USC School of Cinematic Arts - Stark Producing Program 2022 (1 Viewer)

[DPW]

Hello all, I'm a bit late to the party here! However, I am in the same boat floating down the same river. I had my interview back on Feb 8 and have been growing more anxious - I know letters will be coming in next week and wanted to say good luck to everyone!

 

[PecanPrudence]

Hello all, I'm a bit late to the party here! However, I am in the same boat floating down the same river. I had my interview back on Feb 8 and have been growing more anxious - I know letters will be coming in next week and wanted to say good luck to everyone!

Nice to meet you!! Would you mind sharing how your interview went and what some of the questions they asked you were?

 

[DPW]

Nice to meet you!! Would you mind sharing how your interview went and what some of the questions they asked you were?

Not at all. Im sure im not the only one but mine was a bit of a black hole in the memory bank. I had Ed Saxton and two others. Im an international student so most of my questions were based on the international stories I want to tell. More generic ones though:

• What are the stories you want to tell?
• What is the worst part for you of working in the film industry?
• What do you want from the Stark program?
• Who are you in a group of people?
• How will Stark help with your goals?
• How will you help the other Starkie's?
• Who are you as a person?

Overall I think it went well - I said all I wanted to say but waffled a bit (im sure im not the first or last to) - please let me know what you think of all this ?

 

[PecanPrudence]

Not at all. Im sure im not the only one but mine was a bit of a black hole in the memory bank. I had Ed Saxton and two others. Im an international student so most of my questions were based on the international stories I want to tell. More generic ones though:

• What are the stories you want to tell?
• What is the worst part for you of working in the film industry?
• What do you want from the Stark program?
• Who are you in a group of people?
• How will Stark help with your goals?
• How will you help the other Starkie's?
• Who are you as a person?

Overall I think it went well - I said all I wanted to say but waffled a bit (im sure im not the first or last to) - please let me know what you think of all this ?

Nice!! It really does seem like they tried to gear everyone’s interviews to the individual person. The only reason I remembered the questions they asked me at all was because I wrote them down as fast as I could . It was a super nervous experience for me so I knew I was going to forget.
I wish you the best of luck, and honestly if you believe you did well you probably did!!
Rooting for you!!

 

[jenovard]

Do you guys know if the “letters” come in the mail, or is it an email? I’m overseas too so I was curious.

 

[DPW]

Do you guys know if the “letters” come in the mail, or is it an email? I’m overseas too so I was curious.

I would also like to know! I'm assuming portal/emal is more likely

 

[lightn1548]

I think it’s either phone call or email for Stark?

 

[PecanPrudence]

I would also like to know! I'm assuming portal/emal is more likely

I applied last year and was rejected without an interview. They at the very least send their rejections via email. They typically call those they’ve accepted, but apparently they didn’t call last year. If you do want to be looking for an area code the usc phones have a local code of (213).
(Edit: meant to also reply to @jenovard and @lightn1548)

 

[jenovard]

I applied last year and was rejected without an interview. They at the very least send their rejections via email. They typically call those they’ve accepted, but apparently they didn’t call last year. If you do want to be looking for an area code the usc phones have a local code of (213).
(Edit: meant to also reply to @jenovard and @lightn1548)

Wow. You must be really excited to have made it this far this time. What do you think made you a stronger candidate this time?

And thanks for the info on the phone number and emails.

 

[PecanPrudence]

Wow. You must be really excited to have made it this far this time. What do you think made you a stronger candidate this time?

And thanks for the info on the phone number and emails.

I am very excited yes!
I’m still pretty young (I originally applied at 23). I applied last year with only about a year of industry experience (not counting internships), and I would have been starting the program at 24 if I had gotten in. My answers to the essay questions also weren’t very strong. I got too caught up in trying to write the answers I believed they wanted.
I only have a year more of experience now, but I very much threw caution to the wind with my answers this year. I was brutally and honestly myself. And in the end a lot of the questions they asked me in the interview were about the parts of my application where I was at my most honest.
If I don’t get in this year, I very much am aware of where I stumbled in the interview. And if I do get in (which I still feel is a very big if, I think as a whole I’m still one of the less qualified candidates interviewed and also still a little younger than their average student) I think it will be because I demonstrated who I was to them well enough. But again, I’m unsure if I did that well enough. Hopefully we will see soon
Either way I am wishing the best for everyone here, whether we see each other in the fall or not!

 

[jenovard]

I am very excited yes!
I’m still pretty young (I originally applied at 23). I applied last year with only about a year of industry experience (not counting internships), and I would have been starting the program at 24 if I had gotten in. My answers to the essay questions also weren’t very strong. I got too caught up in trying to write the answers I believed they wanted.
I only have a year more of experience now, but I very much threw caution to the wind with my answers this year. I was brutally and honestly myself. And in the end a lot of the questions they asked me in the interview were about the parts of my application where I was at my most honest.
If I don’t get in this year, I very much am aware of where I stumbled in the interview. And if I do get in (which I still feel is a very big if, I think as a whole I’m still one of the less qualified candidates interviewed and also still a little younger than their average student) I think it will be because I demonstrated who I was to them well enough. But again, I’m unsure if I did that well enough. Hopefully we will see soon
Either way I am wishing the best for everyone here, whether we see each other in the fall or not!

Well that was a very good answer. You had me cheering for you by the end haha. I hope it works out for you this time. Authenticity is always a good quality to have, but I think in a program with such a small group, it's extra important because they really want to understand the people they're putting on this small team and make sure it has the right mix. Whether your growth has been enough for them is anyone's guess but you got an interview this time which is big and the change is impressive however the results turn out. Good luck.

 

[PecanPrudence]

Well that was a very good answer. You had me cheering for you by the end haha. I hope it works out for you this time. Authenticity is always a good quality to have, but I think in a program with such a small group, it's extra important because they really want to understand the people they're putting on this small team and make sure it has the right mix. Whether your growth has been enough for them is anyone's guess but you got an interview this time which is big and the change is impressive however the results turn out. Good luck.

Thank you. To be honest I am really happy that I even just got an interview this year, it’s too early to expect the worst, but I’ve already started setting my plans in motion for what I’ll be doing to better prepare for next year, and also just making the next steps I feel are necessary and best for my career.
The cohort size of USC really is part of the reasons my heart is so set in their program, so I’m hoping that they’ll view me as a good member of this years. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst haha.
I wish you luck! I’m cheering for you as well!

 

[Tydx]

Just got my email, I'm in! Good luck everyone!

 

[lightn1548]

Congrats! Anyone else??? Nothing for me...

 

[audr3y]

Just got my email, I'm in! Good luck everyone!

Congrats! Anyone else??? Nothing for me...

Congrats! I would not have thought they would send on the weekend! Nothing for me yet either.

 

[jenovard]

Congrats! Anyone else??? Nothing for me...

Nothing for me yet. Congrats tdyx.

 

[Hanyu]

Just got my email, I'm in! Good luck everyone!

Congrats!!! Nothing on my end yet either..

 

[PecanPrudence]

Just got my email, I'm in! Good luck everyone!

Congratulations!! haven’t heard back myself either.

 

[Tydx]

Thanks everyone! I'm sure yours are coming soon!

 

[Kevin Keegan]

Nothing here yet, and I am sure I won't hear anything either.
Good luck to those who are admitted to the program and if you need a picture editor for your projects, I am here to help.
fight on!