Distinct: Film: College Admission Essay Sample

I have known that I wanted to be a filmmaker since the 7th grade. I was taking a class on digital media, and fell in love with visual storytelling. That year, I took what I had learned and created a short film in my backyard with my younger brother to enter into my county fair. I was shocked when I had learned I had won first place and have been passionate about filmmaking ever since. The moment that film went from a hobby to what I envisioned as my future has changed the course of my high school career. When applying to high schools, I was disappointed that my high school did not offer a film class and I was determined to create one before I graduated. After being turned down and not taken seriously, I refused to give up. After countless meetings, surveys, and class proposals, my efforts began to pay off. I am very grateful to have the distinct experience of designing my own course and helping to write its syllabus that I now get to take and learn from. Seeing all of my excited and engaged peers in my film class is extremely rewarding. I am so glad I was able to enrich my school’s educational opportunities just by following my passion. Without my love for leadership, I would not have been able to create this class. My film class was initially turned down my freshman year but I was offered to create and lead a video team instead. I was nervous since at my highschool, freshman leaders are few and far between and I had no experience in club management. However, as the years flew by, I was reading dozens of applications of students who wanted to be part of video team and we were being hired for more and more projects. I went on to take on many of these projects and delegate others to the team I had built. This year, I have fully embraced mentoring younger aspiring filmmakers. I work with them and teach them everything from what to do in a client meeting, to how to use a lavalier microphone, to how to edit effectively. Finding a balance between leadership and facilitation has played an integral part in shaping who I am as a member of my community. My summer job as a soccer coach is fantastic, but I knew I could add more to the organization than just my coaching skills. I was the youngest and only female coach and struggled to find my voice and advocate for my skills in filmmaking. After being disregarded by my overworked boss many times when offering to make advertisements for the camp, I brought my camera and took footage during all of my breaks. By the next morning, I had a fully edited video that I showed to my boss and was immediately hired as their marketing videographer and action photographer. I strive to pursue my passion in every aspect of my life by always taking initiative.