Life Advice....

[Ryan Hansen]

(not to sure where to post this, feel free to move it to a more applicable forum)
Hi Everyone

I’m just after some life advice and tips... Any advice or comments are greatly appreciated and taken with no offense, thanks in advanced for taking the time to read this...giant post :-)

INTRODUCTION:
I’m Ryan, I’m 1 of 4 million-ish New Zealanders. I’m 21, and into anything with flashing lights. I love the tech industry, I’ve gotten involved with every department from cable monkey to technical director, stage manger for 25,000+ people events to volunteering and film festivals. Live Sound, Recording Studios, Live Video, Film, Design, Post Production, dare I say it lighting and everything in between - I’ve done it. I love it. I love being involved, I can’t be a punter in a event anymore without someone getting involved or rating the technical rigs then going home and looking up brands, models and techniques. Yes, Surprisingly enough I am single....

BACKGROUND:
I’ve worked in IT over the last 3 years at a private school. We did 99% of it in house. I gained 3 years of extreme hands on experience from installing cables, Server management and maintenance, basic programming - just about everything you can think of including managing the school through a crisis where we lost 15 servers due to a firmware failure on our virtual centre - good times! Also with that I was heavily involved with a lot of the design and technical areas of the school, which were always crazy short deadlines and at a full on professional standard.

I’ve been in the Tech arena since I was that high. I started mixing the two keyboard channels in my small church around 8 or 9 years ago, and grown since then. I’ve progressed and learnt over the years and despite my age I have had some pretty big rolls for large events. (IMHO - New Zealand is pretty small fry compared to most of you). in 2010 I moved to Auckland to study Film making at SAE to sorta fill in the gaps in my video / knowledge. But the course didn’t challenge me in any way, was expensive and a year of my life that I couldn’t get back. I dropped out when I had finished the 3 week assignment in the day it took to explain the tools in photoshop.

So right now, I freelance for a production company doing rigging, sound, lighting, video and heavy lifting, and a old friend who has been working in the TV & video industry for the last 20 - 25 years who has a small video and post production company doing TVC, live events and other bits and pieces. I love all that- and would probably be happy to do it for free (shhh :-)). I would / have been rated as a Junior / Intermediate editor, I own FCP Studio and am confident with the suite and video editing.

here is, well, as far as I’ve ever gotten with an online CV type thing... Ryan Hansen that should fill in the rest of the gaps.

THE ACTUAL QUESTION(S)
I have no Qualification to my name (other than High School / College depending on where your from). I have nothing to say “Ryan Hansen can do this”. One day, When I choose a font for my 3 / 5 / 10 year plan, I think I would like to be editing. As a perfectionist, I want to be at the top, I want to be “That Guy”. I don’t know how realistic it is, but I’d like to see my name on the credits of a prime time TV show. Dreams are free, and I’m not going to give it up easily,

What advice can you give me to get to there? I see a qualification as the way to get your first job, because all most people care about is previous experience and who you know. I know if I go that way I’ll have to bite the bullet at some point and just live with the fact I already know certain parts of a course. On the other hand, I can go the hard way. I learn well hands on, I like to know how and why of everything, how it works, why it’s done. I am quite happy sitting watching a master at work, learning just by watching then trying things later on.

The limiting thing is New Zealand. As mush as I love the place, we have 2 main TV stations producing under 10 nationwide channels, the rest is imported from the rest of the world. On top of that, seems every 3 weeks they are laying off people, all who have like 20 year broadcasting experience. Even with a qualification it can be a struggle to get places.

So, I don’t really know what the condenses down to, I think the main things are:
> Is study worth it?
> If I don’t have qualifications, what are my options for working overseas, IE USA or Canada
> Advice to get the edge, that extra oomph, that sparkle above the thousands of other people out there.


I know not to oversell myself, and then under-deliver, Although I have this irrational fear of what others think and what people say about me (so much that I’d never share that, why on a public forum I’ll never know) I firmly believe I am skilled and have what it takes to go the distance, I am certain that the events and jobs I have been involved with are on a professional standard. I guess I just hate stagnating, not sure what to do and where I’ll be in 5 years....


Thanks
Ryan Hansen

[Shaun Roemich]

Ryan, the best advice I can give you is that if you DO TRULY have the skills (and I have no reason to doubt you!), AND you have the sensibility to use them correctly and appropriately, a formal education will only help you get your foot in the door in about 10-15% of cases.

BUT, what I can tell you right now is that the case is pretty much exactly the same as what you are describing about NZ in North America - long time technical folks are out of work and little hiring is being done. Depending on your market here, you may be able to earn a living wage as a freelancer or business owner or you may be stymied by the MASS of recent media college students and self starters that have FLOODED the market in the past 10 years since media production became more accessible.

It's a LOUSY time to need to earn a living wage in production but it's a great chance for someone with few bills and responsibilities to jump in and get their feet wet.

If I were starting out again at my age (38 years old), I wouldn't choose video production as a career. But, I have different financial responsibilities than I assume you do (but still no kids, no mortgage).

The best career advice I can offer is "do it because you can't imagine NOT doing it"

And I respectfully suggest that in terms of training, taking workshops is ALWAYS of value and typically a more affordable alternative to media college AS LONG AS you are coming in with a solid baseline of knowledge.

I LOVED my college experience but I came in with photo and audio experience and a wealth of consumer "handicam" experience so I was ahead of the learning curve compared to my fellow students.

Your mileage may (and most certainly WILL) vary.

[Laurence Janus]

...in 2010 I moved to Auckland to study Film making at SAE to sorta fill in the gaps in my video / knowledge. But the course didn’t challenge me in any way, was expensive and a year of my life that I couldn’t get back. I dropped out when I had finished the 3 week assignment in the day it took to explain the tools in photoshop.

How far through the course did you get?
The best piece of life advice I can give is to finish things. It is probably the most valuable skill I have ever learnt but I learnt it too late.

[Laurence Janus]

Yeah, just read your CV, six days... hmmmm

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

if you want something, you have to step up and ask for it...

[Chris Hurd]

Moved from HH (our jobs board) to TCB.

[Doug Bailey]

Hi Ryan,
The Internet has created all the opportunities anyone could ever want in any market. Build a decent web site. Put some creative work there and do not wait for someone to find you in the Billion or so web sites (they may not). Email to parties that you think could use your creativity and let them see how good you are on your web site. Once you get this going well you can live anywhere as you will be financially free.

Good luck and good fortune Ryan, you can do it.

Regards,
Doug.