The biggest exposure I have had to the film or photography world is exposure through film. Growing up, I watched a lot of movies and for the longest time wanted to go into film making as a career. My dad’s godfather is also a horse racing photographer, so I had exposure to that realm of careers through him as well. I obviously am in the very early stages of my own career and have a lot to learn not only about my future within it but also other people’s as well.
My strongest first impressions regarding the film industry revolve around creativity. If you want your idea to be heard, it has to be something people haven’t heard or considered prior. It has to be something interesting so that it can capture people’s attentions. This philosophy is something I think I can incorporate into my own career as a designer. Even though in design there are industry standards on how things should be done for accessibility, I think this principle is an important one to keep in mind. I can go forward in my career keeping in mind industry standards while also putting an emphasis on the creative side as well. The ability to think outside the box is a motif in film and the film industry that I think would greatly impact the design world as well. I want to be able to make things that someone can look at and say, “that’s really interesting,” instead of not having a response at all.
In regards to the photography industry, the strongest first impression I’ve gotten surrounds perception. Not only on how a piece would be perceived by the audience, but also how photographers themselves are perceiving their subjects. Changing the angle of the camera relative to the subject, the light source relative to the subject or to the camera, or a million other variables changes the entire look and feel of the finished product. While these aspects are specific to photography, the principles hold up when applied to design. These thought processes I can transfer to when I am making something design related. Instead of being content in one single way of designing something, I can ask myself, “how would it look different if I changed things here? What is the feeling of my work now versus if I shifted things around? What kind of response do I want to get out of my audience?” Looking at my work with a critical eye, an eye that is aware that people are going to perceive my work in several different ways, is going to allow me to produce work I am more proud of and that is more thoughtful.
Despite the film and photography industries being fairly different from that of the design industry, I think there are important impressions to be taken from both of them. The ability to learn from other professions and apply them to one’s own can help one become more proficient in their own field.
