Eugene Castle - Washington DC

Eugene Castle

Film Connection Student - Washington DC

Can I be so bold to say that I want to be the next Steven Spielberg? I want to be able to make those hard-hitting award-winning films that capture the hearts of viewers all over the world. Or maybe the George Lucas, turning into reality the wonders of our imagination, merging creativity and the best of technology into one amazing film.

But I have to admit, even my best intention, and even if I was the most creative person in the world, there's still so many things I have to know about the field of filmmaking other than what I could get from books and what I could learn from watching hundred of movies on DVDs and cinemas. I need that film connection to guide me correctly to be able to excel in this.

This is where my mentor comes in. He's actually been out doing his thing in films for over a decade now, and he gets to teach me the tricks of the trade that he's learned not through books, not through a classroom, but from actual experience. Our one-on-one sessions are so enlightening because I understand it so much more clearly when I have his full attention, and of course, he has mine.

Okay, so I may not exactly be the next Spielberg or Lucas, but I'll be close, that I can tell.

Lisa Burdock - Tucson, Arizona

Lisa Burdock

Tucson, Arizona - Film Connection Student

Isn't is amazing how films have so many different genres? Think about it. There's definitely a film or two for everybody. I know it sounds like a cliche, but one of the best ways to relax and unwind after a stressful day at work or at school is to just stick some popcorn in a microwave and settle down with a film. Maybe it's something you've been dying to see since your best friend recommened it to you or maybe it's that favorite movie from your childhood that you've watched at least a million times.

I guess that's why I like to study film making. I want to be behind those films that touch millions of lives either through the big screen or just the TV in the living room. To be behind one of mankind's greatest comfort, whether it's just to relax after working so hard or to broaden their horizons without leaving their seats.

The thing with films is that they're a pretty creative field. You can't just learn how to be good at this by copying notes written on a blackboard along with fifty or so classmates. You need someone to show you how it's done not just because that's how it's written in some books. Not that books aren't helpful; they are. But with something like film making, it's better to have a one-on-one session with an expert who's really had experience. Some people learn better this way; I know I do. I work better with a mentor/tutor that's focused only on me and will not be distracted by another student.

Now that is what I call learning.

Samantha Griffin – New Jersey

Samantha Griffin
Film Connection Student - New Jersey

I love films! I'm completely over-the-top, nuts over the whole thing. True, there are so many different genres of films, from so many different countries, that you cannot even begin to start watching them. One of my biggest dreams is to have been able learn about film studies.

Setting up sets, creating the screenplay and scripts, making the costumes, practicing the stunts and choreography as well as mastering the best visual effects there is, these are things that I want to learn! There has been a lot of interest recently for film studies all over the world. With all of the news and recent breaking stories on the television, one or two or a few of them are bound to be made into a biography or documentary or even b-rated film.

Films are a good way to relax. It allows our imagination to run and be free. There are many, many stories that allow us to do that. A lot of people don't even know it but they are lucky to have it!

A lot of us don't have it. But for those who do, they are lucky to have the right film connection in and with them. I envy them. They get to study the thing where many people only dream of studying! The field of study of a lifetime!