BHS grad creates movie magic
There’s no denying Brookhavenites have gone off to do wonderful things both inside and outside the city.
Colt Covington, a graduate from Brookhaven High School, shares experiences from his job as a camera assistant for various productions whether they are film, television or commercial.
“It’s the equivalent to being in a traveling carnival or going to camp every summer. You meet a group of people, some you know and some you don’t, and you develop this family-like atmosphere with them,” Covington said. “It is a very taxing and hard industry but can be one of the most rewarding as well. I think on the most interesting things about it is that it’s truly not as glamorous as it’s made out to be on television and film.”
Covington attributes his interest in film from his fascination with being a storyteller. He attended Co-Lin Community College and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s film program.
“I finished my studies in 2008 and got my first job on a horror film called ‘Rites of Spring’ that was shot in Canton,” Covington said.
Since then Covington has spent a lot of time working with a lot of different people.
“The most interesting thing I’ve done on set is probably aerial photography. A coworker and I got to shoot a car chase in Biloxi from a helicopter,” Covington said. “Off set, I got to spend time with people that I’ve watched on television or in movies. Getting to know what they’re like behind the scenes is rather enjoyable.”
Some of the people include Harry Lloyd, Paula Malcomson, RJ Mitte and Faith Hill. The influence of famous people doesn’t stop at the front-end of the screen for Covington.
“I hope to accomplish my goal as a writer within the industry and at some point possibly becoming a show runner not unlike Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad or Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing and The Newsroom or Dan Harmon of Community and Rick and Morty,” Covington said.
Covington feels that hard work and making connections has got him where he is today.
“You have to be willing to put yourself out there and be willing to get along with people of different races, religions and creeds,” Covington said. “You form this bond with people for a very short while and some you might never see again, but you have to be willing to learn to work together.”
Covington is the son of Bobby and Kelly Covington.