Lightwood Studios, a creative collective representing people of color and marginalized communities, has begun its second year as an official organization at UNC.
Founded in fall 2021 by Johnathan Brown, a Duke and UNC alumnus, the collective aims to improve the representation of diverse heritages, queer identities and other marginalized groups. Over the past three years, the club has produced a collection of short films and is expanding its work to include episodic series, mini-documentaries and sketches. They have also launched a podcast and a magazine called The Minder.
Peyton Jones, an executive board member of Lightwood Studios and a participant since its formation, said that the club’s goal is to enhance the representation of marginalized communities through their content by producing work that reflects members' experiences. Their motto, “Stories for us, by us,” emphasizes the importance of giving individuals a platform to express themselves and tell their stories. Jones said there is also an effort to combat the lack of representation for diverse groups in media, particularly in environments like UNC, where positive representation can feel insufficient. The club's resources allow members to engage in a variety of projects.
“We think it is extremely important to make sure that people of color and people who are minorities have the space to express themselves, especially creatives, where it's very hard to come by opportunities to express yourself in that way and make a full production,” Jones said.
Lightwood’s mission also includes solidifying its presence within the campus community through networking and building connections with nearby universities, such as North Carolina Central University, to foster a creative collective within the Triangle area.
Marketing co-lead Kaya Smith-Burgess was drawn to the club because of the opportunity to engage in the film industry and learn how the production process works. She also has enjoyed the hands-on experience and the chance to work on projects she had never worked on before.
“Joining Lightwood really showed me the passion I have for this industry, and you can be creative and you can make whatever you’d like to make and you can see it through,” Smith-Burgess said.
For Jones, Lightwood fosters a strong sense of community, giving members many opportunities to form genuine friendships.
Kayla Evans, an organizer for Lightwood, said she also enjoys the filmmaking process within the collective, highlighting how rewarding it is to invest hard work into a creative project. She finds collaborative work with other creatives to be an invaluable experience.
