Author & Interviewer: Sarah Engel
Introduction
Award-winning director Logan Freeman (he/they) is just one of many new faculty members within the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. I reached out to Freeman to learn what led them to become a lecturer of video production within the School of LMC.
Interview
Growing up, Freeman wasn’t sure what they wanted to do: “I wanted to be logical, make money, live that high rolling life, without actually...wanting to do that.” While getting their undergraduate degree, they mostly wanted to become a musician. But, “that meant terrible grades, terrible times, lots of shows, and failed classes due to poor attendance.” After leaving some jobs in the banking and marketing industries, they decided to pursue filmmaking full time. Eventually, they started getting awards, living fearlessly, and honing their craft, “all while falling in love with teaching!”
When asked about why they were drawn to film, Freeman replied that they love “world-building and inhabiting other bodies through narratives...we can simultaneously “be” and “represent” multiple personalities, thoughts, emotions, through the edit, performance, and framing. I feel that life is too big to stay in a singular body, and this helps me live like I want to live.”
As for any expectations they’d had about their field, Freeman said they learned not to try and “make it.” Rather, “if you just try to make without making it, you’ll make yourself happy.”
In any given week, Freeman is teaching and consulting on film projects, helping people develop their creative voices. New to the Atlanta area, they are also trying to integrate that into the new city environment. Freeman is now hoping to transition their love of music into composing for films. Aside from that, they enjoy gaming, hiking, staying away from technology, and learning about ancestral religious studies.
Their one piece of advice for students? “Don’t be a jerk. No one works with jerks. Auteur theory is dead, so make films with your friends.”
This story was written by LMC major, Sarah Engel, for Jillann Hertel’s special topics course, Media for Community Building.
Logan Freeman (he/they) is a video production lecturer at Georgia Tech. Reach Logan Freeman at: lfreeman41@gatech.edu.
For further inquiries, please contact Senior Academic Professional Jillann Hertel.