Hi guys, just looking for any criticism, comments, and just generally if you like it. Thanks in advance! Have a great day. The questions I attempted to answer as requested by Ryerson are these:
a) Five years after graduating from the Radio and Television program, what type of career do you see yourself in
and why? How would you and the Radio and Television program benefit from your participation?
b) What have you done inside or outside of school that makes you stand out as a candidate?
c) Production work in the Radio and Television program along with the industry often involves group work. Give an
example of a time when you had to work with others. What was your role? What issues arose and how were
they addressed?
d) Of the courses of study available within the Radio and Television program, which are you most interested in and
why? How would the non-media related courses you complete benefit you? Make reference to specific courses.
Ever since I was a child I always craved the spotlight. Whether it be at a family gathering or in the classroom there was something inside me that needed to make people laugh, to show them something new, or tell them a story. I thrived off it, their reaction was worth its weight in gold to me. Something about the way a single word can make a face light up, even rescue someones entire day. It drenches me with an indescribable feeling that I feel so lucky to have.
My name is Braedon Saunders, and I know without a doubt, that this is the industry I have to be a part of.
My whole life I have been fascinated with how things work. As a kid I would go to surely annoying lengths to figure out just how that clock ticked, why that TV channel was static and even took old radios apart just to see what the inside looked like. When I started to get really interested in music, this trait carried over. I listened repeatedly to records to see just what kind of studio tricks they had done and when I finally figured it out it I always had the biggest smile smeared across my face.
I know the RTA program will benefit me immensely and I will strive to make myself an asset back to the school. I was the teacher nominated - student elected valedictorian for my graduating year. Throughout my high school career I have completed Port Dover Composite School's Sound Engineering course with a final mark of over 90%, often showing the teacher new tricks or my latest extracurricular project. Last year I was lucky enough to be cast in 2 separate drama plays, one of which made it to the regional level in the annual Sears Drama Festival. Being a drama nut for a year was an amazing experience, teaching me to be much more confident and outgoing in everything I do. I was also fortunate enough to be selected for a co-op at our local radio station CD98.9 (CHCD) in Simcoe. For the first half of my co-op I was situated in the newsroom. I got the opportunity to write news stories for air and even got to go to the courthouse to report on a high profile case! For the second half I was transferred to the production aspect of things. I have produced over 50 commercials and I was trusted enough to be alone with clients as they knew they would get a quality recording. I got to dip my toes into RCS Selector/Linker, which is a very neat piece of software. My favourite part of my experience at the radio station - I hosted a daily radio show in the late evening! I have amassed nearly 50 hours of on-air announcing, which I am extremely proud of.
Outside of school, I enjoy playing the guitar, I am an audiophile, and I love recording music. I bought much of my own equipment such as a portable PA system, microphones, mixer, keyboard, Pro Tools and an audio interface. Music is my passion. Me and a couple friends have recorded a few songs, as well as performed them in front of an audience using all of our own equipment.
In five years where do I see myself? Well there are a couple situations I would be ecstatic about being in, but I am interested in nearly every aspect of the RTA program, and couldn't imagine dedicating my life to another industry.
The first situation I can see myself in would be an up and coming music producer/performer. Performing is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world in my opinion and I would be very grateful if that was what I was able to do for a living. I could see myself starting to make a name for myself by producing some local artists as well as performing myself at some small venues within the city.
The second situation would be a radio or television personality. Possibly an announcer at a Rock or Top 40 station or a reporter for CBC or CTV. These would both be very rewarding positions for me. An announcer is the perfect mix of performance arts with the more technical side of things, and it allows me to explore my creativity. A reporter on a TV station I think would also be very interesting because you have an opportunity to be creative, while maintaining a professional tone. There is also something indescribably alluring about doing something live, whatever the medium.
In my opinion, one of the most valuable skills someone can have in both this industry, and life itself, is the ability to be productive in a group. I have a plethora of experience with being able to work competently within a group. Growing up in Port Dover (a quaint tourist town of 7,000 that swells to an obnoxious 200,000 bikers on Friday the 13th ) me along with 80% of the high school population have jobs at a restaurant. Picture it: The Beach House, situated in the gleaming southern Ontario sun, just barely escaping the gentle, captivating in and out motion of the Lake Erie waves, even complete with palm trees - but inside was an entirely different ordeal. Plates fly, burgers flip, music plays and 6 cooks working as fast as there brains can manage for hours on end while painstakingly listening for their next instruction. "I need 3 more burgers on, start another pasta, give me that sandwich, and we need more plates please!" Hear that? Thats the voice of the expediter. It's his job to co-ordinate all the cooks and ensure everything goes out on time and up to par. In short, he fights the constant uphill battle of trying to satisfy the monstrous 350 seat dining room. This past summer, that guy was me. Not only do you have to work efficiently with a team of 6 cooks, you are under extreme pressure from waitresses, bussers, managers, and owners to get that food out. It has been a great experience, teaching me much and a fun ride to say the least. Every industry has deadlines, but among the most pressing are the ones found in radio, television and foodservice, because in these industries, there is always someone, somewhere that's waiting, glancing at the clock, anticipating your next move.
Many of the courses available to students in the RTA program look interesting but a handful really stood out to me. I think BDC 974 (Audio Post-Production & Sound Design), BDC 921 (Advanced Audio Theory),BDC 923 (Music Publishing) and BDC 943 (Comedic Writing) are very interesting.
BDC 974 (Audio Prost-Production & Sound Design) is very interesting to me because I have always thought it was an amazing feat to mix the sound to a movie, with channel after channel of characters, Foley, background music and the list goes on. I think learning to record the sound effects would be interesting as well because it is so much more than trying to get a good sounding recording, you have to make the audience suspend there disbelief and seamlessly slip the effect into the movie without it seeming out of place.
Another course I am tremendously excited about is BDC 921 (Advanced Audio Theory). This course will be really important to me considering I think a producer or live sound technician would be a career worth fighting for.
BDC 923 (Music Publishing) will give an aspiring producer like me and opportunity to see more of the business side of things. Things like Canadian copyright law, music in film, history of music publishing and how record companies operate will all be incredibly involved in any career I have coming out of the RTA program.
Lastly BDC 943 (Comedic Writing) I think is incredibly appealing. Humor is very important to me and is a large part of my personality. I think it would be fascinating to learn the process of TV comedy and how to appeal to everyone in the audience. I have always thought a sketch comedy like Saturday Night Live would be an amazing job.
Not every course can be directly related to media, and fortunately I am interested in the majority of those as well. HST 600 (Innovators, Capitalists and Managers), SOC 104 (Understanding Society, MKT 403 (Marketing Communications 1) and MKT 504 (Effective Persuasion) have all piqued my interest.
HST 600 (Innovators, Capitalists and Managers) will be important as it captures the rise of big business and its impact on the economy. It will be essential to know how large modern day corporations are run if I am ever going to be a successful entrepreneur.
In order for me to successfully market myself, or any product that I create in the future these next three courses will be crucial. SOC 104 (Understanding Society), MKT 403 (Marketing Communications 1) and MKT 504 (Effective Persuasion) will all play key roles for me and will greatly effect the career that I build.
To me, RTA is more than just a course or a lecture, its an opportunity to grow, to sail away from the safe harbour to chase big city dreams and explore this mysterious world. I would like to thank you for investing your time in me, and someday I hope to pay it back to you.
Thank You.
Braedon Saunders
1569 Words. Essay is suppose to be ~1500.
a) Five years after graduating from the Radio and Television program, what type of career do you see yourself in
and why? How would you and the Radio and Television program benefit from your participation?
b) What have you done inside or outside of school that makes you stand out as a candidate?
c) Production work in the Radio and Television program along with the industry often involves group work. Give an
example of a time when you had to work with others. What was your role? What issues arose and how were
they addressed?
d) Of the courses of study available within the Radio and Television program, which are you most interested in and
why? How would the non-media related courses you complete benefit you? Make reference to specific courses.
Ever since I was a child I always craved the spotlight. Whether it be at a family gathering or in the classroom there was something inside me that needed to make people laugh, to show them something new, or tell them a story. I thrived off it, their reaction was worth its weight in gold to me. Something about the way a single word can make a face light up, even rescue someones entire day. It drenches me with an indescribable feeling that I feel so lucky to have.
My name is Braedon Saunders, and I know without a doubt, that this is the industry I have to be a part of.
My whole life I have been fascinated with how things work. As a kid I would go to surely annoying lengths to figure out just how that clock ticked, why that TV channel was static and even took old radios apart just to see what the inside looked like. When I started to get really interested in music, this trait carried over. I listened repeatedly to records to see just what kind of studio tricks they had done and when I finally figured it out it I always had the biggest smile smeared across my face.
I know the RTA program will benefit me immensely and I will strive to make myself an asset back to the school. I was the teacher nominated - student elected valedictorian for my graduating year. Throughout my high school career I have completed Port Dover Composite School's Sound Engineering course with a final mark of over 90%, often showing the teacher new tricks or my latest extracurricular project. Last year I was lucky enough to be cast in 2 separate drama plays, one of which made it to the regional level in the annual Sears Drama Festival. Being a drama nut for a year was an amazing experience, teaching me to be much more confident and outgoing in everything I do. I was also fortunate enough to be selected for a co-op at our local radio station CD98.9 (CHCD) in Simcoe. For the first half of my co-op I was situated in the newsroom. I got the opportunity to write news stories for air and even got to go to the courthouse to report on a high profile case! For the second half I was transferred to the production aspect of things. I have produced over 50 commercials and I was trusted enough to be alone with clients as they knew they would get a quality recording. I got to dip my toes into RCS Selector/Linker, which is a very neat piece of software. My favourite part of my experience at the radio station - I hosted a daily radio show in the late evening! I have amassed nearly 50 hours of on-air announcing, which I am extremely proud of.
Outside of school, I enjoy playing the guitar, I am an audiophile, and I love recording music. I bought much of my own equipment such as a portable PA system, microphones, mixer, keyboard, Pro Tools and an audio interface. Music is my passion. Me and a couple friends have recorded a few songs, as well as performed them in front of an audience using all of our own equipment.
In five years where do I see myself? Well there are a couple situations I would be ecstatic about being in, but I am interested in nearly every aspect of the RTA program, and couldn't imagine dedicating my life to another industry.
The first situation I can see myself in would be an up and coming music producer/performer. Performing is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world in my opinion and I would be very grateful if that was what I was able to do for a living. I could see myself starting to make a name for myself by producing some local artists as well as performing myself at some small venues within the city.
The second situation would be a radio or television personality. Possibly an announcer at a Rock or Top 40 station or a reporter for CBC or CTV. These would both be very rewarding positions for me. An announcer is the perfect mix of performance arts with the more technical side of things, and it allows me to explore my creativity. A reporter on a TV station I think would also be very interesting because you have an opportunity to be creative, while maintaining a professional tone. There is also something indescribably alluring about doing something live, whatever the medium.
In my opinion, one of the most valuable skills someone can have in both this industry, and life itself, is the ability to be productive in a group. I have a plethora of experience with being able to work competently within a group. Growing up in Port Dover (a quaint tourist town of 7,000 that swells to an obnoxious 200,000 bikers on Friday the 13th ) me along with 80% of the high school population have jobs at a restaurant. Picture it: The Beach House, situated in the gleaming southern Ontario sun, just barely escaping the gentle, captivating in and out motion of the Lake Erie waves, even complete with palm trees - but inside was an entirely different ordeal. Plates fly, burgers flip, music plays and 6 cooks working as fast as there brains can manage for hours on end while painstakingly listening for their next instruction. "I need 3 more burgers on, start another pasta, give me that sandwich, and we need more plates please!" Hear that? Thats the voice of the expediter. It's his job to co-ordinate all the cooks and ensure everything goes out on time and up to par. In short, he fights the constant uphill battle of trying to satisfy the monstrous 350 seat dining room. This past summer, that guy was me. Not only do you have to work efficiently with a team of 6 cooks, you are under extreme pressure from waitresses, bussers, managers, and owners to get that food out. It has been a great experience, teaching me much and a fun ride to say the least. Every industry has deadlines, but among the most pressing are the ones found in radio, television and foodservice, because in these industries, there is always someone, somewhere that's waiting, glancing at the clock, anticipating your next move.
Many of the courses available to students in the RTA program look interesting but a handful really stood out to me. I think BDC 974 (Audio Post-Production & Sound Design), BDC 921 (Advanced Audio Theory),BDC 923 (Music Publishing) and BDC 943 (Comedic Writing) are very interesting.
BDC 974 (Audio Prost-Production & Sound Design) is very interesting to me because I have always thought it was an amazing feat to mix the sound to a movie, with channel after channel of characters, Foley, background music and the list goes on. I think learning to record the sound effects would be interesting as well because it is so much more than trying to get a good sounding recording, you have to make the audience suspend there disbelief and seamlessly slip the effect into the movie without it seeming out of place.
Another course I am tremendously excited about is BDC 921 (Advanced Audio Theory). This course will be really important to me considering I think a producer or live sound technician would be a career worth fighting for.
BDC 923 (Music Publishing) will give an aspiring producer like me and opportunity to see more of the business side of things. Things like Canadian copyright law, music in film, history of music publishing and how record companies operate will all be incredibly involved in any career I have coming out of the RTA program.
Lastly BDC 943 (Comedic Writing) I think is incredibly appealing. Humor is very important to me and is a large part of my personality. I think it would be fascinating to learn the process of TV comedy and how to appeal to everyone in the audience. I have always thought a sketch comedy like Saturday Night Live would be an amazing job.
Not every course can be directly related to media, and fortunately I am interested in the majority of those as well. HST 600 (Innovators, Capitalists and Managers), SOC 104 (Understanding Society, MKT 403 (Marketing Communications 1) and MKT 504 (Effective Persuasion) have all piqued my interest.
HST 600 (Innovators, Capitalists and Managers) will be important as it captures the rise of big business and its impact on the economy. It will be essential to know how large modern day corporations are run if I am ever going to be a successful entrepreneur.
In order for me to successfully market myself, or any product that I create in the future these next three courses will be crucial. SOC 104 (Understanding Society), MKT 403 (Marketing Communications 1) and MKT 504 (Effective Persuasion) will all play key roles for me and will greatly effect the career that I build.
To me, RTA is more than just a course or a lecture, its an opportunity to grow, to sail away from the safe harbour to chase big city dreams and explore this mysterious world. I would like to thank you for investing your time in me, and someday I hope to pay it back to you.
Thank You.
Braedon Saunders
1569 Words. Essay is suppose to be ~1500.