Cinematic Arts - Personal Statement Example

Cinematic Arts Personal ment Betty KY Chan In submitting my personal ment I have addressed three areas that I see as key in the successfulaccomplishment of a PhD in critical studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts: 1) My scholarly and creative background , 2) Career objectives, 3) Specific objectives within the field of critical studies. 1) My scholarly and creative background Growing up in China and working in the USA for nearly a decade I have been exposed to a very wide range of views from both Chinese and American cultures. This gives me the fresh insight of the "outsider" with which to study the creative worlds of both nations. A critical analysis of my resume indicates an extremely disciplined, focused and organised mind, firstly as an operational specialist in the U.S. Navy and later as an administrative assistant to Senator John Kerry and California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the U.S. Navy I was responsible for the computer assisted authorizations and instructions upon which the lives of Navy pilots depended. This was a high degree of responsibility and required great attention to detail and precision of communication. It also required me to quickly comprehend complex situations under stress and to explain clearly and quickly the logic of my decisions to aircraft personnel. In addition in instances where weather conditions could suddenly alter flight plans I had to demonstrate flexibility of thinking. My interest in media was nurtured within the political sphere both before and after working for the U.S. Navy. In the department of Labor I was most interested to conduct research on media outlets and to understand how the flow of information works between a government office and the broadcast media. I gained an insight into what is categorized as confidential information and what information is freely available, giving me a feel for information that might be "missing" when I read political articles in the newspapers. Working closely to briefs from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, I created publicity materials within a marketing plan, giving me greater confidence and understanding in the critical assessment of written documents and the message they convey. I provided the background information for press conferences from newspaper cuttings and in so doing had to understand the views of many different journalists and to have sensitivity for how subjects might be reported. 2) Career Objectives All of the experience I have had within political offices has given me a great interest in understanding fields related to politics and business and how they interact with the media. I can see myself working in fields related to broadcast and film coverage, so one possibility, for example, would be public relations within military organizations e.g. the public affairs office of the U.S. Navy. One of my greatest ambitions is to be able to produce broadcast political shows on national T.V. that give people insight into the political issues of our time. In this I feel a PhD in Critical Studies at the School of Cinematic Arts will assist me greatly. My favorite media reading is the Washington Post and Hollywood Reporter, and I enjoy watching both Western and Chinese films from political blockbusters and thrillers (e.g. Oliver Stone's JFK) to martial art movies (e.g. John Woo) and those based on Chinese literature such as Red Cliff (dir: John Woo) and Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon (dir: Ang Lee). I feel my background to date is very solid in demonstrating critical analysis skills during my time as a U.S. Navy Operational Specialist, political communication skills through my time liaising with the media in the offices of Gov. Schwarzenegger, and business analysis and organizational skills learnt through my current Masters in Business administration and management. Critical career decisions require a lot of thought and of course my outlook as to how to combine my skills will inevitably change as the PhD course opens up my horizons. However, I am sure that a PhD in Critical Studies at USC would give me a great and balanced perspective and help my development beyond measure. In short I want to put my background in military, politics and entertainment into one focus. 3) Specific objectives within the field of Critical Studies. My background is very diverse but I know that I want to be involved with media that relates to points of common interest, as well differences, between China and the USA. For example, I admire the Dalai Lama, because he is a leader involved in a religious struggle within China and Tibet and also influences politics in the US. With regard to the Dalai Lama there are a plethora of reports from both news and press releases (e.g. from the Dalia Lamma's own site: dalialama.com) that would point to dissertations with such titles as: "The sub-text behind the public views of the Dalai Lama on President Obama: does it reflect a genuine belief in the Obama regime " At the very least the subject of how both China and the USA view the Dalai Lama is a rich source for critical analysis and investigation as well as being genuinely useful in identifying the practicality of a "third way" that the Dalai Lamma advocates over the future of Tibet. Also, in the light of the present conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the way in which they are portrayed in the media, I feel my unique military and political background is a major asset in understanding the popular image of U.S. service personnel. Here again my insight into the different perspectives of world powers will be very useful. As an example of my interests in critical writing please also see the enclosed research project I undertook on the influential modern Chinese writer Eileen Chang, and her book "Love and The Fallen City". Read More