DEROSNEC's 2017 Reflections

Firstly, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wanted to take a minute to reflect on the past year as well as say thanks to all of you amazing Steemians - it's been a wild, educational, fruitful, and unique year for me and you all have been a big part of it.

I started off 2017 feeling a bit deflated - I had been working for almost 4 years as a production coordinator, but I was constantly chasing a carrot dangling on a stick. The carrot? An editor position which I was told when I was hired that I could switch over to when it became available. I'd been editing for over 10 years previously to taking the coordinator position, as well as in my off time, but the promise of working on bigger projects and having some great credits, to me, warranted taking a position that I didn't necessarily want to pursue as a means to a more favourable ending.

Well, on January 8th it happened, and quite suddenly. The position became available, and I was just ramping up a new show so there wasn't a lot to hand over to another coordinator. The timing was happenstance perfection, and I was put onto a small international tv show.

As confident as I was in my editing abilities, this was my first time really working in a big studio. Up until then, it was all small indies and a lot of unpaid projects and unprofessional people. So, I was nervous!

I was getting good feedback overall, but I still wasn't really sure how good a job I was doing. Did I actually have what it takes to work as an editor in Hollywood?

After that show wrapped the company found some marketing stuff for me to edit, which was an anomaly because generally they let contract hires go when they run out of shows, but I'd been working with that company for two years and they liked me, so they did what they could to keep me around. But as a contract hire in this town, it's always precarious.

Finally they decided that they'd put me on a big movie but only for two weeks as the team was getting settled in as a cross-site production in LA and Atlanta, and it was looking like that would be it for working with that company. I was pretty dejected... due to the contract's terms I couldn't talk about anything I was working on until release (which is all sometime in 2018) and this town is all about who you know and what your last project was. It was looking like, despite my finally getting to the place I wanted to be, there just wasn't enough work and I potentially wasn't good enough to justify finding more busywork for.

For two weeks I did my job to the best of my abilities, and just tried to have fun so I could end it on a good note. Then, the Thursday before I was about to end, they extended me for another two weeks - apparently on the client's request! Apparently, the client was enamoured with my sound design in particular, and so they found some money to keep me on after all.

That gave me a little bit of a confidence boost, which was much needed. Little did I know that two weeks later they'd want to extend me again, except this time they wanted to bring me with the core team to Atlanta to work on site - but just for three weeks.

It was great. I got to spend some alone time with myself and reflect on my life and career goals, as well as have a social life - something that I haven't really been able to have, especially since having the kid. I also got to work on the lot, and got to watch all the huge and amazing sets get built. I got to work closely with my team as well as the key creative team on the movie (director, AD, stunts, VFX, editorial, etc...). There were even a few celebrity sightings...

Then to my surprise, I got extended again... and again... and again! The client, director, and supervisor all loved what I was doing - I even got a nice letter from the actual editorial team commending me for my sound choices in a particularly crazy sequence. Getting that letter was the point where I finally accepted that I do have what it takes to work in Hollywood! That was also the point at which I decided to push myself to create even more than ever. How far can I take this?

I decided to start my vlog, and spent months preparing for it. I organized my project list, and wrote a record number of songs. I decided to do a short film challenge, and though I didn't win I really feel like I killed it and am really proud of it!

Anyway, 5 1/2 months later I went home with the whole team. I had been extended through the entire duration of the project for which they'd need a previs editor despite the fact that the client didn't even want to pay for one at all in the first place. I learned so much about the craft of film and storytelling, and I found confidence in my abilities to do it. Really, I found myself this year.

...I also found Steemit, and wow am I glad I found you guys. Never have I had such a great and supportive community of people to share my experiences with. The friends I've made on the PAL, Steemit Music Alliance, and Steem Engine discords are some of the most involved community pushers I've ever met. While my schedule was so weird and uncertain this year and I wasn't able to participate as much as I wanted to in 2017, I can't wait to explore, collaborate, and work with them even more in the new year.

So if you made it through my epic self-centered reflective ramble, then THANK YOU! And keep Steeming! There is so much more greatness to come on this blockchain. :D