Explain how your perspective of the entertainment industry has changed. Describe the evolution in your thinking as you’ve made the transition from being a fan to being an industry professional.
I can’t’ believe I’m writing my last discussion! I still remember when I enrolled and Oh boy… I was terrified. I honestly didn’t know how I was going to make it. I was scared, my English was terrible and my self-esteem was fairly low in that particular moment. I came to the States feeling I was Martin Scorsese Jr. and to be honest I didn’t know even how to tie my shoelaces professionally speaking. Although I started working in the entertainment business when I was 17, I never read a book about the business; I just worked and worked. Although I gained a lot of experience in those years, 12 to be more precisely, that experience took me to the point where I needed more, I needed step up my game and learn from the best. I looked around for the best and unfortunately I didn’t found that in Argentina. Frustrated about it I had to make a decision; 1; stay where I was; working with my Advertising company, fairly well known in the industry, making good profits, working with the biggest clients and leaving an interesting good life or 2; take a leap of faith and come to the states, become nobody, pay expensive dues and move rocks under a freezing water to pay my school and have the opportunity to learn from the best in the industry.
Describe some things that you have learned during your program that have surprised you about the entertainment industry.
Jan, 2016: Entertainment Business Bachelor of Science degree; what the hell that means? Is that going to be what I need? Come on I’ve said! I’ve been in this industry for over 12 years, it’s no way I can learn more than working in the field. Let me tell you I was WRONG. Not even working for 30 years you will learn what I have learned in these past 3 years with this program. Of course you have to take it seriously in order to let that happen but I personally took it very seriously. No weekends out, many nights without sleep and my mind, body and spirit invested on it, 100% committed to make it worth.
Although I can spend lines and lines highlighting all the things I’ve learned I think a comparison will do the job better; “This program is like in medicine; the entertainment industry is the body and this program will teach you exactly all the parts and organs that make the body work.”
Discuss the skills you have learned and/or developed over the course of your program. Which ones can be most directly applied to your chosen profession?
What I’m taking the most is the skill of public speaking and of course the self-esteem I’ve gained back with this program. Overall I think everyone will learned many skills, this will depend on how serious you take the program and how much effort you are willing to put in! How to look at the business and the industry in a more profound way is one of the best skills I’m taking away without any doubt. The ability to innovate and think bigger in terms of business. The skill to look at the legal and financial side of the business is another interesting thing that I’m taking away.
Which course(s) has helped the most to prepare you for your upcoming or current career? Explain the most helpful takeaways.
I might forget some but overall my best courses so far were:
Introduction to Marketing.
Entertainment business Finance
Music Business
Professional Selling
Brand development
The Art of Oration
Strategic Planning
Business Law
Sports and Leisure Management
Creative Entrepreneurship
Contracts and Licensing
Contemporary Art
Business Accounting
Artist Management
And of course this last course!
Describe some projects you worked on that helped you to develop a better understanding or appreciation of the entertainment industry.
I had many projects I loved and of course some that I didn’t like at all. So far and without going back to each of the courses; the projects related with researching successful people or companies in the industry were the ones that helped me the most with the understanding and appreciation of the industry. The projects where I had to develop my brand or my idea, as well as selling it and thinking about all the different things that the process includes were the best project! In fact, at this point I was able to go through certain things or topics about the business with more trust than at the beginning of the program. It seems that you go through some same things over and over along the program and to be honest I think that’s one of the best things that this program has. It makes you become more used to think and work in a certain way and you end up getting used to that. It’s hard to explain but I hope some of my fellow classmates in here can help me out putting this idea out.
Was there a class that you believed you wouldn’t like, but ended up enjoying and learning a lot from?
Music Business, The Art of Oration, Business Law, Sports and Leisure Mgt and finally Business Accounting and Entertainment Business Finance!!! When I saw these courses I wasn’t to excited about them. Now, in my last discussion, as you can see above they became my favorite courses so far.
Have you developed a network of friends/professionals that you will remain in contact with? Describe some of the ways you think this network will benefit you?
Unfortunately NOT and to be honest I think this is one if not the only bug that this online program has. Although I’ve been 3 years in a row in this program I’m not taking one single friend or contract from it. I don’t think it’s a personal issue because I’ve been putting everything I had in the discussions and indeed I was open to meet my classmates but, somehow that didn’t happen. I’m not sure if people are shy or the idea from the beginning of the program was not properly inserted but I think that should be something the school and the Online department must work on.
What tips would you offer to new students just starting out in this degree program next week?
Stick with it! First year will sucks because it will be tough for you to get use to the phase. The second year you will start enjoying it and thinking: “Men, this might be even more interesting than what I‘ve though.” The last year you will LOVE IT and you will see how worth it is to stick to it even though you will think in quitting several times.
Last tip; when things get tough in front of the screen; walk away. Re-fresh your mind and come back with a timing-strategy. What does it mean? Work for time: 30 minutes in / 10 off. Set your timer and stick to that method. Trust me you will get way better results than when you don’t do it in that way. The clock will ring at minute 30” and you will be “creatively speaking” in the crest of the wave, step away from the screen and come back in 10”.
What kept you inspired and motivated when things got tough on occasion, as they do for everyone at certain times.
People become Doctors because their parents or grandparents were doctors; People become Lawyers, Engineers, Pharmacists, Electricians, Officers, Architects, Surgeons, salesman or whatever the profession might be because their parents, family or grandparents were that. You have broken the mold, you are probably the first generation that dared to take that leap of faith and follow your dreams. Stick to it and trust; You are doing something that nobody had the balls to do it before.
Thank you everyone for all the magic you guys have put on these past 3 years. It's been a pleasure!