Carolyn Knapp is a rising sophomore at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Influenced by her mother, a cognitive psychology professor, she has been fascinated by the unique stories of individuals all of her life, and come to make films as an outlet to share these stories. She became interested in filmmaking through her elementary school's annual film festival, which she started submitting to at age 6. Since then, she has experimented with many artistic mediums such as painting, sculpture, collage and journalism in order to pursue her passion for telling stories.
      In March, Carolyn, then 18, directed her first short film, Hives. She is also founder and co-editor-in-chief of the student run magazine, Couch Diaries, an opinion and art magazine created by her and her college roommate, a screenwriting major. In high school, she curated multiple exhibits in her school's gallery with her sculpture teacher, including one called "Trust Me, This Was Not the Plan," which featured works from local artists who coped with mental illness through their art.