**Steps up to the mic.**
My name is Valena, and I used to be a Coward.
It took a while for me to break out of my shell. To go after things that I wanted, by especially by myself. That's probably why I didn't apply to a university when I graduated high school. I feared that I wouldn't get into a school. I wasn't a bad student. I had decent grades,extra curricular activities. Some college would have loved to have me, and my awesome face! Despite all these things I never applied. I didn't really believe in myself. It was a case of the "fear".
I don't know when it happened but it finally got in my head in order to be the type of person I wanted to be I couldn't be afraid to do things differently, or even on my own.
Last year, from signing up to local film listservs I found out that there was a DC Film and Video job fair. I was very excited because how often do you come across a job for the film industry especially a whole job fair. It's actually really cool, it's created by the WIFV (Women in Film in Video) and they host every year, normally around springtime. A lot of different companies come out, and hire for all different types of positions in the film industry. If that is something you are interested in, I would highly advise on keeping an eye out for it next year.
My problem was despite of being highly motivated to be in the film industry. My resume was very bare. I barely had anything related to film, other then a couple of p.a jobs. I was still thrilled.
Of course all things go, a couple of days before the job fair. I got sick, and I lost my voice.
How was I suppose to introduce myself, show my booming personality to cover up my poor resume if I could talk?
I decided to go anyway, It was a rainy day and I remember wearing really, really ugly shoes. Not that it matters but they were HIDEOUS. None of my other dress shoes fit. It did not help my self confidence. I get to the job fair and I walk in and it is packed. I get the paper and look around to see what companies I want to apply to. I am see about a couple of companies that were looking for entry level p.a. I am standing in line and the people in front of me chatting about the films they have produced, the colleges degrees they have and I look down at my bleak resume. Most of the companies I went to stared at my resume and told me that my resume was really small. I was try to explain to them that I was looking to build my resume, blah blah blah, but they couldn't hear me!
My voice was gone. It was not looking good for me.
I decided half way through that this wasn't going to work out for me. I was waaay out of my league and no one would listen to me anyway. I walked out, was about to put my jacket on and then I stopped.
Was I really going to give up that quickly? I had came so far, got out of bed, put on those damn ugly shoes.
"You resume is very thin". UGH WHY DID I COME BACK IN? Then she said something that I didn't expect.
"But I know that is why you are here" It caught me off guard. Finally someone understands me!
The producer then went on to explained the company and what they were looking for. I got her card and she told me to call them to see if they needed an intern. I never got to call them, because they called me first. :)
That begins the story of my first production internship. Had I had not gone back in and faces my fears, and my doubts, I wouldn't have gotten to see how an actual production company works.
My problem used to be that I was afraid to try new things for fear of being seen as stupid or inexperienced. I was a coward. I am not saying that now I am 100% fearless by any means, but I know that I have to try, even if I am scared. That's why I named this blog "This Valiant Coward, because it's okay to be afraid, as long as you are brave enough to continue to move forward.I have found that I have gotten much further than I had originally planned by just sucking it up and doing it.
It took a while for me to break out of my shell. To go after things that I wanted, by especially by myself. That's probably why I didn't apply to a university when I graduated high school. I feared that I wouldn't get into a school. I wasn't a bad student. I had decent grades,extra curricular activities. Some college would have loved to have me, and my awesome face! Despite all these things I never applied. I didn't really believe in myself. It was a case of the "fear".
I don't know when it happened but it finally got in my head in order to be the type of person I wanted to be I couldn't be afraid to do things differently, or even on my own.
Last year, from signing up to local film listservs I found out that there was a DC Film and Video job fair. I was very excited because how often do you come across a job for the film industry especially a whole job fair. It's actually really cool, it's created by the WIFV (Women in Film in Video) and they host every year, normally around springtime. A lot of different companies come out, and hire for all different types of positions in the film industry. If that is something you are interested in, I would highly advise on keeping an eye out for it next year.
My problem was despite of being highly motivated to be in the film industry. My resume was very bare. I barely had anything related to film, other then a couple of p.a jobs. I was still thrilled.
Of course all things go, a couple of days before the job fair. I got sick, and I lost my voice.
How was I suppose to introduce myself, show my booming personality to cover up my poor resume if I could talk?
I decided to go anyway, It was a rainy day and I remember wearing really, really ugly shoes. Not that it matters but they were HIDEOUS. None of my other dress shoes fit. It did not help my self confidence. I get to the job fair and I walk in and it is packed. I get the paper and look around to see what companies I want to apply to. I am see about a couple of companies that were looking for entry level p.a. I am standing in line and the people in front of me chatting about the films they have produced, the colleges degrees they have and I look down at my bleak resume. Most of the companies I went to stared at my resume and told me that my resume was really small. I was try to explain to them that I was looking to build my resume, blah blah blah, but they couldn't hear me!
My voice was gone. It was not looking good for me.
I decided half way through that this wasn't going to work out for me. I was waaay out of my league and no one would listen to me anyway. I walked out, was about to put my jacket on and then I stopped.
Was I really going to give up that quickly? I had came so far, got out of bed, put on those damn ugly shoes.
I turned around and went back in.
It was then, when I across this small production company that were looking for interns. I walked over to them and give the producer my resume. She stares at it and tells me what I already know."You resume is very thin". UGH WHY DID I COME BACK IN? Then she said something that I didn't expect.
"But I know that is why you are here" It caught me off guard. Finally someone understands me!
The producer then went on to explained the company and what they were looking for. I got her card and she told me to call them to see if they needed an intern. I never got to call them, because they called me first. :)
That begins the story of my first production internship. Had I had not gone back in and faces my fears, and my doubts, I wouldn't have gotten to see how an actual production company works.
My problem used to be that I was afraid to try new things for fear of being seen as stupid or inexperienced. I was a coward. I am not saying that now I am 100% fearless by any means, but I know that I have to try, even if I am scared. That's why I named this blog "This Valiant Coward, because it's okay to be afraid, as long as you are brave enough to continue to move forward.I have found that I have gotten much further than I had originally planned by just sucking it up and doing it.
More often than not I believe it pays off. If you don't win, then at least you learned something right?
Take a look at this video and think about how you are going to get to where you want to go.
Take a look at this video and think about how you are going to get to where you want to go.
