A biker pedals up a lonely stretch of tree-lined road, pausing to snap photos of his nature-rich surroundings as a lilting piano melody washes across the background. This scene, from a short film entitled Fall, is UW sophomore and design student James Atkins’ proof that art can be a hobby — even a passion — while carrying no immediate professional aims.

“It would probably be later in life when I actually pursue film, after devoting myself to design and becoming as successful as possible,” he said. “I’d love to start my own design firm, which is really ambitious, but hopefully I can reach a point where they both truly join.”

Under the moniker Fire Barrel Films, Atkins shored up his talent and a group of friends as volunteer actors to create nine short films to date. The content ranges from drama and action — as in his 20-minute-long short feature Concealment that he modeled in the spirit of the Jason Bourne series — to art-house and ethereal compositions like the six-minute-long Inspiration.

“It’s really just about creating as much as possible, because 90 percent of what you come up with won’t be really good,” Atkins said. “But when you push yourself and take the extra step in thinking about your world, that’s when you reach the 10 percent that’s truly excellent. It definitely takes time and patience.”

Though only able to take the time to shoot films during the summer — his intense academic studies taking top priority — the young filmmaker does much of his brainstorming and writing during the school year. Drawing on resources like Robert McKee’s book Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting, Atkins puts special focus on building and developing his plots.

“For me, it’s really all about the story,” he said. “That’s the most important part. If you have a good story, a good film will follow.”

Atkins has also seen parallels between his film hobby and design ambitions, especially in the composition aspects of his cinematography. While keeping the films in his mind at all times and maintaining control over both the scripting and filming, as well as playing bit parts in his creations, the filmmaker hobbyist has been able to explore nearly every aspect of the filmmaking process.

At the end of the day, it’s still the same as how it began for him: “I always liked movies, and it was just something to do. It just happened, and I liked it.”

Reach reporter Nick Feldman at weekender@dailyuw.com.