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.
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.