Film Personal Statement Example 2

Film is a vehicle to express one’s ideologies, philosophies, and politics. It can evoke emotion, thought and fear. Film is a way for an artist to channel their internal need to communicate a message or try to collapse ever-shifting boundaries within the industry. Cinema can also be used as a weapon; it can cause outage, propagandize, catalyse hatred and fear but also unite, inspire and entertain. My fascination with cinema began as a child, after watching Rio Bravo for the umpteenth time round my grandparent’s house I suddenly thought: “I can do that”. Obviously, being a child at the time, I had no idea about the scrupulous planning and artistic subtleties required to sculpture such a film. But soon I started writing short plots and acting them out with friends and family in front of a camera. Although the films were a far cry from Howard Hawkes' masterpiece, I believe they helped me realise my passion. Whilst studying Media at college, I gained extensive knowledge of the fundamental basics surrounding film production, from learning the correct format of a script to the preparation and executing a film shoot. Learning the visual language of cinema helped refine the cinematic creativity of my own ideas and, as a result, receiving a distinction grade in film production helped spur me further in pursing a career in film. After completing further education, I gained work experience at a local media company to help gain experience – this exposure to a working media-based company established an enthusiasm for the industry and gave me a firm-grasp of media-production. Building a screenwriting portfolio has aided documenting the scripts, detailed treatments and drafts I have worked on. Employing narrative techniques from writers such as Charlie Kaufman and Sidney Lumet, I applied myself to writing for multiple genres in order to develop the structure and ambience of my script-writing as a whole. My DVD shelf is forever getting full, as my Empire subscription and ritual listening of Mark Kermode’s film reviews are always giving ideas on what films to purchase. Recently, I have developed a habit of becoming fixated on a selected director, cross examining their work and surveying the internet in hope of discovering some of their most secluded films. Artists such as Ingmar Bergman and Billy Wilder have played a heavy influence in my understanding of cinema on a theoretic level. Outside my love of motion pictures, I pursue a vast number of hobbies and interests. Completing the prestigious three-week Outward Bound course proved my capability to push my limitations and play a crucial part in team work, as well as build strength in character. My performance throughout was deemed worthy of the John Muir certificate of achievement, awarded to outstanding participants. Keeping a healthy lifestyle is imperative: attending the gym regularly and partaking in badminton and football weekly fulfil this personal requirement. The enjoyment of said sporting activities lead me to branch out and study an Advanced Personal Trainer course to further satisfy my hunger for knowledge on the subject; I feel confident undertaking the first Level 3 Anatomy and Physiology examination this July. Being determined to absorb as much knowledge as possible in cinema, I am aware of the limitations of my self-education. University, for me, will open up a world of possibilities for the future; the idea of not only studying the subject I adore, but being able to utilise it into a career is an enthralling prospect.