A NonLinear Path

While reading this blog, I was immediately able to resonate with its premise. I don’t want to be a CEO. I chose a career that would allow me to be creative. I didn’t choose a creative field to ultimately give up creating - I’ve reworked my career goals so that I can create as long as I’m able. To find someone else who doesn’t think that the career ladder is the only solution is not surprising, I figured I wasn’t the first, especially after looking at others in my career — it’s just nice to know that we are looking at that alternative in this course. 

Thoerson describes her ideal professional journey as a river delta — a fertile area to explore that flows towards an ultimate objective. She elaborates, stating how it’s very limiting to think of a career as a ladder, because any time someone changes company, they can be faced with the option of “losing a rung” and have to start climbing again at a new organization. 

I’ve mentioned throughout my blogs that I aspire to become a Director of Photography and a colorist. I’ve been able to start doing some freelance color work today with the advertising agency I interned with over the summer, but in order to become a Director of Photography, there are a lot of steps one has to take: 

A good rule of thumb in the production space is that one should know how to do every job they have seniority over. For example, a Director of Photographer should know how to be a Camera Operator, First AC, Second AC, Gaffer, Best Boy, Grip, and (because I want color to be integral to my career) a DIT (digital imaging technician). That’s 7 roles I need to experience in order to be the best Director of Photography I can. 

The other thing about production is that you may be the DP on your project, but you may be a gaffer another project. Ultimately it’s important to know how to do as many jobs as possible, because everything you know how to do is an opportunity to work on another project. 

Today, I’m not really worried about anything regarding my career except finding a job. I got a taste for the work I wanted to do this past July, and I absolutely loved it — I’ve been working to replicate that experience on everything I work on for myself. I’m just hopeful that I have as much fun as I’ve hyped it up to be. I’ve seen some cool projects, and I’m looking forward to making some of my own.