"Essay about growing up in the Entertainment Industry" - UCLA Supplemental for Film Personal Essay

UCLA Supplemental for Film

Hi y'all. I really need some feedback I wanna do my best and anything you suggest will be really helpful thank you!! I'm pretty confident so far and I think I'm pretty much done so anything from here is final touches hopefully :D

Bored out of my nine year old mind waiting on standby, I looked around the set observing minute details. Fiberglass was revealed under a wave of boards of wood lining the walls. Cords and cables ran like rivers down each corridor in sight. I glanced up to be blinded by yet another array of LED lights. I looked away to spare myself from the torment of photophobia. After a brief moment, my eyes returned to the plethora of industrial equipment set up before me. I saw a man dressed in black with a stereotypical set crew baseball cap on. "What's that thingie do?" I asked. The gaffer turns his head slightly sideways and downwards, maintaining focus with his eyes on the shot. "What's that kid?" I paused for a second before answering him, "Oh, I was just wondering what the thing you were holding does." The guy looked a little puzzled for a second, but replied anyway, "It's a light meter. It measures the light in a place." I stared at the device fascinated. My mind filled with wonder. My juvenile brain queued hundreds of possibilities, peaked by the application of that tiny gadget. I thought of another question and another! But as my throat cleared and my mouth began to open, I heard the child wrangler's classic speech: "Alright kids, line up and I'll place you in spots."

I was lined up and instructed to walk back and forth, in and out of this fictional sports store, so the usual. I have always enjoyed working background, but I remember that day was the first time I pondered working on the other side of the lens. That was on the set of Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn. I was usually pretty drowsy after a day of work, so my mother urged me to get some sleep on the car ride home. I have no problem falling asleep in cars, but I swear that night my mind could not stop thinking about that strange little light meter. That's when I realized something changed. It was as if my brain had opened a magical door with a sea of inspiration on the other side. And that door never stopped flooding my skull.

Every opportunity I received after that one time, I began asking crew on set about different devices, how lighting and reflectors interacted, what was room tone, etc. This scenario kept occurring consistently. I was so enthralled with the unique role that each piece of equipment played in crafting such amazing moments. Can you believe it took me so long to piece together my love for intricate technologies, exquisite storytelling, thrilling comedy, and cinematic scenery masterpieces to put together that I wanted to be a filmmaker?

I come from a middle income family, which is a combined cacophony of unfortunate events. To put it as simple as possible: My sister and I had extreme medical problems when we were born, putting our parents into massive debt. We were bullied a lot, couldn't play sports, so we went into music and entertainment. My mom was recently diagnosed with life-changing disabilities, after already surviving immigrating during the Vietnam war and abusive parents, while my dad is a teacher/author who worked so hard for us to barely scrape by after being evicted from our house at the end of last year. So I'm a quarter Vietnamese, an accident, and addicted to film production after watching the magic happen from the other side since I was five.

I know the long hours, the commitment, and how much energy and time each shot takes. I'm a realistic producer with a heart for entertainment. I'm a student who isn't afraid of succeeding and has no problem making choices, taking educated risks, or applying 100% of myself. I aim to enhance and contribute to the film industry as much as possible. Specifically, finding innovative ways to tell stories, ways to use one of my huge passions, music, to tell narratives that visuals and dialogue cannot express, to discover something odd and introduce it to audiences as something beautiful.. And if there's anything I want you to take away from this, it's that I only strive for the best for the future of entertainment, and it's right in the palm of our hands. We just need to hold it tight for the ride and open our eyes.

You are applying for admission to film school. Therefore, you need to be a highly imaginative and creative storyteller. I am sure you are one, but it is not reflected in this essay. It does not manage to hold the interest of the reader, much less the reviewer, who will be expecting a lot more from a film school applicant. Think big. Do not limit yourself. Use an imaginative presentation that will accurately tell a story within the specified word limitation. Be a movie producer. Use that mindset. Pitch an interesting story. Make the words come to life onscreen. This is a reflective essay but not one that could flaunt your ability as a potential storyteller. The reviewer expects to be wowed by the big personal story. The short film pitch that says there is more to say but I ran out of space. Make him want to learn more about you. Be the producer, director, and star of this story pitch. That way you gain his attention in a way a standard written essay like this one cannot. Remember, you control the narrative, so use it well to deliver a killer personal statement.