Hey there, Sequence 64,
I’m starting this off as a letter because I’m writing in Microsoft Word and that friendly little paper clip just popped up and said he’d write it for me. So, here’s a paper clip’s advice to everyone. You probably just took your Thompson final and never want to read another word ever again. Has your hand fallen off yet from obsessive note-taking? Don’t you want to watch those sexy Dynasty opening credits one more time? Or have a classic Jackson Browne song ruined forever? Alrighty well enough chitchat, I suppose it’s time I gave you some advice for your remaining 10ish months at Newhouse:
1) Start saying “yes” to things. Try things that you’re not good at, or that you think you won’t be any good at, or that you’ve never done before. If any of you are like me, the simple (read: incredibly nerve-wracking) decision to even attend Newhouse is a prime example of this piece of advice. I had never held a camera, never taken a screenwriting class, and didn’t know what a “Schoony” was. During the Visiting Day for accepted students in April, this Schoony man spoke about how Newhouse encourages its students to try new things, to make mistakes, to take classes – and more importantly chances – that challenge you. After hearing Schoony’s words, I knew that I had to come to this place to explore that idea further.
But once I got to Syracuse, I realized that making the decision to come here was only the first step. I’d have to keep saying “yes” to opportunities. Dammit! I decided to adopt the attitude of “I don’t know much, but I’ll try anything,” and for me, it worked. For example, I am not a computer or tech-savvy person at all, so I took both Avid classes in the fall and, much to my surprise, became a certified user. Now, I’m Neal Coffey’s muse. I’m not kidding. It’s on my resume. The muse part, not that Avid certification thing. I had never taken a business class in my life, so I enrolled in Film Business with Evan Smith and learned more than I could have ever imagined. I had never directed anything in my life, so I volunteered to direct our summer documentary project. Put yourself out there; don’t be afraid of criticism or rejection. I’ve learned that the worst kind of criticism is the kind I levy onto myself after I say “no” to something I should have “yes.” Remember, you’re not at Newhouse to show off all of your amazing talents – you’re there to learn skills. No one is going to expect you to be perfect, but they will push you to be your best. As soon as I got over myself, I found I was so much more relaxed. If you can embrace the intense fear and self-doubt that you feel, it will liberate you and allow you to do so much more.
I’ve tried to maintain this attitude since leaving Syracuse, although it’s not easy. Since moving to LA, I’ve begun taking improv classes, because a writing professor recommended them, and because I’m totally scared to do it. I’m terrified every Tuesday night and usually can’t eat all day, but I always feel amazing after class, like I conquered some self-doubting part of myself. So what have I learned? Say yes. And when you get out of your comfort zone, you’ll feel this amazing high. Totally safe and perfectly legal.
2) Get involved. I’m sure a lot of people will recommend that, but the frequency with which this advice comes serves as a testament to how important it is to become an active member of the Newhouse community. I suppose this is closely linked with my advice above. Get involved with things you’re interested in, things you don’t think you’ll be good at, things you’d never dream of doing. During my year, I co-hosted a cooking show for OTN with my friends, helped the Syracuse Film Festival shoot and edit segments, and edited for a non-profit organization that aids young women in West Africa. Not only will you expand your skill set and buff up your resume, but you’ll also get to know your local community better, which makes you feel better about yourself. Ultimately, self-worth is the goal. No, but honestly, getting involved is paramount, because during your year at Newhouse, you’ll discover a relationship between what you give to the school and what you get back from the experience. I found that you get whatever you give, and I feel that Sequence 63 had an amazing, transformative year in large part because we all become incredibly involved with the school, each other’s projects, and the community at large.
3) Learn how to GIVE constructive criticism. People always talk about how important it is to learn how to accept constructive criticism. You know, “withhold your initial reaction”, “acknowledge their viewpoint” and all that. Fine fine, fair enough. A skill that I feel is just as important, and yet overlooked, is the ability to give useable and articulate constructive criticism. At my internship, I’ve really learned the importance of this. It’s good to have opinions on matters, but those opinions are really only useful – and respected – if you can back them up with examples or specific information.
You’ll learn there is nothing worse than when your rough cut has just finished screening for the class, or you’ve just finished reading your script to your classmates, and someone raises their hand and says, “I don’t know…I didn’t like it.” or “I like it, it was great.” And then that’s it. Gahhh so frustrating. Don’t just say you like or don’t like something; be able to say why you feel that way. Great, you hated my short film. But can you tell me why specifically? Can you give suggestions or advice as to how to improve it? Is there anything that’s okay the way it is? Most people will start to tune you out if you don’t justify your point of view with examples or if you can’t articulately express your opinion. I’ll show you what I mean. This is my internal monologue when I’m hearing criticism from others: “I want you to be honest, I can take it. I really just want to make this project the best it can be. So you can be totally honest. But be gentle. But be direct and don’t sugarcoat it. But use nice words. But definitely be honest. Wow, that was a low blow…okay, you totally didn’t get it. Did you like anything? I thought you were supposed to make criticism sandwiches, where’s the sandwich? God I’m hungry. Why are these classes 3 hours long?” If you’re not articulate or specific with your criticism, people will disregard your words because they’re sensitive…or hungry. Or both. Without a doubt, learning to accept and acknowledge others’ opinions and criticism is incredibly important, but the ability to identify and articulate your opinion, and support it with specific examples, is just as beneficial. After all, no matter the medium of choice, what we’re really learning at Newhouse is how to communicate with each other.
4) Don’t be afraid to take a breather. This year is incredibly fast-paced and you’ll be given tons of advice (and in the weirdest places, like blogs) about how important it is to network and get started immediately. It can feel really, really stressful. Upon graduating, you might feel like, “Crap, I gotta get going right away.” Maybe I’m just saying this because I want my own decisions to be validated, but I believe it’s okay to take a breather. If you’re a little burnt out because you went straight from college to grad school (like me) or if you’ve ever wanted to travel but were never able to (like me), do it now and preferably before you start working full-time in the “real world.” I’m wrapping up my internship in LA within the next week. I’ve had a great summer, I like LA, and I know that this is where I should be. So I decided to take a couple of months off to travel, visit family and friends, and reboot. I plan on coming back out here later in the fall, batteries recharged and ready to hit the ground running. Now that I know what I want to do and where I should be, I feel okay about taking some time for myself.
Some final tidbits:
5) Avid Media Composer will quit unexpectedly. It will always be unexpected, and it will always be for no reason. It’s not your fault, but it helps if you find someone else to blame.
6) Jimmy John’s is the only place open after Chuck’s closes.
7) Get Jimmy John’s (The Beach Club is BOMB) while you can, because the closest one to LA is in Vegas. I yelped it. Don’t believe me? Click here.
Never take advice from anyone. Except for what’s listed above.
Best of luck and I hope you make your year everything it can be!
Have fun and hope to see you out in LA sometime soon,
Katie (& the Word paper clip)