I have two sleeps left until my journey begins! On Thursday I will be flying to Los Angeles, California to begin my decent into the film world.
The film industry and all the different aspects of it have always fascinated me. Anyone who knows me really well can tell you that I have a Television addiction. One day a few years ago, as I was watching one of my many shows, I decided that maybe the right career path for me was to be on the other side of the Television. I was in the middle of taking Grade Ten Film Studies at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School when my interest in making movies really began. Our first project was a one-minute short film that had to be a continuous shot following a blue dodge ball. Ever since that project I have been absolutely hooked.
It was like something clicked in my brain when I started taking that class. Putting together movies was how my brain worked; figuring out the shot sequence to make a film make sense was something that seemed to come naturally to me. I always thought I wasn't a great story teller, my writing is not my strong suite, but I just hadn't found the right medium.
Anyways, this past year I took off school to work downtown and to make sure that film was truly the career path I wanted to choose. I volunteered a lot with Shaw TV in Calgary which was a great first step in furthering my interest in film. Right off the bat I was operating lights and cameras on different broadcasts for them. From the very moment I stepped into the studio at Shaw TV I felt a sense of excitement for what this could mean for my future. I knew that the rush I got while putting on a "live to tape" show was something I wanted to keep searching for and finding in my life. I knew that I was making the right choice.
I applied to a few different schools this year and was accepted. I chose to accept the offer I received from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Starting September I will be taking Film and Television Production there. However, in the mean time I am beginning an exciting new adventure!
I am fortunate to have parents that support me in whatever endeavour I choose and about six months ago I was able to convince them that if I got into school that they would allow me to go to a film camp in LA. I applied for a six-week film program at the New York Film Academy (they have a campus in LA) and got in.
So, in less then 48 hours I will be in sunny Los Angeles taking my first official film courses and I could not be more excited! Of course I am nervous, I have never lived anywhere other than my parents house for an extended period of time and LA is a big place! However, I know that I am capable of taking care of myself and making smart decisions. Maybe not one of my smartest decisions has been procrastinating my packing! I have yet to start...that is tomorrow’s activity. I know I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow and I know that with all of this excitement I may not actually get a lot of sleep tonight but it will be worth it!
Keep you posted,
Justine
