Graduated Film Academy

The end has come for a very big chapter in my life, perhaps the biggest: my Mandatory Education. For the past ten years Education has become my most important task. Not (just) because it was the only one, but also because I learned the value of it, which has been growing lately, as I see less and less people take that road.

I call it ‘mandatory’ because I absolutely required myself to get at least to Bachelor’s in order to allow myself to fully explore adulthood beyond education. Four years ago, when I graduated the Classical Lyceum, I thought I had met a dead end: I wasn’t able to figure out what to study on time and I also didn’t have many options, as I’m lacking in the Maths department and I don’t enjoy reading the fat books as much as I’m supposed to. And I hate to give credit to my Luck, but this time I might have to, as I missed all the application periods for local universities, except for a few, one of which was the Film Academy.

As a child I used to play with small figurines a lot, and when playing I used to tilt my head, defocus my eyes, arrange the objects accordingly, just like in a movie scene. I was fascinated by the fact that one could replicate what they see through their eyes with a camera. But in the school system, years of bullying and subjects I didn’t quite understand, I just had to throw away from my mind anything I had kept from my childhood, and all of that ‘trash’ came to haunt me upon my High School graduation and I applied to study Film Directing.

I wouldn’t say I was a star in High School, but I’m sure people from that period won’t forget about me for a variety of reasons. I was a hard student, but I was good at the material and that I now regret to say I took advantage of. Anyway, I went to study in the Film Academy, one that only a few people graduate from, all of which very well known. So being admitted to study there was quite the event, not just at home. But going through the impurity and confusion of the Late Teens, and entering my Twenties, I was busy realizing I’ve become everything I wanted to be as a kid: an adventurous, smart, charming and independent young boy, who succeeds at every task he takes on. I couldn’t sync to the fast paced environment of the Academy, and by the end of the first year, I was moved to study Sound Design. And that was another childhood dream of mine. I also came to the realization that Film Directing is so much more complex than I though and that it certainly is not for someone 20 years of age.

I’ve always wanted to be able to control sound, to be able to reproduce it and turn it into something so soothing. I figured, everything else I can learn, but sound I don’t understand, so I need to be taught. And I took on finishing the task. I completely dedicated myself to studying and learning; I didn’t go out to have fun as much, as my peers did for example. I just stayed home to read and exercise on tasks about Film Sound.

It all paid out: I graduated Film and TV Sound in the summer, together with three other students. It was hard, I didn’t understand all of it, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else, but I never even thought about giving up, which is what many of my peers did along the way. But I never could bring myself to giving up, because learning to work with sound became such a priority for me, as I want to continue practicing it and work on projects in that category.

Being admitted to study in the Film Academy showed me I have talent. Graduating it showed me that I underestimate it. Now I have a Bachelor’s Degree from a great place, perhaps the greatest in my area. I never thought I’d get here, I never imagined myself being here, but I’ve managed to surpass even my own expectations about myself, which is what makes me happy.

But who knows what’s on the road ahead of me. I definitely want to start working seriously now, but am yet to, as I have several projects currently running that make me comfortable for the time being. I also want to pursue a Master’s Degree, but I need to choose it very carefully. Right now I have time to focus some more on my own personal projects.