ICYMI: “Five Fast Facts” from NowThis producer Amanda Choy CommClub Event
On March 25th, Amanda Choy, MCC Alumni from the Class of 2018, came back to NYU to speak to students about navigating the social and professional world post-graduation. Currently working as a Producer at NowThis, a media company focused on visual storytelling for social platforms, Amanda spoke about the journey (both the positive and the challenging) she went through in order to get to where she is now.
In case you missed it, here are five fast takeaways from the CommClub event:
Keep Growing Your Portfolio
Although the temptation to go straight home from class or an internship is strong, Amanda talks about how instrumental growing her personal portfolio outside of school and work has been. She mentioned taking weekend ventures to different areas of the city and creating videos that she would later use in interviews and show prospective employers what she was capable of.
“Hustle First, Play Later”
Especially if you are interested in entering the production or creative field of media (photography, filmmaking, etc), creating a collection through an online blog or portfolio is essential for highlighting your skills.
2. Take Advantage of The Opportunities at NYU
Since the world of media is ever-evolving and expanding, it’s important for individuals who want to enter the industry to stay on top of new technology and trends. As students within a university with so many resources, Amanda spoke about utilizing everything NYU has to offer, whether it be the MediaLab, professor and faculty insight, or the camera equipment available for students to rent out.
3. Don’t Burn Bridges
The word “networking” is branded into most of our minds from the very beginning of our academic and professional journeys. Amanda emphasized its importance and talked about how connections she had made in the past often helped her take the next step in her career progression. Even if you aren’t enjoying your time at a certain job or internship, Amanda said it is important to still give it your all and end things on good terms because you never know who you will run into again.
4. Don’t Take Yourself or Your Work Too Seriously!
While the hard-hitting stories about social change and political topics are important to many people in the creative industry, it’s important to remember that the audiences of today also want to consume more light-hearted media on a more often basis. Amanda talked to students at the event about how she entered the industry feeling immense pressure to uncover revolutionary ideas and make waves, but realized she had to pay her dues before this would become a possibility.
Her advice? Your time will come to talk about what is important to you. Until then, enjoy the process and learn as much as you can.
“You gotta do the ‘baby shark’ videos to get to the bigger, more important stories.”
5. Maintain a Balance Between Personal and Professional Life
After graduation, Amanda decided to travel around a bit before she settled into a job for the long haul. She encouraged other students to consider taking some time before jumping straight from academia into the working world, if possible. Mental health is important, and taking some personal time to de-stress and focus on your happiness is key for long-term, sustainable success.
