Eighth period, advanced physics, junior year. Twenty-seven of the school’s brightest futures discussing how they plan on spending their lives and bettering our society. About twelve voices speak up about engineering and computer sciences, ten about medical fields, and four mention law and government aspirations. I speak up at last, number twenty-seven, and with a confident, cool voice I say, “Filmmaking,” as if it was as important as nuclear engineering, biomedical science, and our judicial branch. To that, a curious peer questions, “You’re one of the top kids in school, and you want to make movies? You could be a doctor or a scientist and actually better society!” I’m sure he didn’t mean it offensively; it was a legitimate curiosity. Why would a small town, seemingly bright girl aspire to make moving pictures on the silver screen? It doesn’t save lives, it doesn’t prove theories, and it doesn’t provide evidence to solve national murder cases.

But film is just as important: it entertains, it communicates, it shows, it tells. It can inspire people to save lives, prove theories, and solve cases. Film is as versatile as the written word, and to me, Spielberg is synonymous with Dickens, Nolan with Bradbury, and Burton with Seuss. To me, movies are glamourized literature, a fine art form in their own right. I wish to make this art, this moving, dramatic, loud, colorful, living art.

My passion for film grew from a variety of sources. From the stage, as an actor in the school plays and a makeup artist and stage manager for the Broadway-esque spring musicals, I learned how to work with a team in creating a live, successful show. From English classes, I learned what it takes for a story to make a lasting impression. From photography classes, I learned perspective and how to create a powerful visual image. Lastly, in television production classes, I learned to tie all these skills together in creating a visual and technical story with a team. These skills and activities blend together in a melting pot to create a single movie made up of infinite types of art.

I simply wish to share stories, to make people happy, and to give an audience something to think about. I couldn’t imagine having a career that would feel like a job; I want to fully immerse myself in the world and culture of cinema. I don’t want a 9-5 job where I come home only to cast off what I had done that day. I want to dedicate whole weeks, whole months, into creating a living, breathing story that people can enjoy. After all, at the end of the day, all the engineers, doctors, and lawyers need some entertainment, too.