Student projects are a great way to show off your skills and education to employers after graduation. Sometimes, they even snowball into something bigger.
That’s exactly what Asher Bloom ’24, Achish Enriquez ’26, Peter Williams ’25 and Ben Shafer ’26 of Pacific’s media production program did, taking their project, “Rhythm,” from a short project into a full-length documentary.
Now in post-production, it follows Sacramento-based drummer Floyd Kennedy as he teaches music at his church well into his retirement.
The team says the support of their professors and the Department of Art, Media, Performance and Design made the documentary possible. The department played a pivotal role, funding a trip to the annual media festival South by Southwest. There, they met professionals whose advice and support convinced them to turn “Rhythm” into a documentary.
Like many projects to come out of Pacific, the core of “Rhythm” starts with the connections students make with each other.
Learning by doing
In 2023, Enriquez, Bloom, Williams and several other Pacific students created the EXR Film Production Collective. It served as a way to expand their work portfolios and a chance to learn from each other.
Their first project was the music short film “remember,” which won first place in the Community Filmmakers category at San Joaquin Delta College’s Digital Media Film Festival in 2024.
“Rhythm,” started out in a similar vein, set to be just a few minutes long and part of Bloom’s senior project. He also had personal ties to its subject.
Bloom had known about Kennedy since he was young when he took drum lessons with one of Kennedy’s former students. Years later, when Bloom was a student at Pacific, he started taking lessons with Kennedy directly and learned more about his life.
“He’s had this amazing life of mentorship through teaching at Natomas High School in Sacramento, where he created a drum line from scratch and helped thousands of students throughout his 30 years there,” Bloom says.
But the project isn’t just about Kennedy’s drumming or his students’ accomplishments. It’s also about how his efforts as an educator have built communities.
“He is not only a teacher. He’s a mentor. He’s a father figure,” Enriquez says. “And that’s something that should be shared with everybody—shared with administrators, shared with teachers—to know they can make such a big impact on people’s lives.”
That was the spark for inspiration, a desire to celebrate the legacy of educators and mentors like Kennedy. So, the team got to work on their short project.
Turning “Rhythm” into a documentary
In March 2024, Pacific’s media department sent 13 students to South by Southwest, the annual media festival in Austin, Texas. It’s a chance to screen the new media, network and to get advice on projects and careers.
Among those students were Enriquez and Bloom, who brought a teaser trailer for “Rhythm.” Their conversations with professionals convinced them it had bigger potential.
“We were so inspired by all the films, all the creatives in the area and all the advice we were given about our project,” Enriquez says. “We decided to increase the length, drop it as a spec ad and create a story. That really meant it could impact so many lives.”
The team kept filming Kennedy, even following him to the Gospel Music Workshop of America in Memphis, Tennessee. As the team worked on “Rhythm,” they put their education to use and built up their skills.
Bloom, the director and producer, says his media production degree prepared him for the technical matters, but shooting the documentary has strengthened his soft skills.
“One thing I didn’t know much about before starting the project was really how to interview people and how to structure a story in a way where it’s digestible and understandable,” he says.
Enriquez, the producer, wore a lot of hats while handling on- and off-set logistics. The experience built up her leadership abilities, especially as she raised money for “Rhythm.” She says it’s also improved her skills at managing a team.
The team didn’t do it alone, though. Bloom and Enriquez highlight mentorship at Pacific as an essential part of the process.
Mentorship that matters
The team says Pacific faculty have offered invaluable advice about the project, often giving viewpoints from other creative perspectives.
“I’ve gotten some from my graphic design professor,” Enriquez says. “I’ve gotten some from my adviser, from Professor Joshua Salyers. It’s important to have support like that because it makes you feel like you’re really creating change.”
On top of faculty mentorship, Enriquez also highlights the opportunities the department offers to its students. This year, she’ll be going to the Cannes Film Festival in France with the department.
“Opportunities like that don’t come easily,” she says. “So, it’s really great that they give those opportunities to students because it’s really valuable in shaping who you are and what you want to be.”
As for “Rhythm,” the team hopes to finish and release it by August of this year. They’re currently working on a crowdfunding campaign to secure funds for post-production costs and hope it’ll be part of the 2026 film festival circuit.
At its core is a story they hope will touch educators everywhere, regardless of whether they’re still working or retired.
“Floyd’s story is a lot more than just drumming or gospel drumming,” Bloom says. “His faith is at his core, but he’s been using it to impact literally thousands of students. That’s the story we’re trying to tell.”
University of the Pacific emphasizes hands-on learning, so that you’ll enter the job market with career-ready skills. Sometimes those projects even lead to something bigger, like these Pacific media production students whose documentary “Rhythm” started as a senior project.