Jeffrey Nichols is currently an Artist in Residence in JSU’s Theatre & Film Department and has been working at the university since June 2011. He is from Rome, GA, but moved to California to be educated at the University of San Diego and the Los Angeles County Office of Education.  

Nichols is currently teaching both Film Technologies Foundations I and II (FLM 231, FLM 232) and Camera and Film Technologies (FLM 235). He is partial to none of the courses and loves them equally for their “awesomely unique levels of rewards for students and [himself].” He enjoys seeing his students grow and continuously appreciate the education that they receive at JSU; Nichols said that his favorite part of teaching is “seeing the students excel and become confident in the skills taught.” This attitude also explains his love for the Theatre & Film Department and the opportunity it presents to watch the “thriving minds and creativity of the students shine.” 

Outside of his time at JSU, Nichols has a quite impressive resumé. He has worked on the sets of numerous movies that have name-recognition, his favorite being Batman (1989), starring Michael Keaton. The best memory that he has from working is when one of his former students wrote to him in 2014, telling him that they were hired with the production company that was working on the film Divergent in Hollywood, CA. 

Nichols has had his fair share of celebrity encounters, as one would expect with his line of work. When asked about them, he said, “…there are too many to speak of… hanging out with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt at their home, eating lunch with Will Smith and family in their living room.” He then went on to recall dinner with Nelson Mandela, in his home, just hours after his release from prison in 1990, calling it the “most exciting and memorable, by far.” 

Nichols sees “sharing [his] talent and career path with [his] students” as his greatest accomplishment. His evident passion for his job makes it clear why he considers taking a break and reserving time for himself as the hardest part of his job. When he does manage to step away from his work, Nichols enjoys being with his family and communing with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Right now, Nichols is improving and organizing the Longleaf Building for classroom instruction while simultaneously getting the studio ready for filming productions. There is a partnership with Longleaf Studios in development that Nichols believes will help film majors succeed. Longleaf Studios’ production work on documentaries for Alabama Public Television will be shared with film students this semester. Nichols said, “I believe that with all the new components working together, adding to the present successful structure, broader pathways into the professional film industry for film graduates are being established.”  

In addition to his teaching at JSU, Nichols is writing a film, television, and music production book, as well as creating instructional videos for students that aim to inspire them. He is also producing a recruitment video for the film department while recruiting potential film students through meetings (virtual and in-person) with them and their parents. He is even helping the JSU Marketing Department by providing the proper film students for employment, in turn building student filmmaker teams to better cultivate suitable relationships.    

If an aspiring filmmaker asked Nichols for advice, he would offer, “… hard work and being able to share ideas and make things relatable to all can open a huge vein into the industry. Filmmakers must believe in themselves as well as the ones leading and guiding them. The person or persons would have to be willing to put in the hours and be diligent. Always remember what you put into your life is what you will get back in the end.” 

If you’re looking for a good movie to watch, we have Nichols’ suggestions. When asked for the top five movies that JSU students should see, Nichols recommended (in no particular order): 

1. The Sound of Music (1965) 

2. All is Lost, starring Robert Redford (2013) 

3. The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson (2004) 

4. The Godfather (1972)  

5. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)