Award-Winn-ing Student Filmmaker Releases Two Shorts On YouTube

A lot of it is mystery and intrigue, having the audience try to guess what happens next, having them follow these characters, feeling as uninformed and scared as the character is.”

— Nathan Winn on “What Did I DO?”

No microphones, no budget, no problem for Nathan Winn.

Supplied with little more than his own passion for storytelling, Winn has written, directed and produced two short films that have won awards at two college film festivals in Pennsylvania.

His debut, “Gone,” was shot in Davidsonville and uploaded to YouTube in March. The silent film follows a young girl named Lucy – played by Casey Rogers – who loses control of her dog late at night and desperately tries to rescue him from beings that lurk in the shadows.

“Gone” was awarded Best Cinematography in 2024 during The Villys, Villanova University’s film festival, and Best Sound in the Saint Joseph’s University film festival.

Winn followed “Gone” with another silent film called “What Did I DO?” in June. Filmed by Safeway in Severna Park, Winn’s second film involves a teenage girl played by Sawyer Richardson. Following a long night of partying, she wakes to slowly discover the horrific consequences of her actions from the previous night.

“I want to be diverse and have ideas in a variety of genres, but I have a love for thriller films in my heart,” Winn said. “I think the reason I have gone for those films is because I want to tell a story, but I didn’t have the right access to tools. I needed microphones, but I didn’t have that. So my movies are all silent; they’re all kind of dramatic.

“With the use of camerawork, the use of set and lighting, I tried to create a mood and tell the story that way,” he said. “I think the best (option) I had at my disposal is the nighttime or mood lighting, so I used that. Those always fit a horror genre.”

A rising senior at Archbishop Spalding, Winn moved to Severna Park from Davidsonville near the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

“Gone” was not his first creative project. He authored and illustrated a 28-page children’s book, “Forgetting Flip Flops,” to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of a classmate who had cancer. The children’s book centers on Nate, a young boy who travels with his teddy bear named Flip Flops.

Winn started writing for the Davidsonville Living publication, now known as Stroll, during COVID to suggest activities people could do at home. Then, he started penning film reviews.

“I’ve always been fascinated with movies and how they were made, but doing those articles monthly, I learned about the processes and the intricate ways they are done and how they come together,” Winn said.

Winn was inspired by Jordan Peele, the creative mind behind “Get Out,” “Us” and “Nope.” The student filmmaker also enjoys projects from the entertainment company A24, which released “The Witch,” “Hereditary” and “Midsommar.”

Winn had those idols on the big screen, and he also learned from the team at Filmsters Academy, an Annapolis camp for kids and teens. One of the instructors, filmmaker Tricia Cramer, was immediately impressed by Winn’s ability to quickly learn both the artistic and technical sides of the filmmaking process.

“So much of filmmaking is communication and collaboration, and he was an absolute natural,” Cramer said. “In the year since our time last summer, he's kept going in creating new work, and we are delighted to have him back at Filmsters Academy for a second year. His passion and drive for filmmaking has me excited to see what he will do next.”

Archbishop Spalding teacher Adam Shephard has known Winn for three years from his Introduction to Film class and in the studio of the school’s daily news program, Spalding AM. Throughout that time, Winn has been courteous, professional and dependable according to Shephard.

“Nate’s work ethic, intrinsic motivation and genuine enthusiasm have earned him the respect of both his teachers and his peers, and now, he has garnered the attention of fellow filmmakers with his impressive work,” Shephard said. “I look forward to seeing much more from Nathan in the future.”

Winn set up a GoFundMe page to fundraise because he does not have his own camera or crew. In the meantime, he is continuing to hone his craft.

Earlier this year, he submitted his films to festivals nationwide through the site FilmFreeway. While touring colleges, he learned about contests and networked with filmmakers and professors. Some of the best advice came from a Saint Joseph’s University professor who said, “It’s not about what you have but how you use it.”

He may not have a camera or microphones, but he is not letting that silence his voice as a filmmaker.

“If you have an iPhone and a dream, that’s enough,” Winn said. “If you’re passionate about filmmaking, you’ll make it happen.”

For updates on Nathan Winn’s journey, follow @WinnProductions on YouTube and Instagram.