My name is Xavier Burgin.
I am a current student at The University of Alabama working on my bachelor's degree in Film Production with minors in Telecommunications and Film, Liberal Arts, and French.
This entire website came into fruition on June 17, 2010 after I landed back home from the Cannes Film Festival. As a student across the world in one of the biggest filmmaking venues of our time I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of individuals within the industry. Everyone had a website, a business card, and a slew of work experience far beyond my measure.
Many of the students I worked and lived with boasted work and material far beyond the scope of an average student. Exploring the festival and meeting the assortment of individuals with the same drive and goal as me made me come to a realization. If I was going to take this career path of filmmaking seriously, I had to be willing to display the same determination those around me sustained. This coincided with another question.
Was film the medium I truly wanted to pursue?
I challenged myself to start building a portfolio which signified an honest dedication to the craft I wanted to make my life's work. This is when the idea for the website emerged. Why not build a viable portfolio open to the world's scrutiny. Encouraging or belligerent, this would motivate me to seriously engage the goals I've set up for myself.
The name Que The Lights was derived from a combination of my fraternity's name Omega Psi Phi and old adage "Cue The Lights." Omega in greek stand for the letter Q and a new pun was born that would carry on as my work's moniker.
Que The Lights has grown from a small undertaking to a notable website beyond the boundaries of my institution. As a person, I have also grown in skill and understanding as I interact with clients and hone my work.
Since beginning the site I have had the privilege of being featured on The University of Alabama's main web-page as a part of their Find Your Passion journal series. Que The Lights has been featured on websites, F-Stoppers and I Am The Nu Black, highlighting samples of my work.
As a filmmaker my team's short, Bottom of a Glass, has found its own success. The film won best drama and was a rethink possible semi-finalist at the The University of Alabama's Campus Movie Fest. The film was accepted to The Short Film Corner in the Cannes Film Festival as well as being accepted into the Troy International Film Festival. My documentary, Portrait of the Storm: Tuscaloosa, AL, won first place at the first ever 3D student film competition in Los Angeles, California.
I have also worked as a free-lance photographer on differing occasions as well, the most notable for The New York TImes.
What brings all of this together is myself and this website. Anything and everything pertaining to the work I've done can be found on this central hub. I have been blessed to say this website has grown from a minuscule base for my earliest projects to an endeavor far beyond a mere portfolio of my work. The fruits of one's labor do, in some circumstances, pay off.
Tumblr: http://www.thephotographersdomain.tumblr.com
Site: http://www.quethelights.com
