Jada Salter

Film and Video Studies alumna (2020) Jada Salter always knew that her grandfather was special so she wanted to share his story with the world.

For part of her capstone project, Jada made a short documentary about William ("Salty Bill") Salter, three-time Grammy winner, composer, musician, and writer of the song, Just the Two of Us. She then went on to make that short film called Just the Two of Us into a feature after receiving the 2021-2022 Young Alumni Commissioning Award and $5,000 in commissioning support. Bill is the songwriter behind timeless songs such as, Just the Two of Us, Where Is the Love, and Mister Magic. He is also Jada’s Grandfather, and she is determined to tell his story as a hidden figure who has created music millions of people relate to everyday.

Just the Two of Us aired in Feb 2024 at Mason's Johnson Center Cinema and showcases William's many achievements, from attending New York City's prestigious High School of the Performing Arts, to playing bass for Pete Seeger (when William was just 17 years old), Nancy Wilson, Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba, to releasing his own album in 1977, "It Is So Beautiful To Be."

Jada' graduated with an Editing Capstone Award, and took an impressive a range of courses from all over the university, including the History of Photography, Cinematography, African History, Film Producing, the Digital Past, and Video Art. In 2019, she edited a trailer for the D.C. International Film Festival, consisting of all feature films that were showcased. Jada was also an Assistant Video Editor for the documentary global music series, "Vibrations," and an Assistant Producer Intern at Voice of America (VOA).