UCA - University for the Creative Arts!

Well!

I've started University! At long last!

In the second year of a BA (hons) in Film Production. Due to my partaking in 2 years of National Diploma Media as well as another 2 years doing the Higher National Diploma in Media Production.

Myself, as well as 2 others from the HND at Guildford (Jamie Buckingham and Tom Oswin) were thrown straight into the Deep End. After spending the first week with the new 1st years, making friends and settling into Uni life, it was becoming difficult to get the mindset that i'd had all summer of going into the second year across. I was spending every day all day with the 1st years, becoming attatched and making friends with them.

It wasn't until the Friday of that week that we finally split from the 1st years and met with the 2nds years. This was a nerve racking experience in itself. We were then told to write down 3 job roles we'd like to partake in for our group project. I wrote down; 3. Camera Operator 2. Editor 1. Director (preference being 1.)

We were then told to 'network' outside the class room. It was like feeding time at the Zoo. Everyone grabbing what they could and leaving what they didn't know behind. (I.E. Me and Jamie) Tom had some friends he knew so went with them...

I was left wandering around, trying to get to know everyone as well as join a group. This was humiliating and didn't do much for my confidence. People already had their little friends groups and weren't prepared to have me.

One group I went up to purely to introduce myself; "hi i'm Darren"... This guy just looked at my name badge, saw it said Director and without even saying hello back he said "we've already got a Director mate", so much for the friendly people they were talking about. I suppose he did say mate. Anyway.

Once everyone was being grabbed and chosen, there were a clear few that didn't have a group. Jamie and I still being part of that embaressing minority. I thought, crap, everyone's seen these people's work, and don't want to be in their group! Must Avoid. No one had seen mine or Jamie's work so how did they know they were making correct decisions by neglecting us.

I thought well, this isn't really going anywhere, so wandered to the middle and started talking. It was clear a group of people were prepared to be in a group but didn't really know everyone. One was a Director already so I was swaying backwards and forwards as I really wanted to be Director. Clearly that wasn't going to happen, and unfortunately I had to let go of that idea of being a Director for this project about an hour into it.

I was loitering around and then they asked me if i'd join them. I said what would you like me to do. They didn't really reply indeffinitly but they wanted me nonetheless. Myself and Jamie ended up both being Cinematographers in the same group, which wasn't a bad outcome, considering how the mass brawl of media heads had begun.

I was ok with that job role. I was more upset that no one had really been as welcoming as i'd expected and they didn't want to know anything about me. They all saw me as an outsider and not worthy because I was new. Well, if they'd had any kind of common sense they may have thought, well, the lecturers have said he can come into the second year, he must be of some standard close to ours, if not higher. But no, the small mindedness of students prevailed and unfortunately another students potential crumbled.

It doesn't matter.

It's very difficult to say/ write what i'm trying to get across without sounding big headed. I'm not saying i'm better than them all at all. I'm saying it would have been nice to have been given an opportunity to show what we were about, instead of get thrown to the lions that are university students wanting to get into group with their friends quickly so they could bugger off down the pub!

Anyway. In group I now, we're all set. Great lets all chat, discuss what we each do and get to know each other, wonderful! Oh wait, Producer pisses off somewhere, along with editor and sound. Director and Production Manager are in the corner, Sound disappeared and left Jamie, myself and our script writer to chat.

Hardly the first day I thought it would be. But The Media Industry is a competitive Industry so in a way it's good that I was denied a top job straight away. I'm here to prove my worth. I will succeed. I will show what I can do and next time I will get the top job. I am going to do this.