If you’ve watched a Georgia Bulldog football hype video over the last two years, you’ve seen the work of Frank Martin, a mass media arts major. His passion for UGA goes beyond Sanford Stadium: “Our beloved ‘G’ doesn’t just stand for Georgia, but the pursuit of greatness in everything that we do.”
Hometown:
Tucker, Ga.
High School:
St. Pius X
Degree objective:
Bachelor’s in mass media arts (entertainment and media studies) with a minor in English
Expected graduation:
2017
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
I consider being able to attend this university an achievement in itself. I think every student at UGA realizes that we get to be a part of this Georgia family each and every day. That in and of itself is something incredibly special. Before I say anything else, I want to mention that everything I have been able to do in my life is because of all the important people I have met. There is no doubt about that. Every employee works so hard for this school. I believe each one of the students, faculty and staff to be amazing, and I can’t say that I am anything special in comparison. (I wish I had enough time and space in this section to name each and every one of you.) I am always inspired by the drive and work ethic of all the people here, and especially the coaches, staff and players who I work with closely and regard with a great deal of respect.
I have two incredible bosses in the football video department, Brett Greene and Clark Williams, who put up with my crazy ideas each and every day and are always so quick to help with whatever I may need. I am so grateful to my co-workers who allow me to work on my videos. I am blessed to be surrounded by many supportive friends and a loving family that inspire me to push my own limitations. And most importantly, I want to mention my parents who have never doubted me a day in their lives, who have supported me in all my endeavors, leant helping hands when things got hard, pushed me to achieve more than I ever could have imagined, and taught me countless lessons that I am certain will continue to serve me in the future. The videos I am given the chance to create are for this amazing community — friends and family who I will always consider to be more “amazing” than myself. I can only hope that the work I do here will be in some small way a means of giving back to the many who have given me so much.
My freshman year I created a video written by Loran Smith entitled “Letter for Larry.” This short film honored Larry Munson, and in July of that same year I was lucky enough to be awarded a Golden Matrix Award at the 2014 IDEA Awards Conference in Dallas for best Tribute Video of 2014.
This past year, another one of the videos won two more national awards. The Collegiate Sports Video Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to professional sports video, announced at the CSVA’s annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona that “The Georgia Way” won the title Best Recruiting Video of the school year and also was given the Ultimate SAVVY Award for the best overall video.
Current Employment:
I give tours with the wonderful people at the Visitors Center and work on staff with the football team creating videos and graphics for social media.
Family Ties to UGA:
Both of my parents attended the University of Georgia. My mom, Melinda Martin, was a journalism major, and my dad, Tom Martin, was an English major who attended the law school here. I grew up a Bulldog and often came to Athens with my family on the weekends.
I chose to attend UGA because…
My high school (St. Pius X) was and still remains a special place in my heart. I felt like I was part of a family there and I remember on graduation thinking I would never find any place quite like it. I can say with confidence that I have developed that same special relationship with UGA and the people here. This place is so incredibly unique. I am lucky to attend a school with so many loving and driven peers. I get such pride when I get to tell people I work for and attend this university. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that I am truly blessed to be able to go here.
I give tours to prospective students for the Visitors Center. One of my favorite topics to discuss on my tour is the history and traditions of UGA. I talk about how I often begin my day walking through North Campus. On my walk, I look at the Arch and all the old buildings. I am reminded that this place has been here long before me, and will remain long after I am gone. I think to every student, the history and tradition of excellence inspires each one of us to work hard and to leave a lasting impression on each other and this school. No matter what you are interested in, there will be people here that will support you because you’re a Dawg. You’re part of something bigger than any one person. You’re part of the UGA family. And here, our beloved “G” doesn’t just stand for Georgia, but the pursuit of greatness in everything that we do.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
I love just walking around and taking in the beauty of this campus. Exploring Athens is something I often encourage others to do. I am always amazed by the people I meet meandering through the gardens, quads and buildings that are apart of this school and city. We have such a big campus; on my daily walks I often find new shortcuts and places that I never knew to have existed.
When I have free time, I like…
… to relax and spend time with my friends and family.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
I’m not sure I’ve done anything crazy, but I have yet to go to a concert in Athens. This being such a music city, people look at me like I’m crazy when I say that. So if anyone knows any good bands playing here soon, let me know!
My favorite place to study is…
… the Two Story Coffeehouse. If you are looking for great coffee and a place that gives you the feeling that you are back at home, definitely go check that place out if you haven’t already.
My favorite professor is…
… Paul Quick. He is such an inspirational and enthusiastic professor. I remember the first day of sophomore year when he walked into the classroom to begin our English class. The other students and I were very quiet. Dr. Quick walks into the room with a big grin on his face. He looks at us all, quickly surveying the room and notes how tired we all look. He then proceeds to dive onto the floor in the front of the room and do push-ups until we all cheer. This is just one small example of the energy he brought into the classroom. His passion for teaching and English inspired me to pursue a minor in that subject and I am always excited when I get the chance to see Dr. Quick around campus.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
… Steven Spielberg. He is one of my all-time favorite directors and I have so many questions I would love to get the chance to ask him.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
… go and try my luck working in the movie industry in Hollywood.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to…
… travel. I don’t have any particular destination in mind. I just know that at some point in my life, I want to say that I’ve traveled to many places around the world.
After graduation, I plan to…
… hopefully find a job that allows me to work with film in some way. I’m not sure exactly where I am headed, but I am confident that all of the important lessons I have learned and people I have met here will continue to help guide and shape my future.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
It was a Friday afternoon in September 2013. I had just released the “Awaken the Nation” video to be played before the LSU game.
In only hours, the video took off, acquiring tens of thousands of views. By Saturday, the video had already accumulated nearly 200,000 views. I was stunned. I got countless messages from friends and family reaching out to say how much they enjoyed the video. People I didn’t even know (some from all over the world) took the time to let me know how they were in some way affected by my work. Now, I can’t pretend to take all the credit. The football game itself was exciting enough. But for that day, and the days following, I had developed a special connection with Athens and the Bulldog Nation. People were creating signs that contained excerpts from my script and even some dedicated fans painted their stomachs with letters that spelled out “Awaken the Nation.” In addition, Nike had reached out to UGA to let us know they were going to start creating merchandise based off the video. I had only dreamed of something like this. It was one of the most humbling moments in my life. The next day, when the video played at Sanford Stadium in front of a sold-out stadium, all 92,746 people went silent. You could hear a pin drop. And then, just as quickly as they were silenced, the crowd erupted. I was elated, but honestly, I believe that to be an understatement. It was a feeling that words could never accurately describe. I just couldn’t believe this was all happening. Our football team went on to defeat LSU that Saturday. And as I watched that team unite under one cause, fight for each other, and above all, fight for their community, I remember that it was in those moments I realized I had finally found my place, my people, my home.
I have been doing videos for football for the past seven years (beginning my freshman year of high school) and I could easily write a novel on the importance of sports and particularly football. Whether you like the sport or not, I think everyone can appreciate what football does for our community. No matter who you are, every Saturday in the fall, you’re a Bulldog. I think that’s something that’s especially important in our world today: finding the things that unite us. And I truly believe that football, and for that matter, sports in general can be a means of uniting us all. It reminds us that we’re all here for one reason: to celebrate each other. With football, it reminds us that there’s a home for everybody, even a kid with a love for cameras like me. Football is such an important sport and I am so indebted to it and especially this school for the memories and opportunities they have given me and most importantly, for the people each of these institutions have brought into my life.