning environment. Early in the program, she recalls outwardly stating in class, “I am an aspiring filmmaker and really hope I make it.” She says her comment was quickly responded to by instructor Ed Fagan with, “Heaven, you aren’t an aspiring filmmaker. You ARE a filmmaker.” Mr. Fagan’s response is one that Heaven says she often reflects on.
A highlight of her time at STC was a music video project. “I meticulously prepared for that project! My dedication paid off because the end result was outstanding! The excitement and positive feedback it generated on social media validated my success and ultimately led to an amazing collaboration opportunity with my favorite artist, Deep October.” Heaven says that despite some rain, the shoot with Deep October exceeded her expectations, and is now in post-production. “I am so grateful to Mr. Fagan for the knowledge, skills, and experience I got at STC.”