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Producer-writer-director Riley J. Ewing '17 worked with composer Gregory Good '17 and co-producer Sydnee Savanah Williams '19 to tell the provocative story of one of America's iconic writers in their award-winning short film "Scott & Zelda at Home."
While studying music theatre, Ewing missed out on film classes and taught himself most of what he knows about filmmaking. But that doesn't mean BW didn't provide other ways for him to build his successful film career.
"BW gave me something even more valuable than film classes: a community of artists who share my passion for telling stories," Ewing said. "I was surrounded by some of the best young actors in the country, who, if they weren't in rehearsal or class, were usually game to indulge my crazy ideas."
One such idea came from playing the role of F. Scott Fitzgerald for an acting class assignment with now-producing partner Jenna Ellis while both lived in New York City in 2022. The exercise sparked a journey of research and discovery, giving Ewing a new perspective on the writer's problematic past with his starlet wife.
"I came across mentions that some scholars believe Scott may have published Zelda's writing under his own name," Ewing said. "I took that little nugget and ran with it."
That little nugget led Ewing to write the script for "Scott & Zelda at Home," which he eventually produced and directed, with himself as Fitzgerald and Ellis as the writer's wife, Zelda. Now, after winning awards at film festivals across the globe, including most recently for Best Production Design at the RED Movie Awards in France, "Scott & Zelda at Home" not only showcases Ewing's penchant for researching stories, but also how a creative team can gel together.
Ewing said he and Good, the film's composer, met while at BW orientation. "He was quite literally my very first college friend," Ewing said. "We ended up living together during my senior year, and he has now composed the music for three of my films."
Also working on the film as on-set sound mixer was music theatre alumnus Jude McCormick '13. Though he graduated before Ewing began his studies at BW, they became friends in NYC thanks to a large network of BW alumni in the city.
The film also screened in Maine at the Narrows Film Festival, which BW music theory alumnus Peter van Reesema '16 runs.
The film's co-producer, Sydnee Savanah Williams, graduated in 2019 with an acting BFA and already starred in one of Ewing's earlier projects.
"Sydnee starred in my earlier film Unplugged, and I wholeheartedly believe she's one of the great undiscovered acting talents," Ewing said of Williams. "This film gave me the opportunity to bring her over to producing, and she took to it like she's been doing it for years."
The trio has worked together on previous projects under Ewing's SPACEHEAD Productions banner, including short films currently available on YouTube. Ewing said BW helped lay the foundation for years of collaboration.
"BW taught all of us how to collaborate," he added. "We learned to leave our egos at the door, trust each other's instincts, and chase the best idea rather than our own idea. Years later, when we get together on a set, there's already a shared language and mutual respect. That foundation lets us spend less time proving ourselves and more time making the work better."
"Scott & Zelda at Home" marks Ewing's artistic accomplishment he's most proud of, combining his interest in meaningful storytelling with awareness of themes he finds important. The film's website even provides information from advocacy partners, the National Domestic Violence Hotline and Women Against Abuse, two national organizations focusing on awareness, education and support for survivors of abuse.
"Those organizations helped educate us just as much as we hope the film can educate audiences," Ewing added.
While the success of his films, including "Scott & Zelda at Home," may be rooted in his focus and hard work, Ewing credits the people he works with for what he hopes is a body of work that continues for many years.
"More than anything, what I'm most grateful for from my time at BW is the people," he said. "The friends I made there remain some of the hardest-working, most creative people I know. It's incredibly rewarding to keep finding opportunities to build things together years after graduation."
"Scott & Zelda at Home" is available on FilmShortage on YouTube.
