So it's the middle of October, and what have I accomplished
since graduating 5 months ago? Well, I
made the big move to SoCal, secured an internship, and still looking for paid
work to cover the necessities like gas.
The internship is fun and I have finally gotten my hands on an FCP 7
system which has enhanced my repertoire.
The camaraderie is great and I have been able to work on some fun stuff
so far. I'm just looking to make the
next connection to lead to more work. In
the meantime...
Tonight I made my way to AFI, the American Film Institute,
for their open house. Being stuck in
traffic for hours sucked and I missed the first half of the presentation. I did enjoy the panel discussion that
followed the short film, made by one of the alums on the panel. It is a heady feeling having such talented people
encouraging you to apply or offering assistance in making a decision to apply.
The head of the Editing/Post Department was on the panel and
we spoke afterwards. Not too surprising
that there were only two in the audience tonight interested in editing. We discussed the tools and where we wanted to
go in our careers. We even briefly
covered some of the tools available to the editors. AFI uses Avid Symphony and only the editors
are permitted to use them. Directors
wanting to cut their own material are relegated to the FCP systems in the
library. I was even told that at AFI
they love the editors and shower them with gifts. Now that is a sales point!
The panel members circulated and shared stories of successes
and what to expect. The talent in the
room was overwhelming. To a person they
were positive and excited about the conservatory and the life fellows live
while in attendance. You live, eat and
sleep film the first year. On the first
day fellows are told to say goodbye to loved ones. A couple of alums likened the first year to
joining the military, it's that intense.
Myself, I feel drawn to the conservatory for the networking,
the intense study, and the tools. My
Avid is awesome, but to work in a professional atmosphere with other nutty
editors...just wow. The question becomes
how to pay for it. Tuition alone is
$100,000 for two years. I figure it
would cost at least another $50,000 for materials, living expenses and gas. The application fee is $85 for each attempt;
you only get three.
The other concern is that there is no guarantee that I will
make it to the second year. At the end
of the first year your work is reviewed and your professors decide. Of course, being accepted is the initial
hurdle after all. The entire panel kept
repeating that applicants and fellows have to find and display his/her unique
voice. To my friends in film, it is
amazing what AFI offers and it is worth the application fee. Now, I just wish I lived closer.
