I usually wear St John's shirts to work and, of course, I often get asked if I attend there. Then the follow-up question is always "what are you majoring in?". I'm not going to lie, in the past I would always be terrified to say that I was a tv/film major because of the reactions I would get. Not to mention, St. John's is known for medical and law. However, I am now an upperclassman and I gladly tell them with a smile on my face because I love it and I'm going to explain to you why.
1. I love television shows and movies.
Okay, this is an obvious one. I absolutely love to watch TV shows and go to the movies. Who doesn't? I always have an emotional connection with them. Even when I was younger, I would research everything on iMDb and Rotten Tomatoes before I saw it. Which I still do to this day. I'm also that dork that looks up little factoids about them.
2. The technical part of it.
At first, I didn't like memorizing what every part of a camera did. But, when I actually held one and filmed for the first time it definitely came in handy. I now appreciate all that information and I love learning more about what makes every part of equipment work.
3. In some classes, all you do is watch movies.
I've taken a lot of elective film classes since Freshman year where all I had to do was watch movies. The first one I took was Contemporary Cinema where we just watched films that were nominated for Academy Awards. Then, I took History of Film where we watched films like "King Kong" and "Gone With The Wind". Now I'm currently taking Hollywood Films of Studio Era where we watch old westerns and horror films.
4. You get to be a director.
At St. John's we are blessed to have our very own television studio. So, when I have television classes I get to direct my own shows. It's very nerve-wracking to be in charge of everything but over time it makes you grow as a television and film major.
5. Most of the professors are in the business.
Most if not all of my professors are in the television and film business. My first professor ever who taught Introduction to Production is a producer and friends with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. My professor this semester wrote an autobiography novel and Tobey McGuire personally called him and asked him to go out to dinner to talk about the character he was going to play. They have first-hand experience on the field I want to go into and answer any questions we have honestly.
6. The Competitiveness
Of course, both fields are extremely competitive. Especially, if you do not live or know anyone in Hollywood. The first short films I made were very interesting. They actually sucked. I was still learning and some of my fellow students were more experienced than I was. Now, having three years under my belt I think I can measure up to them but it's still very competitive and it's preparing us for life after we graduate.
7. Hands on experience
Like I said before, we have our very own television studio located on our campus. Every class I take I have to deal with at least one piece of equipment. Last year, I interned for ESPN 3 & filmed the baseball, softball, and lacrosse games on campus. It was great hands-on experience and I'm glad I have had my hands on every piece of equipment in the studio.
