When it came to choosing a major, it was hard for me. I knew I wanted it to be technology related but I did not know what. I thought I would be going into computer science, but deep down I knew it really was not for me. Once I found out what it (computer science) was all about, I knew for sure that was not what I wanted to do. I then looked into communications. There are different aspects to the communication major. The major can range from public relations, to marketing, to journalism. I decided to choose the major, digital cinema and filmmaking, and I am so glad that I did. With this major, you get a chance to learn everything that has to do with the filmmaking process such as editing, lighting, camera work, story development, casting, directing, and more. My specific interest in this major is the video editing field. I would like to focus on the complex, but shorter films such as television episodes, promotional videos, music videos, and more.
Personally, I love that our MCVA classes can be hands-on. I feel like I learn more this way because I get to physically experience it all. Starting from Media Production, which is basically the introduction course to the major, you get to learn just about everything you need to know about making your own production. We started with working with cameras, learning the buttons, and knowing how to properly position them. Then, the next step was lighting and white balancing. These are two very important parts of making your video look amazing. We then took another step to learn audio and then we were in pretty good shape to start filming on our own. We were put into groups and assigned a project to film and it was a bit challenging at times, but was actually a lot of fun.
Our MCVA department events are super informative and important to attend. One of the events that I specifically enjoy attending is the MCVA Welcome Back. This gives everyone a chance to get back into the groove of the semester and hear from the people in this department. You get an opportunity to get familiar with them and hear about the clubs they have to offer. This is a great way to get involved and get more out of your experience at Pace. Another great event is the MCVA Jamboree. This gives you an opportunity to hear all about the courses available and helps you choose what you want to take. A club that stands out to me the most is The Pace Chronicle, where students write up news and keep you updated on all the events. They are a big part of getting important information out to the Pace community. Another one is Entrance One, which is a student-run public relations organization, open to all majors. I recently joined this club and I’m excited to be doing great things for Pace and the MCVA department! As part of this organization, I get to help students promote the cool projects they’re working on and plan events. Entrance One promotes all of the MCVA events and writes the department monthly newsletter, The Pitch, as well as this blog. All of these things are great resume builders, so come join us in the spring!
About the writer
Marissa Serena is a junior Digital Cinema and Filmmaking major at Pace University. She lives in Westchester, New York. Her hobbies include anything music related. She is a DJ and does all kinds of events ranging from anything weddings and sweet 16’s to birthdays.