This is the fifth in a series of Countdown to Commencement stories celebrating the Class of 2025. Join us in celebrating the hard work, dedication and achievements of graduating Spartans.

Ideas can come from anywhere, and that’s why Zuhayr Usmani, ’25 RTVF, is always ready to capture them.

“One of the best things my first acting professor at SJSU taught me was to always be present and observe your surroundings, no matter where you are,” recalls Usmani. “Whether you’re at a train station, stuck in a traffic jam, or in a classroom, there is a story all around you.” 

Usmani, a budding director, actor, writer and producer, writes all of his ideas in a note on his phone, stockpiling them for later use. These ideas range anywhere from a certain type of movie to a character, or even a catchy line of dialogue. The idea for Usmani’s latest short film originated from a 30-second Instagram reel he saw over two years ago. 

The psychological thriller, “Paranoia,” is a story that makes you question who you can trust through the lens of failed football player Sammy, who starts experiencing paranormal activities while living with his brother, Roy. Sammy is determined to find out the truth, but he loses his grip on reality and questions everything. Usmani is the co-writer/director and plays Roy. The short film is the culmination of his time at San José State and his largest project to date. 

“All of the film classes that I took at SJSU, I took them with the intention that I’m going to apply everything I learn to this film,” he explains, “because I knew that this short film would be bigger than anything I’ve made before.”

Flashback

Usmani’s love for filmmaking started from watching movies like Sam Raimi’s 2002 classic, “Spider-Man,” as a kid. Pursuing acting and filmmaking was the best avenue for Usmani to take his ideas and “put them on the big screen.” In 2022 — just before coming to SJSU — he joined with his close friend and filmmaking partner Imran Shaik, ’25 RTVF, to co-found their company, Infinite Productions. Since then, the pair have released more than 10 short films and are currently working on the post-production of “Paranoia,” which has comparatively been a big leap in scale.

“Before, we were filming mostly on a DSLR or an iPhone and it was just me, Imran and a few other friends making some short films. Now on this film, we have a cast and crew of over 35 people, there’s over a $5,000 budget and a 20-page script, and it’s bigger than anything I’ve done before.”

Although he started at SJSU as a computer science major given its reputation as a more “safe” career path, after taking some acting and film classes, Usmani soon switched his major to radio-television-film with a specialty in film production. He credits the people in the department as what drew him into fully committing to the film path. 

“If I’m going to do this much work, I might as well pursue something that I truly love and that I’m passionate about,” says Usmani. “On top of that, the film classes I took at SJSU were so good that I was surprised. The film department is small, but it’s filled with people that are willing to help you.”

Character development

Through his coursework, Usmani learned a variety of skills and disciplines in the film industry, including acting, directing, producing, sound designing, screenwriting and cinematography. This range of skills is beneficial in making his ideas come to life because he often plays multiple roles both behind and in front of the camera. Furthermore, this broad scope of knowledge seeps into different stages of filmmaking, removing some of the guesswork and resulting in better films and performances.

“When I’m writing a script, for example, I’m already thinking about the film’s final cut, how I’m going to direct these scenes, where we’re going to shoot them, and how it’s going to look in the edit,” he says. “And as an actor who also can direct, I understand the camera angles and the perspective of the director.”

Versatility also opens more doors for getting experience. For Usmani, there is the wide potential to take on acting jobs, screenplay writing, and directing/producing gigs. It makes you a better working professional because you know how different roles operate on set.

“To all film students, learn as much as you can and broaden your skills,” he shares. “People that want you on their crew or set are going to notice and appreciate that. They’ll say, ‘I know they will be really good as a sound designer because they know how the director thinks.’”

Usmani has also built experience as the video production student coordinator at the SJSU Writing Center. In the role, he created and edited videos for YouTube and social media, while working with an incredible team to support fellow Spartans.

“I have a job that can go on my resume that is video production and filmmaking related, and I met all these wonderful people that are so supportive,” he reflects. “Due to the Writing Center, I got to witness what the SJSU community truly is about. I’m super grateful, and that was a key experience for me.”

Mentor montage

Protagonists need mentors, and Usmani gained a few along his SJSU journey. Amy Glazer, acting and directing professor; Barnaby Dallas, ’00 MA Theatre Arts, screenwriting professor; and RTVF Production Technician Jake Ohlhausen, ’17 RTVF, ’26 MFA Creative Writing, have all lended their support in class and behind the scenes of Usmani’s short film, “Paranoia,” and are part of what makes the “film department a special place.”

Glazer taught him many acting and directing fundamentals and was the project’s first mentor, “sacrificing a lot of time just to help us, and I really appreciate that.” Dallas gave Usmani helpful feedback on his screenplay, encouraging him to take a second course to finish it and eventually sending the finished work to industry professionals. Ohlhausen is in charge of the department’s film equipment, and “he is always willing to help us learn how to use the gear, and he was a huge help for other short films too, not just ‘Paranoia.’”

“Action!”

A year before shooting his own short film, Usmani — and his co-founder Imran Shaik — had the opportunity to be on the crew of another SJSU short film, “Psyched,” directed by RTVF alumnus Christian Drake, which inspired how they would approach their own film.

“We were like, ‘Wow, this is a professional film set that’s led by students.’ They filmed on campus, but I remember telling Imran, ‘Dude, I feel like I’m in Hollywood right now.’ That shoot was really amazing, and afterwards I remember both of us thinking, ‘“Paranoia” needs to be that level. We need to connect with these people and bring them on “Paranoia.’”

And that’s exactly what they did. They first brought in Director of Photography J.J. Santa-Iglesia, ’24 RTVF, who had invited them to work on “Psyched.” The pair also determined they would collaborate with the same studio, JustOrdinary Studios, which is owned by SJSU alumni. The producers as JustOrdinary Studios helped Usmani and Shaik assemble a talented team with expertise in the technical aspects of film — camerawork, lighting, sound, set design, wardrobe — so that they could focus on the creative vision, story, directing and acting. Naturally, being in charge of a big project comes with pressures, but that wouldn’t stop Usmani.

“I was frankly a little afraid because I’m so used to me and my friends making small films and all of a sudden I’m going to be the director of this next big short film,” he says. “So it was kind of daunting, but I was inviting it because in order to get to Hollywood, we have to keep climbing the steps and scaling our projects bigger and bigger.” 

In April 2025, it finally came time to film “Paranoia” and put into practice the skills he had been learning in his classes. Although the production phase was delayed by several months, it all worked out for the better because “we had a great cast that came last minute and surprised us with how good they were, and the team was willing to work through the obstacles.”

“Everything looked better than I could even imagine. It was a new experience working with a team that big on a project that big, but because of the supportive team that I was surrounded with — people that had a lot of film experience and knowledge even though they were students and alumni — it was the easiest and most fun directing experience I’ve ever had. I’m super grateful to everyone.”

Epilogue

As he rolls the credits on his SJSU journey, Usmani looks forward to premiering “Paranoia.” He will also submit the finished screenplay he wrote in Dallas’ courses to competitions to try to get it sold and made into a feature film. Usmani is already thinking about the next short film and screenplay ideas on the horizon. A move to Los Angeles — the center of the film industry — is also in the cards. 

His biggest goal before graduating was to get professional set experience, and now he has two: “Psyched” and “Paranoia,” his own project. He offers the following advice: “Everyone in the film department should make a short film of their own before graduating. No matter how big or small, you should make something of your own so you learn what that process is like.”

Usmani leaves us with his philosophy behind making films: “There’s no such thing as a perfect film. No matter how good a film is, especially as the director, producer, or actor, you will always say ‘I could have done this better.’ But I believe that if I can improve at least one thing from the previous film on the next film, and keep improving, then every film will just get better, and better and better. If I improved in any way from my previous film, this film has already become a success.”

Top image: Zuhayr Usmani (right) directs a scene in his latest short film, “Paranoia.” Photo courtesy of Aracely Martinez.

SJSU commencement ceremonies take place May 21-23 at the Provident Credit Union Event Center. Graduates who have RSVPed are entitled to bring up to six guests for free; additional guest tickets are available for $20 each. Learn more about commencement.