As the Sun Sets

As I begin to transition from contacting professionals, scheduling interviews, and learning as much about cinematography and video editing as possible, a new phase is beginning. At this point, I have narrowed down the list of people I have interviewed to reveal potential mentors. This list contains three people; these three professionals have produced incredible work and have given me great advice and insights into the industry. As I position myself for a second interview with these professionals and further evaluate my choices for a potential mentor, it feels almost like the sun is setting on the horizon of my prior beliefs and preconceived notions about filmmaking and what my future may be. Now, a new vision and dream is dawning, coming to life.

I took this photo yesterday on a hike at a nearby park, and I feel like it embodies this imagery perfectly: a vast expanse of grass, each stem representing a different goal, dream, or vision of mine from the past. However, the grass is starting to die. As a last salute, the sun is setting and illuminating each blade as it begins to decompose. It will eventually sprout new grasses come spring, and these new grasses will represent my new dreams, hopes, goals, and visions. Of course, this process for me is not as slow as the growth of grass or the changes in seasons, but as a mode of imagery, I think it serves well.

What dreams or visions are decaying, and what caused this shift? Dreams and goals are of the future, and the first thing I think about when I think of the future is college. Besides, the end of my high school career is coming soon; so technically, this should mean I need to start worrying about college. All of my peers are already stressed about college visits, keeping up their GPA, getting a good score on the SAT and ACT, writing college essays, and getting scholarships. I have always felt unnecessary pressure to go down the same path and pick a college just because that is what everyone else is doing, and this path has always been one that every school counselor since middle school has encouraged. I need to know what college I want to go to, pursue scholarships, visit colleges, etcetera. However, as of late, this pressure was lifted due to a general pattern in the advice I have received in interviews across the board.

In my interviews, I always ask the professional what their opinion on college is. This question usually comes in the form of, “How did college impact your career” or “How did attending college benefit you.” But for my most recent interview, I wanted to be even more direct in my line of questioning since I had been receiving somewhat convoluted answers on whether or not college is truly necessary or beneficial for an industry like filmmaking.

From what I understand about American society, in this modern age, there is always this massive emphasis on college; it is almost non-negotiable for some people, and you are sometimes looked down upon if you did not attend college. Of course, I think college is perfectly reasonable for someone who needs a standard curriculum, like someone who is trying to become a lawyer or doctor. But for a creative art like filmmaking, I have heard that yes, college is useful, but it is only worthwhile for the connections and networking opportunities you gain. However, where the convolution comes in is the fact that, overall, most people said that although college was only useful for these connections, had it not been for the network they built in college, they would not be where they are today. Essentially, people were telling me that you attend college for four years or so, and all you get from it is connections with people. But still, those connections somehow made it worth all the time, money, effort, and energy because it helped their careers blossom.

I am in no way invalidating the experiences these people may have had in college; I am sure the connections they gained were incredibly helpful and that it did help their career tremendously. Although, my question is: why pay this large sum of money to attend university and build a network when I am lucky enough to live in an age where I have the tools at my disposal to create such connections for free by using social media? The answer is found within my most recent interview when I was more direct about this question of college. I asked, “How much weight and importance do you think college carries for an industry like this?” and the answer I received was blunt and truthful, for which I cannot express how grateful I was to hear.

The professional I spoke to was valedictorian at both her high school and college, and she graduated college in just three years. Considering how hard-working and intelligent she is based not only on these achievements but from seeing her work and following her on social media, I trusted her advice and opinion on college entirely.

Her response to this question was that college is not necessary at all. She stated that college is great for teaching you things like film history, how to build a narrative, and film theory, but it was not practical skills, and you do not get to create as many films as you may have hoped. Essentially, college is only worth the time and money if you are seeking to become a producer, in her opinion. Her message was that if I can get on film sets or get an internship somewhere and build my connections and network from there, that will ultimately be more beneficial than spending tens of thousands of dollars on college. So, contrary to popular belief, college is not always advantageous and is not for everyone.

This epiphany moment made me feel like the sun was setting on the horizon of previous expectations. The idea that I had to go to college and get accepted into a good university like USC (University of Southern California) was beginning to fade, along with the stress and pressure I had been feeling around it. Recently, I have been thinking more about how I can seek connections through social media and eventually secure an internship. Perhaps, after my senior year of high school, I will move out to Los Angeles and pursue freelance work there instead of spending four years and thousands of dollars on college; but of course, a lot can change in two years. As much as the prospect of not going to college may intrigue me, it still may not be the best course of action for me. However, I appreciate all the advice I have received and enjoy entertaining this new idea of straying away from societal norms and paving my own path.

As the sun sets on the old horizon, a new dawn awaits. I am eager in anticipation to see what may come next in my journey towards professional filmmaking as I secure second interviews with potential mentors this week. I will continue to dream and plant seeds for new grasses to grow as the sun rises on a new dawn of visions for the future.