Digital media major Angel Disla’s senior capstone is the culmination of his creative journey at UMass Lowell.
That journey resulted in “Burnout,” a 14-minute narrative film about a young man whose vaping addiction gradually damages his friendships. Disla wrote, directed and produced the short, which was accepted into the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival, marking his first major festival selection.
“It is actually a personal story, although I fictionalized it a bit,” Disla says, adding that he is “incredibly grateful” for the opportunity to share his story at the festival. The film was also selected for the Lowell Film Festival for Future Filmmakers.
A first-generation college student from Lawrence, Disla originally came to UML to study mechanical engineering. Midway through his first year, he switched to digital media because it combined technical skill with creative flexibility.
“As a kid, I was always interested in cameras and posting on YouTube,” he says. “When I saw that digital media had a lot of media production and photography classes, I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s run with it.’”
Since then, Disla has taken advantage of paid campus roles that strengthened his skills and supported his education. He has worked for the offices of Information Technology, Marketing and Communications, and Media Services, where he manages and supervises audio and visual productions for university clients and leads student production teams.
“I haven’t had to go and fetch out a part-time job because of the opportunities that UMass Lowell provides,” he says.
Disla spent a year working on “Burnout,” assembling a 10-person crew of UML students that included an assistant director, director of photography, camera assistants, audio technicians and lighting crew. He secured equipment through the Digital Media Department and filmed across multiple campus locations and at his home in Lawrence.
Disla’s filmmaking extends beyond narrative work. He collaborated with a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on a grant-funded, 30-minute documentary about PFAS contamination after being recommended by digital media faculty.
Over time, Disla has come to appreciate the layered nature of film production.
“There’s pre-production, production and post. The project can completely change from the beginning to the end. I find that really interesting,” he says.
He also sees opportunity in the evolving media landscape.
“So many people want videographers nowadays, and they’re looking for people that actually care about the work and put a creative spin on it,” he says.
Beyond his own projects, Disla has created opportunities for other creatives on campus as founder and president of the Photography Club, securing funding to purchase cameras for beginners and organizing collaborations with other student organizations.
After graduation, he plans to continue building his portfolio while working full time, with long-term aspirations of earning a Master of Fine Arts degree and teaching at the college level.
“I like teaching what I know to other students,” he says.
