Week 10 EOC: Awkward Selfie Of Me Working In Class

Week 9 EOC: My Business Card

Week 8 EOC: The Five Networking Events I Need To Attend

Getting into the film industry is tough. Of course, you can work your way up, on your own, and make something extraordinary enough to get attention. However, the best way to get started and get you known in the industry is simply by making connections. Essentially, that is what the industry is all about; finding and making connections with people that are set out to create something an audience can connect with. And, what better place to make connections than by networking! Networking events are great places to not only meet fellow colleagues that have the same passion as you, but also professionals that do the work you want to do.

Because making connections is so important in order to progress in the film industry, I plan to attend many networking events to expand my connections to people in the industry. I have five main events I will attend, they are:

1.       NAB Show

2.       CES Convention

3.       Sundance Film Festival

4.       Festival de Cannes

5.       Toronto International Film Festival

NAB Show is a convention by the National Association for Broadcasters. With every aspect of the industry including Broadcast, Digital Media, Film, Entertainment, Telecom, Post-Production, Education, etc. being represented, NAB allows attendees to experiences and witness emerging technologies and the latest innovations.

The CES convention is similar to NAB in that it exhibits the most relevant and latest innovation in technology however; CES goes beyond the realms of broadcasting and applies its showcase to every aspect of technology for the electronic industry which overlooks and encompasses all other industries.

Sundance, Cannes, and the Toronto International Film Festivals are the most high profile and highly influential festivals. They strive to recognize indie film and embrace new, creative movements in cinema, and are overall inspiring. Going into the film industry, I feel that these five events are crucial for me to attend if I intend to make any lasting, memorable, and progressive connections.

Week 7 EOC: Tell Me About Your Career Goals

Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve always had career goals. Although they have changed throughout my life as I grew older, I’ve always made decisions that I felt would bring me closer to achieving those goals. Now that I am 21 years old, I have ultimately decided that I want to have a career in the film industry, more specifically as a Director.

Recent career goals I’ve achieved were directing my own, two short films. After I directed my first short film, I realized that I wanted to pursue directing as an ultimate career, but that in order to reach that goal; there were numerous things I still had to improve on. I put my focus towards building upon my strengths and addressing my weaknesses and developing them into opportunities for progression.  By the time I was set to direct my second short film, I was prepared. I felt confident in all my decisions for framing, editing, and directing my actors. My second short film was not only a success for me, but also for my cast and crew.

Whatever current career goals you have at the moment, once achieved, they should bring you closer to your ultimate goal. My ultimate career goal is to be a respected director within the film industry. I am still far from that goal, but all my current goals are going to help me finally reach it. My career goal as of now, is to finish my third short film that I am currently co-directing. In order to achieve it, I’m going to maintain my focus and enthusiasm for the project until it’s final completion. In terms of my next job opportunity, a key factor to evaluate is whether or not it will it enhance my skill and knowledge as a professional. 

Week 6 EOC: Seduction Of The Online Surfer

When people go online and surf the web, it generally takes them only a mere five to six seconds to decide whether or not they want to stay on a certain website. In order to get people to stay on my website for longer than six seconds, I will need to grab their attention. The best way to grab someone's attention is by being bold, and unlike anything they've seen recently or ever before. Something that is simple, yet eye-catching so that it intrigues the viewer.

I plan to seduce the online surfer by doing the five following things:

1. Include a slideshow of stills from films I've created so that they can get a gist of the cinematic quality of my work and want to see more and see the stills in action.

2. Have my twitter feed on my homepage so that all and any viewer can instantly see that I am active and creating, talking about, and being involved with fresh content. 

3. Include a 10 sec reel compiled of the films I've created. With this, the online surfer can see the stills from the slideshow in motion but not yet in their full context and with that, be curious as to know the story behind each frame and therefore, most likely, watch my videos. 

4. Create a simple, fluid, and easily accessible interface so that online surfers can browse and navigate through my website effortlessly which makes their time on my site at ease and free of frustration and confusion.

5. Including a unique and original logo that will resonate in their minds after only seconds of seeing it. 

Week 5 EOC: How Has Art Changed You?

In class today we viewed the film Whatever Works and saw how art changed Marietta. In terms of applying the question “How has art changed you?” to myself, I would have to say that art didn’t necessarily change me. There was no pivotal moment in my life that made me turn to art and as a result changed who I was. In other words, I believe that art made me. Art has constantly played a huge part in my life. Growing up, I gravitated towards creating art and learning about it. As I grew older and art became a minor focus in comparison to other subjects in school, I continued to use it and incorporate it into my projects for all my different classes. Art has been and will always be there for me. Up until now, I have constantly referenced, used, borrowed, and created art. I don’t feel like art changed me, but developed me. It developed me as an artist and influenced my ideas and has given me a whole new perspective on the world, people, and myself. Art has influenced the way I see places and things, and the way I see the relationships people have with one another and the relationships I have with people. It’s influenced the way I write, the way I take pictures and film movies, and the way I speak. Art is always evolving and I think that means I am always evolving as well. So ultimately, art made me who I am today and will make me who I am in the future and as it changes, so will I. 

Week 4 EOC: Deeper Meaning of The Devil Wears Prada

In class today we watched a few scenes from the film, The Devil Wears Prada. In these scenes are different, deeper meanings than what is presented on the surface. There's a deeper meaning behind being prepared for an interview, dressing for success, and doing what you want to do. Going to an interview with your resume, putting on clothes, and all for the sake of simply just getting a job that you don't passionately care about isn't going to cut it and we see the consequences of doing so in the film.
Actually being prepared for an interview means doing research on where it is you want to work, who you want to work for, and what exactly the employer specializes in, whether it be fashion, film, audio, graphic design, catering, etc.
Dressing for success also plays a very significant role in being prepared for an interview. Dressing for success may also mean researching or observing how people that work for the company you are interviewing with dress. Being different and being unique, I feel, are two separate things. You don't want to be so different and think that it's unique to show up how you perceive to be unique and completely not dress or follow standard dress attire for the job which could leave a bad impression. Instead of going out of your way to be different, be unique. Find out the standard dress code for the company, meet that dress code, and add your own flair if you want to be daring, or play it safe and add a simple accent color or accessory to your wardrobe. Either way, knowing how to dress for the particular company you want to work for is crucial.
Lastly, the most important thing is being interested in what it is that you could potentially be hired for. This means, genuinely involving yourself within the company to either gain knowledge about the field or enhance your skills, and  to also appreciate the profession and the professionals you are working with and the work that they do.