Donaghey Scholar Studies Filmmaking in Australia
Adrian Rogers, a junior mass communication major from Little Rock, has been gaining valuable new skills while studying filmmaking in Australia.
As his study abroad experience, Rogers, who is a part of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program at UA Little Rock, attended the Griffith Film School at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, from February to June.
“I was looking at film schools in Australia, and Griffith had a lot of good reviews and some of the top marks in the country,” Rogers said. “I learned a lot at the film school, and it really opened my eyes to the kind of advanced filmmaking that is out there. It opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. It was a really good decision, probably the best decision I’ve ever made. I was sad to leave because I’ve made some really good friends here.”
While at Griffith, Rogers took classes on documentary production, Asian Pacific films, story and voice, and stop motion production. His favorite class was documentary production, where he created a documentary film on immigration.
“Our documentary was about our director’s mom who was from Spain,” Rogers said. “She told us about her immigration story about coming to Australia 20 years ago. We animated the film, and everyone loved it.”
At UA Little Rock, Rogers is highly involved in the campus community. He serves as secretary of Young Democrats, secretary of LULAC (League of United Latin Citizens), and a photographer for the campus newspaper, The Forum.
Once he graduates in May 2025, Rogers is planning to study advanced filmmaking techniques in graduate school.
“I like the culture of Australia a lot,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of nice people and made excellent friends. I’ve also made some great connections with teachers. I’m even thinking about going to graduate school there.”
