This year has definitely been a crazy one. It has treated itself similar to one of those epic roller coaster rides.i While there are many things that I could have done but decided not to, I cannot help but appreciate everything that has happened in my life. Good or bad, they have become footprints in my ever going life. But now starts a new year and yet another path to create many more footprints to come.
Reflection
Turning Point in LA
My dream journey has been steadily moving along. Though some of it may not completely be a dream, it is still a major footprint in my life. Something major happened near the beginning of the year. The company I was working for “Rhythm & Hues” declared bankruptcy and was forced to lay off hundreds of people. This was a major impact not only within the company but also in the industry around the world. This was a major sign that the business model behind visual effects was severely flawed and proved to everyone that this was the case. A studio that just recently won an Oscar in visual effects for the movie “Life of Pi” was forced to close lose a lot of its talents because they did not have the sufficient funds to keep everything going.
Though I am still very much in my youth in the industry, this was a major eye opener to me to really see that what you see in school isn’t what truly happens within the industry. While still in school, I saw this being such a lucrative industry and something I deeply wanted to commit to. But after talking with many experts and veterans of the industry, I came to realize that though this is a very passionate industry, it does take its toll on you.
I was able to stay and help finish work on the deathly project known as “Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters”. This project was already a nightmare for artists to begin with due to external conflicts. And this complete revamp of artists and company did not help at all. Though this was a difficult process, there was some minor light for me that I can always appreciate. I received my first credit! Being someone so new to the industry, a first credit is always a satisfying feeling. Regardless of the movie, it signifies a lot to a person. It reminds them all the hard work and emotions that went into being a part of something like this.
From the Hollywood Star to the Lonely Star
At this point, another opportunity came into play. With the way things were working out in LA, things didn’t seem stable nor secure. With everything in life, opportunities always come up. This is where Reel FX comes into play. They did a very good job at seeing the struggles R&H had and tried their best to bring people over to the lonely star. I was one of those people. With a new area, new company, and new production, this was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss. Especially being as young as I am, this was something that I had to experience.
One of the biggest drives to even coming here was the opportunity to help develop a brand new pipeline for production. This was something that was very appealing to me especially coming from a studio that has always had such a defined and stable pipeline.
Goals
Career
For the new year, I want to ensure that I am always pushing myself in my career in one fashion or another. Never settling but also always appreciating. I also need to remember why I wanted to be in this industry or why we are here. We are here to put all our efforts into creating something amazing that can be shared and enjoyed by the world.
Programming
For the year, I really want to dedicate a lot of my extra time creating something that can be shared with the world. Creating something that can either be used or enjoyed by people. The reason I love programming so much is that I am able to use my mind to solve a problem in the world and easily deploy the solution to the people.
Dance
I realized that this past year was a very limiting time for me in terms of dance. I know that I must remember to always be open to learning opportunties and take every opportunity out there to dance or learn from some of my idols.
Helping the world
I really want to take some of my time to help those around us. I am not entirely sure what the best way to do this is, but in order for us to lose that selfishness, we need to commit some time completely to others.
Book List
Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman David and Goliath - Malcom Gladwell Masters of Doom - David Kushner
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