• Baylor alum directed Louisiana’s documentary of the year for 2016

    Chris Charles Scott

    It wasn’t that long ago that Chris Charles Scott, BA ’04, might never have imagined the words “award-winning director” being used to describe him. After all, he had only begun to dabble in filmmaking two years ago when he was invited to join a production team making a documentary about the history of Shreveport, La.

    Scott directed The Shape of Shreveport, a multi-part documentary telling the stories that shaped the city’s history, and the project proved far more successful than anyone initially imagined. Earlier this year, The Shape of Shreveport was named Documentary of the Year by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities; the organization’s director praised the “innovative way” that the series told the community’s history.

    For Scott, the award was a high point on a whirlwind introduction to filmmaking. After graduating from Baylor with a political science degree, he spent the next decade in public relations, politics and other fields before discovering a love of storytelling through film. The producers of The Shape of Shreveport invited him to join their crew, and his influence quickly grew on the project. In the span of just a few months, he went from never having never directed a film to directing a critically-acclaimed, award-winning, multi-part documentary that played in front of sold-out crowds.

    [Get to know Scott in this Shreveport Times Q&A]

    The Shape of Shreveport initially aired in four installments last June, which led to the award. Earlier this year, a second installment of four new episodes was screened at Shreveport’s historic Strand Theatre, with more installments in the planning stages. Scott says he hopes to do a similar project on the history of Baylor and the City of Waco.

    Sic ’em, Chris Charles Scott!