Film-maker Avery Xie advises students to take risks in college

Hey guys! My name is Avery Xie. I graduated from SMIC back in 2012 and I went on to study at USC (University of Southern California) Cinematic Arts until 2016. I went through the film production major and it was great for my growth as an artist and an individual. I realized through my program that I enjoyed working on online content such as videos you would see on Youtube or Netflix.

With that in mind, I looked toward working at a digital media company, as opposed to a large studio, and ended up at where I work now. I currently work as a videographer and editor for a Youtube channel in Los Angeles. I am essentially a jack of all trades individual who handles all stages of production, as opposed to specializing in one role on a large production. It is definitely way more work than if I was at a larger company, but I have grown a lot more in this path of wearing multiple hats and have been able to contribute creatively. Outside of my job, I work on a variety of short-form content such as music videos whenever the opportunity arises. I basically try to keep myself busy with creative challenges whenever I can.

I think my biggest piece of advice to students now is that when you go to college, go with the mindset to really try to take risks. A big part of college is to discover who you are as a person. College is a unique place where it’s almost like a beta version of adult life where you can try anything you want. If you don’t like it or fail at it, you can leave it with almost no repercussions. In college, I ended up joining a dance team and performing in pop music classes, which are things I thought I’d never do in my life. Thankfully, I ended up liking those activities, but if I didn’t, I could have totally left it and my life would go on unaffected.

My point is that as students we stress a lot about trying to get the best grades, the next internship, and forwarding our careers that we often forget to learn about ourselves. I truly believe that you regret the things that you don’t do more than you regret the things you do. So go out there, try new things, make mistakes, but most importantly, learn from them as each experience will shape you as you grow older and into adulthood.

Featured Image – Avery Xie contemplates deeply Courtesy of Avery Xie