We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alyssa Botelho a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alyssa, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Taking an art class was a requirement for Fairhaven High School freshmen, and I was placed into drawing. As I had absolutely no interest in advancing my stick figures, I convinced my guidance counselor to switch me into the class my friends raved about with the new, Emmy award-winning teacher with the cool mustache: Media Production. At first just a fun way to break up the day, it quickly became the place I felt most at home. It was through this program that I learned how to write stories for the screen, shoot video, and edit. I developed these basic skills first and then focused on eliciting emotional reactions from my viewers (AKA anyone who’d give me the time of day). Each year I added more and more Media Production classes to my schedule. By the time I was a senior, friends joked that I was in “AP Media”, with my entire day (save 1 or 2 other classes) spent in the studio. Thanks to this program and its incredible teacher (shoutout to Mr. Drew Furtado), I learned quickly and got my career started early.

I advanced my video creation skills, focusing on perfecting the narrative short film, at the University of Rhode Island. With every project I set out for a challenge, and to push myself to do things that my peers shied away from. A 20 minute short film about drug addiction that requires multiple filming locations across 2 states? Let’s do it! A historical thriller set in the 1700s filmed during a pandemic? Hell yeah! Leading 48 Hour Film Project teams where you have just 2 days to write, shoot, and edit an entire short film? Bring it on!

Since graduating college in 2021, I’ve worked on a handful of film sets and gotten to see how it’s done in “the big leagues”. I’ve continued my learning process through observation and networking with other passionate creatives. I keep my own artistic voice strong by writing daily.

Only a year out of college, I know I still have a lot to learn. But I am proud of how far I’ve come. Overcoming obstacles of limited resources (I come from an average, blue-collar family!) and self-doubt has been a difficult and ongoing process, but I believe these things push you to be a better creative. With every decision I make, I need to justify it financially and artistically. I am a more thoughtful filmmaker because of it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hey my name is Alyssa Botelho and I’m an independent filmmaker! I graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2021 with a BA in Film/Media and a BSBA in Management. I’ve worked in the film industry as a production assistant and producer’s assistant on Kyra Sedgwick’s “Space Oddity”, Mackenzie Munro’s “Salvation”, and Andy Armstrong’s “Squealer”. I’ve also worked as a script doctor for a film starring Brian Cox that should be released later this year, Fall 2022. I’m currently focusing on developing my own portfolio of feature scripts.

I’d say what sets me a part from others is my intense detail-oriented nature and work ethic. I take my dad’s advice everywhere I go that “you don’t have to be the smartest, prettiest, or most popular in the room, but make sure you’re the hardest worker”. As an artist, I’m drawn to stories that blend genres – namely fantasy, thriller, drama, and comedy. I love immersing my viewers into a completely different world.

I started my journey as a writer/director in high school, where I created short films that started gaining recognition within New England. In college, I made two short films, Junkie and To Dust All Return. All the way through writing, preproduction, principal photography, and postproduction, these projects challenged me and pushed me to become a better, more thoughtful filmmaker. I learned first hand that every decision, no matter how big or small, will have an impact. Creating professional-level shorts at this stage of my life wasn’t easy along with being a dedicated student striving for a 4.0 GPA and commuting 3 hours round trip every day to campus, but leaning on my supportive friends and family is what allowed me to reach those goals!

The biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way is that you take your “brand” with you everywhere you go. Whether I’m leading a cast and crew on set or just sending an email to a collaborator, I try to bring my best to every situation.

To see my films, you can subscribe to my YouTube Channel @Alyssa Botelho.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Consume more independent work! Be curious, take “risks” when choosing what to fill your life with – whether that be movies, podcasts, music, you name it. There are so many talented people out there making great work, and it’s up to us to be curious enough to find it and support it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a filmmaker is seeing how my work impacts viewers emotionally and how it can spark meaningful conversations. There’s no comparable feeling. When audience members came to me with tears in their eyes and shared their own stories of drug addiction after watching my short Junkie, I felt it in my bones that I was using my creative gift in an important way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alyssabotelho.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/alyssa.botelho/?hl=en
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/alyssabotelho13
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-botelho/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Tp0eDkY2_hXCWSqV3Ji_g

Image Credits
Nick Doyle, Olivia Carle