“My real passion is filming,” Henry Moore confesses. But,
talk to Henry for 30 seconds and it’s clear his real passion is life. Pure and
simple. His voice is bright and confident. Even over the phone you can hear him
speaking through a broad Australian smile. He’s passionate alright . . . about
travel, education, earning a living, and especially about his new wife Kendall
from Charlottesville who brought him to the US to stay.
Where do Reynolds students come from? From all over the
world, including the Land Down Under.* Henry grew up in Australia in a family
of four brothers and one sister he characterizes as being, “as tough as a
coffin nail.” The Moore kids would go out “adventuring” and as rowdy boys, and
a rowdy girl, they naturally gravitated toward dare devil, YouTube-esk antics -
bike stunts, jumping off cliffs and the like. “I was always interested in
putting it together, staging the scene,” Henry says. “I got the first GoPro
(body mounted camera) and Handicam, and just started making videos. It’s like
having a photo album as a reminder of what you have done.”
And Henry has done a lot. He graduated from Reynolds in December
2018 with a General Studies Certificate. Before coming to the US he earned a marine grade engineering degree and a boat captain’s license (“I can fix almost anything” he
says). He shot video for Red Bull in South Australia (see some examples of his work on his
website), worked in Medical Sales, and was an Online Travel Sales
Consultant and Video Editor. He has travelled to more places than most of us
have dreamed of. All over Australia to Queensland, the Whitsunday Islands,
Adelaide, Pioneer Bay, and Darwin. And, outside Australia to Sri Lanka, Belize,
Italy, Japan, Borneo, and Croatia. And now he’s settling in the US. See videos of his
travels.
So, what does a world-travelling, boat captain, engineer,
videographer say about his time at Reynolds? “I was blown away by the quality
of education I received. I really enjoyed my time at Reynolds. But I was
surprised. Everything I knew about American colleges I learned from Hollywood
and television. You know parties and the campus life. Thankfully Reynolds was
very different from that.”
“I look for Professors who take their subjects seriously. And
I found them here. My favorite subject was Spanish. Maria Espiritu was
incredible. Another favorite was Tina Winkler. Then there’s Professor [Karen}
Neal. She is so passionate and amazing. I appreciated and really respected her
toughness. From Day One I sat in the front row of her class. I didn’t want to
miss anything.”
So, what’s next for this Reynolds grad? “VCU School of
Business for a degree in Marketing,” says Henry. “I’ve always had the gift of
gab and so I thought I would be more successful in sales.” Why not film? “I
prefer to shoot and edit my own stuff. I always have a video idea in the back
of my mind and I like having the freedom to work on it. I really don’t enjoy
editing other people’s work. I have my own vision and will continue creating
videos as a hobby.”
Any advice for students coming to Reynolds? “I came to
Reynolds as an older, international student – I am now 29 – and was serious
about my studies. I’d say to new students: sit in the front row, do your
homework, and each semester take at least one class in a subject you love, and
one that is required. It makes the experience much more enjoyable. And, if you
live downtown, try to take classes downtown.”
Watch out VCU, you better be ready. Henry Moore is coming
your way this fall and he’s bringing his passion with him.
Visit Henry’s website at: https://rodproductions.weebly.com/
* The term Down Under
is a colloquialism which is variously construed to refer to Australia and New
Zealand. The term comes from the fact that these countries are in the Southern
Hemisphere, "below" many other countries, especially Western
countries, on a Eurocentric globe where cardinal north faces towards the top.
