Featured photo by Nathan Surratt
Story by Daniel Sheehan
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There’s a stark contrast between how Nathan Surratt communicates and the films he directs.
When he talks, he’s optimistic in an old school way. His messages come littered with smiley-face emoticons – never emojis. He speaks with an aspirational enthusiasm hard to find in today’s often cynical landscape. He’s vulnerable without fear of being judged. Underground or avant garde interests serve as cultural currency in the indie film circles that he operates in. But Surratt rejects what everyone else is buying.
“It’s hilarious that I have to say my favorite movie was directed by Ben Stiller,” Surratt said. “But ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.’ It’s a great movie.”
But in his own films, Surratt, a video and film production major at Middle Tennessee State University, explores the darker side of the human experience. The 21 year old poses questions about the meaning of life to the viewer. In the short “Float,” – written, directed and starring himself, Surratt’s character battles dissociation, speaking directly to his conscience about dealing with the hardships of life. Knowing that these emotions lie just beneath the surface of Surratt’s cheerful disposition makes his storytelling even more compelling.
During childhood, Surratt split his time between Traverse City, Michigan, and Middle Tennessee. He graduated from Stewarts Creek High School in Smyrna, which made for an easy transition to Middle Tennessee State University. While he’s taken a variety of technical courses at MTSU, filmmaking remains a vehicle for his first love: telling stories.
“It all starts with an idea for a story,” Surratt said. “You start thinking, ‘What if someone made a move about this?’ And then you question that more and think ‘Oh, I can be the one to make this.’”
Surratt’s creative mission statement is a single word: daydreaming. This is the driving force that propels many of the protagonists in his writing. He frequently references the aforementioned Stiller film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” a movie centered around daydreams, when discussing his personal philosophy.
In his wordless short “Mourning,” Surratt opens on a woman’s daydream of a peaceful afternoon in a meadow, dotted with sounds of nature and relieved exhalations. A phone call interrupts the fantasy to reveal the woman pondering a wildflower in an isolated cubicle. Simple but powerful, the film shows the respite many people take in their minds to escape the mundane.
“It’s a place of comfort,” Surratt said. “Daydreams show where you really want to be. It’s like getting lost in a good way.”
A lineage of surrealist filmmakers led to Surratt’s fascination with daydreams. He cites Spike Jonze (“Adaptation”) and Wes Anderson (“Asteroid City”) as major influences. Like any passionate cinephile, he could spend hours trading film titles and harping about the cultural significance of his favorites.
While he loves to escape into his own mind, Surratt shows no interest in disappearing into a role he can’t relate to. He’s comfortable in front of the camera but prefers to play heightened versions of his own emotions. He plays himself as the protagonist in “Float.” He expresses no desire to put on transformative makeup or a thick foreign accent to disappear into a role. Despite incorporating elements that explore extraordinary universes, he grounds his work in authenticity.
His affinity for capturing reality led him to also create nonfiction films. Last fall, he directed a video profile on local musician Dalton Miksa, called “Perception of Meaning.” The film features Miksa’s examination of “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams. Miksa explains how the poem relates to his personal journey as a consumer and creator of art. His narration is accompanied by Surratt’s shots of art museum exhibits cut between clips of ordinary people on busy streets.
“Nathan really allowed me to open up and share my perspective on art,” Miksa said. “We’ve worked together on MTSU Film Guild’s last two 54 Hour Film Fest submissions and he’s very creative.”
While Surratt works toward finishing his degree in the next year, he supports himself with the technical skills he’s learned at MTSU. Surratt works with Gemini Production Group to create a wide variety of content ranging from music videos to interviews with healthcare companies. When working as a small part of a larger production, Surratt believes that the key to success is staying in your lane.
“There are so many roles on set, you have to respect the boundaries of what you’re assigned to do,” Surratt said.
Technical positions offer less artistic freedom than creative jobs; however, Surratt believes that creativity can be applied to any situation. He may not be able to dictate content direction, but he can choose interesting camera angles and lighting tactics.
Outside of filmmaking, Surratt adds a third pillar to the dimensions of his personality – calm.
His version of this takes place at Climb, a rock climbing gym in Murfreesboro. Rock climbing forces Surratt to clear his mind and concentrate on the task in front of him, making it as relaxing as it is challenging.
“It’s a very calming thing,” Surratt said. “You don’t really have to think about anything else.”
Climb also provides opportunities for socializing with other young artists, Surratt says. This was the first place where he met Miksa, before the two realized they were in the screenwriting class.
This natural type of community formation is one of Surratt’s favorite aspects of being a film student. Students with different areas of expertise all come together to create something greater than any of them would be capable of making individually. While he doesn’t have any specific plans for life after graduation in 2025, he trusts that the connections he’s made will lead him down the right path.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell and Assistant Lifestyles Editor Shamani Salahuddin, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Instagram at MTSUSidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
