ashlynn helms

Project statement

Day 401 was a project that I co-wrote and production designed for my Fictional Cinema Production class. It was the first time I wrote a film meant to be formally produced, and it was an experience that I learned a lot from. Learning how to be collaborative with my vison and allow other people to help create the world I wrote about was difficult at first. Especially after spending the last two years alone because of the pandemic, learning to hear other people out was not an easy task for me. I had to learn to let go of what my expectations were for story and understand that I wasn’t working alone, I needed other people because couldn’t possibly do it all, and that it was ok if everything wasn’t exactly to my vison. In the end I am proud of the progress we made as a team in our collaboration and while it’s still in post-production, I think the film is shaping up to be a great short film. 

Department Heads: 

Director: Kenyatah Austin 

Director of Photography: Inigo Oropeza-Gutierrez 

Writer: Ashlynn Helms & Emma Kiser 

Producer: Brian Scally & Sydney Sexton 

Editor: Emma Kiser 

Sound Design: Josiah Holroyd 

About the Artist

Ashlynn is a 26 year old artist based in Miami Florida. Her work is primarily based in Screenwriting, but during her time at Columbia she has explored many other art forms, including Production Design, Drawing and Painting, sculpting, and Video Editing. She focuses on introspective work, and uses art as a way to work through hard emotions.