Rhys McKee: The Portfolio
I grew up traveling all over the world, with TV and movies being my babysitter and teacher. I also grew up a voracious reader, giving me a distinct love for well-written stories. I recently graduated from William & Mary with a degree in Film and Media Studies, receiving an award from the department for my work as a student filmmaker.I have skills in screenwriting, film editing, proofreading, directing, producing, stage management, project management and collaboration. I am well-versed in Adobe Suite, Microsoft Suite, Google Suite, and am open to learning whatever software I need to. Currently developing a TV show, as well as continuing to write Wolfspur and restructuring my feature-length screenplay, The Gravity of Decay.
These are my films that I've made myself, or collaborated on with others.
2024
Statement 15
This was my "magnum opus" of the semester, and an official entrant of the Ampersand International Arts Festival 2024. This project was completely student-made, and was a fun passion project that taught me multiple skills regarding producing, directing, editing, and who I wanted to be as a filmmaker. I had such an amazing cast and crew, and had a wonderful time making this film.
Written, Directed, Edited, and Produced by: Rhys McKee
Cinematographer: Ash Warfield
Scored by: Izabella Cheung
Starring: Nevaeh Galluccio, Christian Hudspeth, Brian Newill, Cassidy Lam, Livi Greco, JJ Aldridge, and Sara Kaufman
Begin the Ending
This was my final project for my Creative Video Workshop Class, which was an advanced production module.
Written, Directed and Color Corrected by: Rhys McKee
Cinematographer: Lauren Smythers
Scored by: Elise Whitworth
Editor and Second Camera: Nick McBroom
Starring: Madeline Burdge, Georgia Glaeser, Andrew Eastep, Brian Newill, Declan Casto, Emma Blackwood
A Leap From Grace
This was a short film made for the Ampersand International Arts Festival's 24 Speed Filmmaking Competition. My team and I had 24 hours to make a film that was a specific genre (Fallen Woman), including a prop (frog) and a special line that came from the previous year's winner. I was the editor for my group, whipping up the final product in 4 hours.
Edited by: Rhys McKee
Starring: Sophie Hatfield, Jed Burke, Simon Levine, Vanessa Broadrup, and Aly Devereaux
Jurassic Park Trailer Recut
For one of my first assignments of the semester, I edited Jurassic Park into a slasher horror film. This was a nice reintroduction into quick filmmaking, and prepped me for the whirlwind of my semester.
Edited by: Rhys McKee
Night of the Peel
Another project for my Creative Video Workshop class, this film was meant to challenge us and work on our cinematography skills. My team fully committed to being ridiculous with high quality footage and story-telling, and it really shows here.
Directed and Edited by: Rhys McKee and Jack Weisgerber
Written by: Kat Vanbourgondien
Cinematographer: Izabella Cheung
Starring: Jack Weisgerber, Rhys McKee, Kat Vanbourgondien, and Julia Lucatorto, and Joseph Lorber
2023
I was studying abroad and working on my screenwriting during this year, and did not work on any film productions.
2022
The Debrief
I came up with the idea for this film for my Enemy Among Us class, which focused on spy fiction in both Russia and in the West. Our prompt was "interview with a spy." It centers around an interview with two colleagues, one of whom has become a double agent.
Directed, Edited, Shot and Concept by: Rhys McKee
Written by: Olivia Hennessy
Boom Operator: Isaac Karachunsky
Gaffer: Caroline Yates
Starring: Olivia Hennessy, Mira Wroblewski, Isaac Karachunsky, and Caroline Yates
The Debrief Trailer
The trailer for the film above, The Debrief. It was a short teaser, and an assignment that preceded the full short film.
Edited and Shot by: Rhys McKee
Time and Time Again
This was my first entry and attempt at the 24 Speed Filmmaking Competition, with myself as cinematographer.
Cinematographer and Storyboarder: Rhys McKee
Editor: Noah Broude
Starring: Jamie Godfrey, Jed Burke, Skyler Foley, and Noah Broude
Just Visiting
My first ever solo project. It was my first time doing any sort of cinematography and acting in front of a camera (since high school, at least.) I made this short film in 24 hours using Davinci Resolve. The film was an official entry of the Ampersand International Arts Festival 2022.
Directing, Editing, Cinematography, Story, and Starring: Rhys McKee
The Ends of The World
My final project for my production class! The Ends of the World explores the concept of different apocalypse scenarios, ranging from funny but morbid to depressing and realistic. I made this in collaboration with Emma Williams and Kaylee Hiner. We were all in charge of writing and editing our own vignettes, and I stitched the three vignettes together and helped create thematic consistency.
You Were in the Woods.
An experimental horror film that discusses the themes of change, the realization of self, and the freedom of giving in to desire. I made this for my Intro to Production class, which asked the students to use archival/old footage and use it to make something new. I used Premiere Pro for video editing and Adobe Audition for sound editing and mixing.
2020-2021
How Angry Can You Get?
This is a video essay I collaborated on for my Intro to Film Studies class in fall of 2020. Using interviews, documentary clips, and extensive research, How Angry Can You Get? follows the historical revisionism of the Reagan era and the modern perception of the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States.
Directed and Edited by: Erik Wells
Collaborators: Rhys McKee, Melina Llames, Lina Hunt
New to You Media Project: How Animation Uses Stylization
This is a short video essay I made in the fall of 2020 for my Intro to Film Studies class before I changed my name for my professional work. In this short essay, I explain and analyze the medium of animation through film analysis terms, and how the variety in its styles is one of the medium's greatest strengths.
These are my written works, including screenplays and prose.
A 120-page feature screenplay that I submitted to the Big Break Screenplay competition. In a world full of superheroes, two former nemeses, forced to room together at their university, work together to solve the mystery of their RA's suspicious death. Will be revising and restructuring at a later date.
This was a short film I wrote for a Writer's Room segment in my Screenwriting workshop in fall of 2023. However, due to the positive reception I received upon sharing this script, I decided to produce the film in the following semester.
The Celtic goddess of war gives a young ranch-hand a second chance at life after a horrific mauling, transforming his soul as he solves the mystery of his Western town and his killer.
Won 2nd Place at the 2024 W&M Creative Literary Awards in the Screenwriting Category.
I wrote this as part of a scriptwriting competition in 2022. It's an older piece of writing, but I think it still serves as a testament to my growth.
This was very much a collaborative script - I just formatted it to fit the "script" standards. This was a product of working together with Sophie Hatfield, Aly Devereaux, Simon Levine, Jed Burke, Vanessa Broadrup, and myself.
My final project for my Creative Video Workshop class. I was praised for my writing, and thought it prudent to share here.
This is some of the only poetry I've written and want to share it.
This is the only prose in my portfolio as of right now - I wrote it as part of my Intro to Creative Writing class in late 2021.
My most personal piece of my portfolio, I wrote about the difficulties of maternal relationships in my family in the wake of the death of my great-aunt and the "disownment" of my grandmother.
Contact Me
Feel free to contact me at my email or through social media channels. I try my absolute best to respond as quickly as possible!