Zach McBride

Motion Pictures & Television – Editing / Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

School of Motion Pictures & Television

I’m Zach McBride, a filmmaker from Bentonville, AR. My inspiration stems from the films I
grew up watching—whether it was watching Jaws on a small kitchen tube TV or swapping out
kids’ tapes for Goodfellas at the public library. If I wanted to see a movie, I found a way.
I soon began connecting the names on the back of the cases to the films I loved. My initial dream
was simply to work at Blockbuster for the free rentals, but I eventually realized the theater was
the real goal. In high school, I spent my weekends shoveling popcorn and scraping gum from
seats. The work wasn’t glamorous, but seeing movies for free was payment enough.
While working there, I made a vital discovery: watching the crowds leave the theater. Hearing
their debates—whether a film was funny, boring, or romantic—changed everything for me.
Talking about movies is great, but being the one who creates those conversations? That’s the real
dream.