My Name: Connie Chen
My Major: Computational Media
My Hometown: Duluth, Georgia
Atlanta has an interesting and diverse culture.
This city is the perfect environment for anyone who is pursuing the arts. It is also where I have lived for the majority of my life and I enjoy the familiarity.
I entered university with the intention of doing film work after I graduate.
The Computational Media degree offered by the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts coincided with my interests. I like the flexibility and versatility of computational media in that students can pursue many different routes from the knowledge they obtain. For me, I had a strong interest in filmmaking even before I entered Tech. Thus I wanted to find a major that incorporated film classes as part of the curriculum. The major itself also equips students with technical skills needed in the job market as well as knowledge of the latest digital media technology so that life after graduation would yield many choices.
The film classes I’ve taken helped me plan my own film projects.
I’ve learned to analyze the visual arts deeper than before and they instilled in me a thirst for more knowledge in order to develop my own artistic skills. Other than film, I also enjoyed some of my core science and math classes as they have been useful in my more advanced computing classes.
Getting a degree isn’t just about coursework—you have to put in hours beyond the classroom, too.
I am currently the vice president of BuzzStudios, Georgia Tech’s Student filmmaking club. This club has been essential in my learning process towards film and I have a strong appreciation and respect for its members. The club provides knowledge and resources outside of the classroom that would definitely help the aspiring filmmaker! http://www.cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/buzzstudios/
In my free time, I like to sketch random still life or draw various characters. I also enjoy playing the piano, cooking interesting foods from around the world, and reading short stories.
Internships are also a great tool for expanding your education.
I have interned at a web development company over the summer. It was the first internship I’ve ever had so it was interesting to experience the work life outside of school. My responsibilities included filming exercise videos for chiropractors and editing web layouts.
Ultimately, I know my hard work will culminate in a successful career.
My dream career is to be a creative art director for various independent short films, commercials, and music videos. As of now I am looking at film schools for graduate studies. At Tech, I have entered Campus Movie Fest every year since I have been here and they were all interesting experiences. Our last entry, a comedic music video/rap battle, was highlighted as one of the top 16 films.
Aside from film, I also have a passion for drawing, so perhaps a comic book artist on the side as well in the future!
My Advice to High School Students
Learn as much as you can and try to identify an interest. What makes the college experience worthwhile is to find your passion and work hard towards it.
