Critically Evaluating Myself.
Career Test
Career test: I took an online test which consisted of a range of questions that would find out what technical skills I acquired and what type of personal skills I had as well. The results below are what the test said about me.
A lot of what the test said about me personality made sense, however it came to the conclusion that I was 100% Introvert which I wouldn’t say was true. Although I would agree I am more introvert than extrovert. I am very composed, I never get emotional over silly things, I take criticism to heart and try to use it to fix the issues. I am very self-reliant and tend to work quietly on my own unless the project is a team task in which I also work well within the team. I am reserved but not as much as the test may have said I am. I do spend a lot of time alone watching film or playing video games however I also spend time with friends and family.
I am 59% Sensing, they describe this a practical, detailed and conventional. I also believe this about myself, I learn better by doing and being practical rather than the opposite. I try to be as detailed as I can about a topic or project in order for people to understand what it is I am trying to create but also relating it to film I try and think about every detail of a project which will add character to the scenes. According to the test I am conventional, I would agree with this. I enjoy some of the more conventional and simplistic ideas that have been done a thousand times but sometimes they have a slight twist or changes that sets them ahead of all the others and makes the whole film worth it.
I am 55% Feeling which is about half and half with Thinking. I am empathetic, I understand and relate to other people’s emotions. The test said I was sensitive, I would agree that I am sensitive. The test also said I was ethical, this meaning I relate to moral principles and what is right, I think about the knowledge I have and act out on what I know.
Finally I am 64% Perceiving, meaning I flexible about things and don’t tend to worry unless its important. I am accepting, I accept why people do things and what ever happens in life. I am also tolerant.
The strengths highlighted by this test are:
I am Self-Reliant and will get things done even if I am on my own as long as I know what needs to be done.
I am Practical, I will understand something if I was shown how to do it or what someone wanted using something like a storyboard.
I am Empathetic, so I would relate with the emotions someone had in a scene or wanted from a scene.
I am Flexible and Tolerant, I would be tolerant of someone telling me what to do or to redo something.
Ambitions
My career ambitions are to be an editor within a friendly close-knit production company producing interesting media projects. I understand a lot of the industry is working with people you barely know however I feel I would prefer the environment of a smaller production company where everyone is familiar with each other and ultimately friends rather than just colleagues.
My perfect job would be to edit a whole range of different media products ranging from sound to simple cutting together. This will require a range of skills. I will need to work well with others as I listen to what it is the director wants me to do, but I will also need to work well on my own as I would be most likely be working alone on the task that has been set for me. I will need skills in editing and everything it involves from the different software’s and how to achieve the effects I am tasked to do. I will need time management skills to be able to work towards deadlines and have everything done for them deadlines in order for the rest of the project to move forward.
I will need to develop more on my editing skills as I have only learned the basics through my course and my own time, I know how to effectively put together clips with appropriate timing and position in order for the greatest effect.
How to Achieve these Goals
I want to be an Editor for mainly narratives. In order to do this I will need to develop my editing skills to the best I can and understand everything there is to know about it.
I would then need to start of as a freelance editor doing work for anyone and anything that is available in order to develop my skills further and get my name around as a reliable editor. Doing this it will get my name around multiple companies and hopefully land me with a solid relationship with one which will lead to on-going employment.
Personal Statement
I am applying for Film Production courses because I am passionate about everything to do with films and TV. It would be so amazing to have a career in the industry and a Film Production is my doorway into that creative world. This subject is my biggest passion, I spend my time watching films and television shows and then transform their techniques and visions into my own work. I also enjoy playing video games. I feel that video games are another form of film as they also follow narrative, and that is the part that I really enjoy about them. They have helped me learn about what makes strong narratives as I get drawn into the world they have created.
I am currently studying the UAL Extended Diploma level 3 Film and TV course at Canterbury College which is an equivalent of 3 A levels. We have developed our skills and techniques used in all areas of the media industry. This has given me a wide range of knowledge about the media, I have also used the editing program Avid, editing new practical project given to us every week and my Final Major Projects. I own Premier pro on my own personal computer and spend a lot of time using that software as well.
I have helped my class mates with their projects throughout our time on the course. I have also worked with my friends outside of the course filming short movies.
I have been working part-time as a Labourer for the last year and have picked up a range of social skills during this time. I have become more confident with people as I have to meet new people every day due to the job. My duty as a Labourer is to make the employers job easier by passing him tools or by continuously providing him with plaster so he doesn’t need to stop. By doing this I have learned how to work as a part of a successful team and how to follow instructions given to me.
After completing this course I would like to become an editor. I enjoy seeing the story
progress through putting all the clips together. I have a good knowledge of how to use editing programs and the techniques used to achieve a professional edit. However, I would like to have full knowledge on how to do this to the best of my abilities. I also have an interest in sound design however want to learn every aspect of editing.
Universities I Applied for:
Canterbury Christ Church University – I applied for Canterbury Christ Church because of the range of roles within the media industry. The course is called Film, Television and Radio, you do all three at the start and as you progress through the course you narrow down the options and follow the path you enjoy the most. This is ideal for me at the moment as I am not sure exactly what path in the media industry I would like to follow.
Anglia Ruskin University – I applied for Anglia Ruskin as the description of the course mentioned ‘your love for storytelling.’ This intrigued me as I am very interesting in following the film and narrative path rather than anything else.
The more traditional methods of progress are Apprenticeships, Internships, Applying directly to a company and working with an agency.
Apprenticeships – Now days apprenticeships are hard to find, there are some companies that will scam you with an apprenticeship such as asking you to pay them to work for example, however this is a minority. Apprenticeships are a good way of getting your foot in the door of the industry and making connections and it may lead to full-time employment once it has ended.
Internships – The down side to an internship is that you may not always get paid, this will require you to rely on other people such as parents for financial help or work full-time whilst you work full time for the internship.
Applying directly to companies – Doing this will cut out the middle man.
Working with agencies – Not all companies may work with an agency. However it will help spread your name faster.
Non-Traditional methods include things that may not be most commonly used as an attempt to gain jobs.
Competitions – Film competitions could be a good opportunity to get your work out to the public, there may be someone interested in what you have produced and may offer you work. Even if no one wants to hire you, there may be someone interested in working for you as they enjoy the type of work you do.
Social Media – Social Media is a great platform to get your work out to the public. It is a world-wide platform that many people in and out of the industry use. By using social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram you can post a picture of the progress of your work and how a project is coming along. Not only can you keep fans up to date you may have someone see your work and become interested in working with you.
Cold Calling – Cold Calling is when you send a letter/email to some one telling them how important you are to the progression to their company or project. You explain why you would be a great asset to them and what you could bring to their company.
Social Media Presence
The images above is my you tube channel, this is where I upload any of my projects or tasks from my course. This is an easy platform to use, this will allow lots of people to view my work and contact me if they are interested in working with me or need to talk to me about anything.
The fact that it is so easy to use will increase my chances of being offered a job. My work will be recommended to anyone who watches anything that is similar to my work.
Twitter is a good platform for more document based information, although it could also be used to show my personality and what type of person I am. If people understand who you are as a person then they will be able to connect to you as a person and will follow your work more.
You could post information such as scripts and storyboards to show the progress of your project, by showing your audience first hand behind the scenes information they could feel apart of the process.
By building a fan base on social media such as Twitter you gain the attraction of a lot of people and the chances of one of them being involved in the same industry as you is high. Twitter is a good way to put yourself out there and attract job opportunities.
Digital Portfolio
http://dropr.com/portfolio177655
The link above is to a portfolio to all my work. This is accessible for anyone to see which is a good way to get my work out there. It explains roughly what the project was about and why it turned out the way it did, it explains the brief I was given for each project and what the the intended outcome was.
I can send this to employers to show off the type of work I have done and the things I can create so they can get a good idea to whether I am what they are looking for.
Cold Call Letter
The image above is a cold call letter to the BBC asking for a interview for the job of a runner. This is a draft letter using techniques that I learned about how to write a professional letter to a company using the correct terminology such as Dear Sir or Madam, Yours Faithfully or Yours Sincerely.
This is a good way to get in contact with someone who is busy in the industry as it is a physical document instead of a email being lost within other emails. However as they are busy people you need to be concise and to the point so that they are not wasting any time on your letter.
CV
CV’s are a good way to show everything you have from grades to common social skills. This is a very common if not required document that most employers ask for before you are considered for a place at a job. This allows them to briefly understand all you have achieved and some what of the type of person you are.
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