Nathan Tape

Nathan Tape, MFA is a filmmaker and cinematographer whose work centers on visually driven, often music-inflected narratives about characters on the margins of society. He holds a BA from Loyola University New Orleans and an MFA in Film Production from Loyola Marymount University, and brings extensive professional production experience to his teaching in Digital Filmmaking at Loyola University New Orleans.

Tape’s professional background includes work in the lighting department and as a gaffer on major studio film and television productions, as well as cinematography on short and feature-length films. His credits span a range of production contexts—from studio and episodic television to independent narrative features—providing students with grounded insight into professional workflows, set culture, and technical standards in lighting and cinematography. He has also directed, produced, and photographed music videos for regional and national recording artists, contributing to his interdisciplinary approach to visual storytelling and sound-image integration.

As a writer-director, Tape’s narrative work has received significant juried festival recognition. His short film Moriah screened at more than 30 international festivals and received multiple awards. His feature film Off Ramp has screened at numerous regional and international festivals and has received multiple Best Feature and jury awards at recognized venues, including major underground and genre-focused festivals in the U.S. and Europe. These exhibitions and honors demonstrate sustained external validation of Tape’s creative work and inform his mentorship of students in festival strategy, independent production, and professional exhibition pathways.

Tape’s professional practice is closely connected with curriculum and mentorship at Loyola. His experience across lighting, cinematography, directing, post-production, and festival circulation informs instruction in production practice, visual storytelling, and professional workflows. Through active creative work and ongoing engagement with the contemporary independent film landscape, he models professional standards of craft, collaboration, and external evaluation for students preparing to enter the field.