A black brace hugs tightly around Bethany Anthony’s wrist as she scrolls through footage on a computer in a quiet room on NE Campus.
The brace is not from sports or an accident. Countless hours spent replaying clips frame by frame, revising sound design and obsessing over details left her wrist strained, a physical reminder of the passion she pours into her work.
“I do tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so I will look over things again and again,” Anthony said. “I’m trying to get better about taking breaks because of stuff like this.”
Last semester she overexerted herself editing a short film she created with her assigned group for a directing class. She had hoped to enter the project into Grand Prairie’s film festival, PrairieFest, but she was unhappy with the final result and decided to pivot.
Instead of letting setbacks halt her momentum, she went back to old footage she shot for a cinematography class. She was proud of the shots from a visual standpoint but felt the sound design and story were incomplete.
After three weeks of hyper-focus, Anthony rewrote the narration, re-created the audio track and edited the visuals of the entire project on her own. She’s even the main actress.
Her determination paid off when the resulting short film, “Don’t Look Back,” was selected for Prairie Fest. At the festival, she won the Young Filmmaker
Award and earned a nomination for Best Student Short, marking a major milestone and validating her ability to bring a complex vision to life even without a traditional production team behind her.
“That’s pretty cool,” she said. “I still am really happy and grateful for that.”
“Don’t Look Back” is a psychological thriller exploring the unsettling nature of lucid dreaming and obsession. The story follows a woman who repeatedly wakes up inside the same recurring dream. With each visit, she gains a clearer awareness of the space around her and feels an obligation to investigate it.
“That investigation does kind of lead to obsession with wanting to start intentionally returning back to this reoccurring place,” Anthony said. “Little does she know, she’s not alone in this space.”
The film was shot at an old building that currently serves as a disciplinary school, contributing to its eerie atmosphere.
Creative origins
For Anthony, creativity is not casual. It is deeply emotional, immersive and personal.
The radio, TV and film student said she has been creative for as long as she can remember. She originally gravitated toward art forms such as drawing, painting and clay sculpting before realizing film gave her something the others did not.
That realization kicked in back in 2018 when a friend introduced her to the K-pop boy group BTS. At the time, Anthony mostly listened to alternative and indie music. But after diving deeper into BTS’ “Wings” era of short films and music videos, she found herself captivated by the intricate storytelling and cinematic imagery.
“I was like, ‘This is cinema,'” Anthony said. “And it is deep. I was so moved.”
From that moment on, the way she viewed visual storytelling changed completely, inspiring her to pursue filmmaking more seriously.
“I want to be able to create something visually as cool as that to inspire others,” she said.
Much of Anthony’s work now centers around her dreams, spirituality and healing.
“The stuff that I create … is heavily inspired by my personal experiences with lucid dreaming and what I believe to be astral projection,” Anthony said. “I do not encourage doing that at all, but it does really inspire my stories and characters.”
One recurring vision became especially prominent during her senior year of high school while she was creating her advanced placement 2D design portfolio. Anthony described seeing another version of herself, standing in snow with white hair and a sword.
The character eventually became known as Damascus, a fictionalized version of herself that represented confidence and courage during a time when she felt insecure and unsure of who she was.
She began dreaming about Damascus repeatedly, seeing frozen castles, spiral staircases and alternate worlds in vivid detail. In one dream she described as particularly emotional, Damascus told her she was ready to face life on her own, so she would be leaving her.
“I remember crying in that dream,” Anthony said. “I was like, ‘I’m still so scared of everything,’ but she told me I had the courage to face things on my own now.”
She has not dreamed of Damascus since, but Anthony said the dream still continues to influence both her creative work and personal growth.
“I think I would still be very scared, lost and insecure without that experience,” she said.
Former NE RTVF student Nathan Vasquez said Anthony’s imagination and dedication make her stand out among other students in the program.
“She has a very distinct style,” he said. “She is very passionate about the things she likes, especially when it comes to her projects.”
Vasquez said Anthony’s commitment to projects often pushes her beyond her physical limits.
“She’s been working at least eight hours at school every day to get it [her projects] perfect,” he said. “I don’t know how she does it. She just picks herself up and keeps going even if she’s suffering.”
Building an audience
Outside of schoolwork, Anthony has built an online presence of over 1,500 followers through fan events and content creation inspired by the mobile game Love and Deepspace. She creates promotional videos, designs merchandise and organizes themed events across DFW.
Anthony said her experience interning with Hashira Studios, a clothing brand, helped her understand content strategy and social media marketing in ways that have benefited her own personal projects.
“Once I saw what worked, I thought I could repeat those strategies for things I do know a lot about, and hopefully direct people locally to start coming to my events,” she said.
She believes social media portfolios can create opportunities for young creatives, even without large followings.
“You never know who is going to run into your work,” she said.
Her own online work has led to internships, collaborations and even a recent opportunity to become a brand ambassador for a fan merchandise creator connected to the Love and Deepspace community.
Inspiring others
RTVF student Astrid Davila said Anthony’s confidence has helped her and other women in the film program navigate the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry.
“She doesn’t let her ideas go unheard,” Davila said. “She has taught me how to not get pushed around so easily.”
Even with her recent accomplishments, Anthony said filmmaking is still very difficult and demanding work. However, the challenges feel worthwhile because filmmaking is tied directly to her larger goals.
“If I could have absolutely anything, I would love to write and direct a series,” Anthony said. “I just have a pool of so many ideas.”
More than recognition or success, Anthony said she hopes her work can eventually become a source of encouragement for others struggling with trauma or mental health challenges.
“I want to make something that can be a light to others going through a hard time,” she said. “I want to be living proof that you can heal. Life is not meant to be lived being miserable.”
She still spends countless hours perfecting her work, enough to leave a brace constantly wrapped around her wrist.
Despite the exhaustion, Anthony said she finally feels at peace with where she is in her life and what her future holds.
“For the first time in my life,” she said, “I feel I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
