This blog post explores how hands-on video production experience gained in high school provides tangible advantages for admission to Media and Film Studies programs. We’ll also examine how to demonstrate creativity and practical skills.
Academic Experience and Reflections
“English Study I Disliked: How Thinking About My Dream Changed Everything”
From a young age, my English grades were poor. Because my grades were poor, I developed an even stronger dislike for the subject, leading to a vicious cycle where I avoided studying altogether. However, I eventually realized I couldn’t keep avoiding English forever. I tried forcing myself to study, but the cycle repeated until I found my dream. My perception of English changed because I gained a sense of purpose: I needed to achieve my dream. Dreaming of becoming a PD made me realize English grades mattered. As Korean media content spread globally, it became clear that exceptional English skills were essential for a PD. That’s why I decided I needed to study English from now on to build up excellent skills. Once my mindset shifted like that, English, which I had only disliked, started to look different. Especially since I loved watching videos, I thought studying English could also be more fun and interesting if I used videos. So, I started looking for American documentaries and YouTube videos to build up my listening skills. I also realized that mastering grammar and vocabulary was crucial for improving my English grades. Though late in the game, I struggled hard to memorize English words. Rather than just rote memorization, I believed I’d retain words better by actively using them. So, I created sentences using the words I learned, much like writing a documentary script or video transcript. By actively using the words in sentences like this, I remembered them much better. Furthermore, my speed in understanding sentences within English problems began to increase. By finding a study method suited to my level and utilizing my existing abilities, I was able to raise my grades quickly. It also allowed me to study English more consistently with genuine interest. Moreover, I believe that studying with the mindset of ‘studying to challenge myself’ while keeping my dreams in mind allowed me to approach English learning with greater responsibility.
Writing about major school activities and reflections
“Creating a High School Promotional Video”
I joined and have been active in the video production club. I especially enjoyed filming videos myself and the time spent reviewing them with friends. Seeing friends who liked my videos also brought me joy. Then, the school approached me with a proposal: creating a promotional video for the high school festival. My club advisor, after reviewing my past work, recommended me to the principal. Though initially daunted, I decided to take on the festival promo video, encouraged by my teacher’s support and my friends’ cheers. First, I considered the purpose of creating the school festival promotional video. Discussing it with my teacher, we concluded that the video should clearly highlight several goals: encouraging participation from our school’s students, promoting our festival to students from other schools to ensure a grand celebration, and presenting our school in a more positive light to the local community. Therefore, we decided to create a video that maximizes the visibility of our school logo, captures students enjoying last year’s festival, and includes footage of friends currently preparing for this year’s festival to heighten anticipation. After writing the script and preparing for filming accordingly, we began capturing the footage with cameras, aided by friends. We then edited the recorded footage and added subtitles to make it more visually striking. It was incredibly moving to think my video would be used to promote our school and encourage many friends to attend the festival. I poured my heart into it, striving to infuse every moment with my affection for the school. My video was posted on the school’s Facebook page and gained traction across various communities under the title “Fun Video + Eye-Catching Video.” This not only promoted our school festival but also helped spread the school’s reputation further afield.
As the school festival promotional video successfully reached many people, I received great praise from the principal, and support for our school clubs also increased significantly. Along with these results, I deeply felt the power of video and the power of content. I could see firsthand that a single well-made video had an impact as great as many events the school had previously held to promote itself. And the fact that I created that video was also deeply moving. While creating the school promotion festival video, I realized that video isn’t just about being beautiful or entertaining; when it has a purpose, it must accurately convey that specific purpose. Whereas before I made videos primarily to satisfy my own desires, I decided that future projects should be more trend-conscious and structurally refined, carefully considering their intended purpose. Hoping to continue this consistent video creation into my university years, I applied to the Media and Film Department.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
“A Short Film Created by Everyone, Not Just the Director”
In my second year of high school, I filmed a short film for a video production club presentation. We had to unfold the story within a short timeframe, so everyone involved—myself as the director, the friends acting, the friends producing, and the friends editing—put a lot of thought into it from the scriptwriting stage through production. I selected a script suitable for a short film and shared it with my friends. We gathered their opinions, made necessary revisions, and finalized the script. Then, we secured locations according to the script and collaboratively researched and rehearsed the acting, gradually building the short film. While it’s common to think a film is made by the director, the director merely acts as a leader to keep the story moving forward. Creating the film is driven by the collective effort of everyone involved. If even one person lacks passion, the film cannot be made well. My friends and I felt this deeply while making the film. We realized that a good film isn’t made just because one person excels. Through experience, we learned that the film’s quality improves when everyone collaborates and contributes their balanced abilities. And this applies not just to filmmaking, but to everything in life. Nothing in society shines through the strength of one person alone. It is only through cooperation and the sincere desire to work together that the role of a social member truly shines. While producing a short film, I emphasized that it was not ‘a film I made’ but ‘a result created by everyone’ when we collaborated with friends to produce a satisfying film and presented it to the audience. Had any one team member—director, writer, actor, production crew, location scout—failed to perform to their full potential, we wouldn’t have garnered such acclaim. And I believe that acclaim should be shared not just with the director, but with everyone who contributed their efforts. I will always remember, cherish, and practice this value throughout my university life and my professional career.
