Story By: Walker Payne

MONTEVALLO, Ala. — The role of a film director is essential to translating a script into a vibrant and transformative visual medium.

From setting pen to paper to constructing the world of a film through his actors, UM student Braxton Johnson consistently engages in both sides.

From a young age, Johnson travelled the world, experiencing an array of filmic methodologies.

However, it wasn’t until he was living in Japan that he says he first recognized a growing passion for digital filmmaking.

“I had the opportunity to be a part of this short film there…” Johnson said. “The director was super kind… He let me get behind the scenes, bring me back there, show how everything works, and it was then when I knew that this is what I wanted to do.”

From his time at Damien Memorial School in Kalihi, Hawaii, to receiving his diploma from Huntsville High School in Huntsville, Alabama, Johnson says the passion he found for filmmaking only continued to blossom throughout his high school career.

Yet, despite playing around with film for many years before arriving at Montevallo, Johnson says it wasn’t until he arrived at UM that he found a deeper love for the film community.

This program really did save me. It reignited my passion and my love for film. It got me back involved. It got me back on track. It really did change my life in so many ways.

– Braxton Johnson

Throughout his time at UM, Johnson has had the opportunity to work on several film projects, including “The Book of Tyson,” “Breaking Point,” and “Seeing Red.”

In the fall of 2025, Johnson also had the opportunity to direct, for the first time with a dedicated crew, the Digital Filmmaking’s Directing I class film, “Talk to Him.”

In addition, he will serve as co-director for the 2026 Digital Filmmaking capstone film, “Phantom Pain,” while also acting as the set designer for the Broadcast Education Association’s film, “Dreams of Murder.”

Johnson says he attributes a lot of his success to the Montevallo BEA club and the Digital Filmmaking program, as both have given him numerous opportunities to create films he can proudly look back on.

“When I first came to this university, I was in a really rough spot,” he said. “I was in a position where I didn’t even know if I would be able to continue to be here, but this program really did save me. It reignited my passion and my love for film. It got me back involved. It got me back on track. It really did change my life in so many ways.”

The directing role is something Johnson holds very dear as he says he loves the creative process and how it actively shapes a vision into physical form.

“Directing is such a uniquely collaborative process that allows the joy of human creativity and interaction to meet at a beautiful intersection,” he said. “I love being able to shape a vision and watch it unfold before my eyes.”

In a similar vein, he says that, for writing, it is a much more individually fulfilling role that allows for the culmination of an idea that is uniquely his own.

“Letting the words flow from my imagination onto a page is something very special to me and almost ritualistic in nature,” he said. “It’s a weirdly spiritual experience that’s hard to explain, but getting to express myself creatively is something that allows me to do that.”

Moving forward, Johnson says that his only hope is that his voice can continue to grow to be one worth remembering.

“I just want to make a work that’s remembered and that lasts a long time…” he said. “I believe I’m great, I believe I’m destined for greatness, and I believe I can be great, so that’s my dream is to just fully realize my vision for myself because I don’t think my dream has a ceiling. So, I just want to go as high as I can go.”

To follow Braxton as he continues his undergraduate career, you can find him on Instagram @wbjproductions.