My credit card for my final film

Yesterday (Dec 11)  was the final day of classes for the Cinema Arts & Science, MFA first years. The day was marked with the screening of the Directors’ final films. What better way to mark the end of the semester than showcasing our work for the department faculty and our classmates to see? It was a long day, with about 6 hours worth of screenings and feedback, but extremely reassuring! Not to mention fun!

In this post, I’m going to recap some of the best times of the semester as a way to celebrate how far my class and I have come.

It all started in bootcamp: a crazy whirlwind of getting to know everyone in the program, getting to know the professors, beginning to explore our artistic voice, and jumping right into filmmaking. CCC’s MFA Cinema Art & Science’s bootcamp is exactly what it sounds like: an intensive month right before the first semester of the program starts. I found that bootcamp was probably the best thing the program could have had us do at the beginning of our studies. Not only did we have a three-week crash course of filmmaking basics, but we were also forced (and I use that word with love) to get to know every single one of our classmates in ways that might have taken years otherwise. Our first directing exercise on the first day of bootcamp, taught by our professor Wenhwa Ts’ao, had the entire directing class crying in front of one another. The exercise is not something to be afraid of, but rather something that had us, as creators so often do, expose ourselves to those we would be working with the rest of the summer, and the semester and years to come.

Celebrating our first week of bootcamp ending!

We got to know each other very quickly, which allowed for a bond to be formed that I don’t think will ever break. We trust each other wholly, enough to show our most personal works with one other, to accept constructive criticism, and to even cry in front of one another. I think bootcamp was crucial in the creation of this bond, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

The fall semester itself was a crazy one. The never ending list of work that needed to be done, the late nights writing scripts and treatments, the long hours on set, and the constant development of ideas for the future. I never once thought that I hated what I was doing. This might sound crazy, but living the hectic life of a grad student, and filmmaker at that, is fun! And it’s what I thrive on. Oh sure, I’ve had my moments of self doubt, as every creator has, but it was the indestructible peer support and my insatiable passion for filmmaking that kept me moving. And guess what? It was worth it. I finished my first film! I made it through the feedback without having a panic attack. I actually enjoyed hearing the constructive criticism from my classmates and the faculty. That is what creating is all about, anyway! It’s about growth, and accepting the need for growth, and not shunning those who are there to help. That is what my first semester of grad school taught me.

Me and my Producer, Diego Sardi, celebrating the end of the semester

As I move forward into my winter break, I will be working on 2 films that will be shooting in the spring. I have even begun thinking about my thesis. Gasp! I am giddy with excitement to keep moving forward.

1st year producers enjoying a celebratory drink at the end of the semester