Undergraduate / Visual Effects/ Film production/Chromake/Compost/Animate; UTexas RTF Transfer/SOP [3]

I've just completed the second draft of my Statement of Purpose and I would like some critiques. I won't be submitting my application until early to mid February so I still have some time. If you would like to help please send my a PM and I will send it your way. If you do decide to help keep in mind I don't just want help with all the technical stuff (grammar, sentence structure, spelling etc.) but also the message of the essay itself.

In the summer months at the age of six my mother brought home with her something special: an e-Machine desktop. Like any other kid my age I saw nothing more than a brand new toy and did not realize the potential I could unlock with this machine. However, throughout all the various built-in programs I explored, the included webcam and basic video editing software stood out to me. I found great joy from filming news segments of me informing the audience of pictures of blue alien monsters (which were just pictures of me with the colors inversed), dialogue scenes written by seven year-old me and friends, and the adventures of my action figures and their quest to rid the world of evil. These experiences lead to the start of my passion of film production.

This passion expanded as I grew older. Starting from an early age I would take trips to the local video store and pick out any movie I had not already watched. Although I still enjoyed the storytelling nature of cinema the behind-the-scenes features kept me coming back. My interest in post-production unfolded as I learned how George Lucas used computers to portray the dark trenches of the Death Star, how James Cameron made use of computer-generated imagery to create the shape shifting T-100, how animators used this same technique many years later to bring a Tyrannosaurs Rex onto the streets of New York City. The relationship between the director and technical artist, between the live action and computer-generated elements, the relationship between the camera and the computer fascinated me and I knew I wanted to explore this connection.

I distinctly remember the moment where I discovered that I wanted to pursue film production professionally; I remember the moment my passion had evolved into an essential component of myself like food or shelter for the human body. At the age of ten during a ritual viewing Spy-Kids 3D: Game Over", the conclusion of my favorite film series at the time, I decided to watch one of the bonus features. Like a man shot by one of Cupid's arrows I instantly fell in love with the various visual effect techniques used in the movie such as green screen and composting 3D animation into a scene. I immediately grabbed the nearest green blanket I could find, along with two tiny action figures and the same webcam I had started off with, and attempted to imitate the same result. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I quickly performed research and discovered that the director, Robert Rodriguez, had graduated from the Radio-Television-Film program at the University of Texas. The fact that the man was a longhorn sparked my interest into the school. The prestige of not only the film program but of the university itself, as well as the inclusion of the thriving film community within the city of Austin, only added fuel to the fire and my interest in the University of Texas ignited.

Becoming a student of The University of Texas would allow for many opportunities for me. Not only could I participate in the rich and flourishing student body of filmmakers at the school by not only participating with other students in projects but I would enrich my skills as a visual effects artist. My visit to the University and the Communications building last October sparked an even greater love for the school. Although my academics in high school suffered my interest in post-production did not. Throughout my high school years I explored various post-production techniques such as chromakeying, composting, and both 2D and 3D animation. I took every opportunity I could to put my knowledge to the test by producing various short sequences in high school and became well known through my high school as "The film guy". As a result I have gained extensive knowledge of various programs: everything from editing with Adobe Premiere, composting with Adobe After Effects, or 3D animation with 3DS Max. I've continued to enhance these skills up until my time at Lonestar Community College. My ambitions to enter the industry as a visual effects artist still grow and the opportunities offered by the University of Texas would help satisfy these ambitions.

Undergraduate / Road to prosperity; UT transfer -(Personal issue essay) for Radio/Television/Film [3]

My issue is about how students often choose their majors based on safety or money and not out of passion. I feel like it reiterates my statement of purpose and my passion for post-production.

Personal Essay
Choose an issue of importance to you - the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope - and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

______________________________________________________________________ _____

Far too often students are misguided in the direction they wish to take their education. They are told they want to become doctors, engineers, or programmers rather than teachers, writers, or film-makers. Deceived by the fear of a loss in security they mistakenly end up choosing majors ill-fitted for them and by their third year end up switching majors. They submit to this doubt in success and throw away part of themselves, ultimately losing sight of their own personal legend. It is important to not fall under this illusion, the illusion of safety, but to consider one's happiness and fulfillment as the primary factor in choosing a major, career, and life path before abandoning one's dreams.

As a youth the seed of my passion for post-production implanted itself deep within me. However, although this passion grew as I matured and the roots took their place, I limited myself out of fear. I told myself that, while my passion still burned, post-production would not be a "safe" or "realistic" option. Deluded by this concern I convinced myself that I had wanted to become a programmer and I had wanted to major in computer science. The sheltered promise of guaranteed happiness, the promise of substantial income straight out of college, clouded my judgment.

Despite all this delusion my passion never extinguished. It had merely been contained, restricted by my own fear, and still ignited vigorously. The roots began to form and they hardened as I spent countless hours in high school studying non-linear editing in Sony Vegas as well as Adobe Premiere, compositing elements in Adobe After Effects, and constructing three-dimensional models and animating into a sequence. As I enriched my skills the barriers I had placed on myself slowly began to deteriorate. The roots firmly took their place and the seed implanted inside me bloomed.

My senior year of high school is where I fully realized my potential. Like an animal breaking out of its cage or a small flame turned into a blaze that engulfs an area my passion had become a fully developed organism. I no longer doubted myself; I no longer had any fear of failure. I had become enlightened of my own personal legend. I no longer simply had interest in post-production: I thrived for it like one hungers for food. I no simply longer wanted to be involved in post-production. I fully realized my destiny: I had been born to be in post-production.

People should always be allowed to determine their own life path. Pressured by their parents, peers, or their community they misguide themselves and take the path not meant for them. These doctors, engineers, or programmers who are meant to become teachers, writers, or filmmakers abandoned what truly defines them as a person. The rode to prosperity should always be left to the traveler. Self-doubts about safety serve as inhibiters towards fulfilling one's dreams.

Scholarship / University of Texas Scholarship Essay (Radio/TV/Film)- My first moment with film [2]

"Describe and evaluate one experience that significantly influenced your academic interests. The experience might be a college course, a job, a relationship, an extracurricular activity, or a profound event. Be sure to explain how this experience led to your setting the goals you now have for yourself, and why you think the academic program for which you are enrolled will help you to reach those goals."

The sweet smell of popcorn filled the auditorium. Members of the audience sat amazed as they witnessed a fearful extinct species roam an island world. I sat in my chair in shock and awe, immersed as I watched dinosaurs storm across a field like deer in a forest, and became installed with Steven Spielberg's magical ability to conjure up wonder in "The Lost World". My earliest distinct moment in the theater at the age of four stands out as my first experience with the magical medium of film.

I can recall feelings of bewilderment as I stared into this extraordinary world, of fear as I witnessed a Tyrannosaurus Rex tear apart a city, and of joy as I watched these beasts of Mother Nature come to life before my eyes. The sounds of the creature's foot steeps and the enchanting and recurring theme chilled my young body. I became absorbed in the film, no longer simply an audience member watching from the sidelines but as an inhabitant of this world. Those unforgettable two hours spent in that theater felt like an entire lifetime.

Leaving the theater left me with a passion for filmmaking that I needed to satisfy and, like water for a plant; this passion influenced the rest of my growth. I admired a visionary's power to create worlds for audiences to immerse themselves in; worlds filled with fantastical creatures and elements to escape from the boundaries of reality, and knew I wanted to acquire this same power. As I grew and matured I sought the means to gain this power from making videos with my first computer at the age of seven, from watching behind the scenes documentaries of my favorite films, and from experimenting with a diverse array of post-production programs. My love for filmmaking cemented and I gained a distinct affection for the role of a visual effects artist.

Those remarkable two hours serve as my great awakening towards my enlightenment. I discovered my destiny to become a visionary and joining the Radio-Television-Film program at the University of Texas will come to serve as my pilgrimage. Engaging in the program's curriculum will mean more to me than earning a degree from a high-ranking institution. Rather it will serve as a life-changing experience; it will serve as a rite of passage towards my journey of becoming not just a participant in the filmmaking process but of an artist. As I participate in the film community at the University of Texas and take full advantage of the school's resources I will evolve from a student to a _____. Those two hours, those hours of wisdom and delight, are my shrine and will serve as my eternal guide as I walk the path towards my destiny of participating in film and creating worlds for audience's to become a part of.

The _____ is there on purpose because at the moment I can not think of anything to put there. Also there is a 55 line limit so as for length right now it should be fine but I might try to go for a little close to 500 words.