By Sarah Sell, University Communications and Marketing
When Andrew Lee first set foot on the USF St. Petersburg campus in 2002, there was no student housing, few buildings and even fewer people studying graphic design. But for Lee, one of only nine students in the campus’s inaugural Graphic Arts program, it marked the beginning of a journey that would lead him to the forefront of local documentary filmmaking.
“It felt like we were all in this together,” Lee said. “The program was brand new, and we were all figuring it out as we went. Some of those people are my best friends, and one of them is my wife.”
That small, close-knit program sparked something much bigger. Over the next 20 years, Lee would go on to found Roundhouse Creative, a boutique video production company recognized for its commercial work and its storytelling within the St. Petersburg community.
On Sept. 2, more than 100 people gathered at USF St. Petersburg to watch Lee’s latest film, “Razed,” a powerful documentary about the Gas Plant District. The event was hosted by the campus's student newspaper, The Crow's Nest.
Andrew Lee, co-director of the film (second from right) participated in a Q-and-A session with former Gas Plant residents after the Razed screening. Photo: Makenna Wozniak from The Crow's Nest.
The project began in 2020, when Roundhouse Creative was hired by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg to set up a video booth and capture personal stories from former residents of the Gas Plant District. Once a vibrant neighborhood, the community was displaced by Tropicana Field.
The initial interviews sparked the team’s curiosity. They followed up with several participants to gain a deeper understanding of the neighborhood’s history.
“In these follow-up interviews, we were floored,” Lee said. “It was clear that the folks who lived during that time were still carrying around a lot of emotion and hurt from what happened.”
For Lee, the experience reinforced the importance of storytelling that has been foundational to his career.
But long before he was directing films or running a business, he was a USF student unsure of his path. At the time, Lee was taking some computer programming classes on the Tampa campus. A conversation with a career counselor led him in a new direction. The counselor encouraged him to enroll in the new Graphic Arts program with a concentration in graphic design launching in St. Petersburg.
The Gas Plant District was named for the two natural gas storage cylinders that towered over the area. They were dismantled in 1984. Photo: St. Petersburg Museum of History.
His coursework included art and design classes, as well as an introduction to storytelling and video production.
“It’s the first time I held a camera and tried to tell a story,” Lee said. “I knew immediately this was the medium I was meant to be in. And even now, I still love graphic design.”
While working toward his degree, Lee landed an internship at a nearby video production company, Multimedia Productions. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 2004, he continued working with the company’s owner, Steve Ashton. Together, they produced a feature-length documentary, “Easy Street,” that follows the lives of five homeless individuals in St. Petersburg.
The film gained national attention, was picked up by Netflix and was screened at several film festivals. It is now used in sociology courses at colleges and universities across the country.
Inspired by that success, Lee launched Roundhouse Creative in 2007 to pursue his own creative vision.
“Those first five years were tough,” he said. “There were so many moments when I was ready to throw in the towel and find a full-time job. But somehow, the right project always seemed to show up when I needed it most.”
Today, Lee works with his wife, Brooke, and longtime collaborator Joseph Nunez. All three are proud graduates of USF St. Petersburg and share a passion for telling stories that matter.
“When people trust you with their story, you don’t take it lightly,” Lee said. “You show up. You listen. And you do the work to get it right.”
You can sign up to host an event or find an upcoming screening of "Razed" here.