Working Hard at The Art Institute of Las Vegas

Places To Network With People Who Can Advance My Career

NAB: April 11th-16th

Attendees representing every sector of the industry will be there. Broadcast, Digital Media, Film, Entertainment, Telecom, Post-Production, Education, Houses of Worship, Advertising, Military/Government, Retail, Security, Sports, IT and more converge in Las Vegas for six days to feed the need of next-generation content.

CES: January 6th-9th

The International CES (Consumer Electronics Show®) is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It's where business gets done: on the show floor, in and around our conference program, in impromptu connections and in planned meetings and special events. 

South By Southwest: March 13th-21st

SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive events together attract over 51,000 registrants to Austin every March. SXSW's original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to develop their careers, to bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today whether it is music, film or interactive technologies. 

Las Vegas Film Festival: August 11th-16th

The Las Vegas Film Festival is a celebration of cultural discovery, community and storytelling. Connecting industry professionals with independent filmmakers from around the world, LVFF enlightens and entertains thousands of attendees while offering a creative outlet to passionate, independent storytellers. 

Vegas Indie Film Fest:

You can go to premiere film screenings and after parties! Filmmakers and fans enjoy networking events including workshops, meet and greets much more.

Career Goals

I have always had career goals and the most recent career goals I have achieved is being able to quit my day-time job and only DJ for a living. I feel this is an incredible achievement for anyone who is a DJ because that means that you are getting consistent work in a town that is saturated with a lot of people who think they are DJs. Also, it feels good to get paid and be financially stable for something that you love to do anyways, so in reality I am already living the dream. Another career goal that I have accomplished is going back to college and trying to get my bachelor's degree after taking about seven years off. I know it was going to be a challenge, and so far I have enjoyed the journey and am glad I came back to pursue a degree. My current career goal is to finish up school at the end of this year with a bachelor's degree, and depending on different opportunities I will probably move out of Las Vegas. I ultimately want to be a creative editor for music videos, and I am already connected to a lot individuals in the music industry because of my DJ history. I know I really have to put myself out there, and I feel that with this class it has given me the knowledge and tools to be successful. Connecting with creative editors in the music industry is really where I want to focus on, and learn on how they became successful in the industry. I have been video editing for about eight years now, and the cool thing is you can edit videos from anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer and Internet. So if the opportunity arises, I want to move out of the country. These are some of the key factors that I will use to evaluate my next career opportunity.

Seduction of the Online Web Surfer

Twitter Feed: It does not make the site static, new content is important when you first enter the site.

Demo Reel: A ten to fifteen second exciting video demo of your professional work that can keep people interested in what else you have to offer.

Easy/Organized Layout: It will makes things easier for the visitor to navigate through your site. If he or she wants to quickly get your resume, she can just look at your menu and immediately click on the link.

Design: Being in a creative field, the designs and colors should be moderate and impress the visitor. Less is more.

Balance: Have the feeling that there is not too much negative space on one side of the page and too content-heavy on the other. Having symmetrical balance will be visually easier for the visitor.

How Art Has Changed Me

Art has always been a big part of my life from an early age starting with music and drawing. I have played the guitar for 20 years, and have been a DJ for 15 years, so creating is something I enjoy and will continue doing so for many years to come. When I see people that want to retire as soon as possible, I imagine it is most likely because they hate what they do and I would never want to be on that path. If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, and the best part is you are making money doing it! When I decided to become a film-maker, from what I learned in taking classes at The Art Institute made me open my eyes to the importance of film that I was never aware of. It is almost like intelligently dissecting something and understanding why the director did this in a certain way. Also, the thing with film is that it is a medium that can really move people emotionally, so I see it as an outlet to freely express myself through motion pictures. I know it will be a long journey to where I want to be, but I am looking forward to it because I am open to meeting new people and having new experiences in my life. I believe that people who are more ‘artsy’ and creative are more fun, open-minded, and easy-going then people who are not. I see myself really as an artist because I do many different activities that are involved with art such as film-making, music, and design. Creating is my life!

The Deeper Meaning of 'The Devil Wears Prada'

The deeper meaning from the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" heavily emphasizes on the idea of preparation. For example, when Andy went in for the job interview to be an assistant for Miranda Priestly, she did not research the company about what they are and what they do, so she was hounded pretty hard by it from Miranda Priestly. Secondly, Andy was not dressed for success because if she would have done her research then she would be aware the importance of fashion in their company. There is a culture for every company and if you are an individual that is not interested in what they do, most likely you will not be liked and not have that job for an extended period. "A million girls would kill for" was the type of job Andy had landed, and she seemed to not care about it. For instance, when Miranda was doing the walk-thru rehearsal with the models, Andy giggled about how she felt the two belts were almost identical. However, she did not realize the importance of these details from every color and every design are to people who put their hearts into fashion. She did not give the respect because basically she was not into fashion and ignorant about it. So what is important to understand is that when you get a job or have a career, make sure it is meaningful to you and that there is purpose in what you do.

The Deeper Meaning of 'Swingers'

The deeper meaning of the movie 'Swingers' is the theme of networking and connecting with different individuals. On the surface, the main characters were just trying to pick up women in bar and at different house parties, and you could tell which characters felt more comfortable at it because they were the ones always picking up on different women. Mike, who just got out of a long-term relationship has been down on his luck in meeting women, and throughout the movie he has several bad encounters with different women. He gets better and better each time he meets a different women. Just like in the business world, sometimes we have to go out in the world and simply practice. Practice on how we approach, hold a conversation, and how we carry our body language is something that does not come natural to everyone, so it must be learned. Also, being in the film industry, you never know who you are going to meet, because the saying goes, "it's now what you know, but who you know."