Andrew’s Advice
When I began thinking of what I would like to do for my senior thesis project, I started reflecting on my interests, passions, and hobbies. I decided that I would try to figure out how I could take these things and incorporate them into a thesis project. A few of the passions that stood out to me were my love of putting together huge Christmas displays, and for working in theme parks. Two of the project ideas I came up with were a massive Christmas light display with animatronics and interactive elements, and a projection mapped show focusing on my educational and professional story. I strongly urge you to follow a similar path here, and start by thinking of things you love to do, rather than a final project idea. Although you may feel that your outside hobbies have absolutely nothing to do with IMM, you may surprise yourself. Some of the best ideas come when you least expect them to, and you may find a way to turn your passion into a project. If you do this, you will find that 8 months of work does not feel like work at all, because you will enjoy every single step of the process.
When you eventually piece your ideas together, you may be very confident and sure of yourself, and that can be good, but try your very best to avoid getting too attached to an initial idea. Although it can be difficult to believe, your idea will not be perfect, and your peers will let you know that. Rather than taking this negatively, listen actively and jump on the good ideas that are presented to you, because you never know who may come up with something that will bring your project to the next level, or make your work a little bit easier. Classmates are also very willing to let you know when the scope of your project seems entirely unrealistic, so be ready to be kept in check by them. After an initial brainstorming session by many peers, I recommend that you pick one or two who had especially beneficial advice or seem to really understand your goals. They will be able to help you until you reach the finish line and will not always tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear instead.
When I came up with the two ideas I mentioned earlier, I had to eliminate one, which definitely was not easy. Although I liked the first idea, I decided that it was too close to work I’ve already done before, and would not be challenging enough for a thesis project and would ultimately not provide me with any new skills. As far as my second idea goes, I had never worked with projection mapping before, but I was well aware that it is an extremely important and new technology in the world of theme parks, and to gain experience working with it would give me a new skillset that would make me even more marketable in this industry. I knew that I would be able to showcase some of my current skills like light programming and video editing, while gaining plenty of new expertise, like projection mapping and show control, and I feel that this is the best way to go. If you can, find a way to show off and flaunt skills you are already confident with while gaining new ones that will benefit you in the future.
When you get to this point, and have your idea selected and finalized, you will have to begin work. This can be very intimidating, but the best way to start is to lay out the project piece by piece, outlining every single step necessary to reaching completion. Once you do this, you have to dive in head first, and begin working while figuring out how to make this work a part of your routine. If you are passionate about the project, you will find yourself looking forward to working on it, and once you get a rhythm going with it, you will see things falling into place faster than you even expected. I have to stress to you that this time will absolutely fly by, the weeks and months sail away from you faster than you could possibly expect, so avoid being lazy at all costs. Set goals for yourself and stick to them as best as you can. If you have to rearrange the goals, do that, but never abandon them, if you let one goal slip past, you will continue doing that until you are too far behind to recover.
When working on your project and planning it, make sure you break down every part and figure out what you will need to accomplish each step. Whether they be physical or digital resources, constantly collect them before you need them, and make sure they are exactly what you need. I found that video tutorials online and advice on forums can prove to be extremely useful while working in unfamiliar territory. Never hesitate to reach out to people who are knowledgeable in fields that are new to you. You may be surprised by how excited people are to help you and to give you advice, and they may have ideas and suggestions you never would have thought of that will improve your project greatly.
After college, you reach the point where you have to begin to face the real world. I am fortunate enough to have known and been sure of my professional goals since I was very young, so I have already spent nearly 10 years working and interning in positions that are relevant to the theme park industry. For those of you in situations like mine, you are very lucky, but never stop working to climb the professional ladder, and always make sure that you are in a position that makes you happy and allows you to be creative and use your skills. For those of you who will be looking to start a professional career, I urge you to find your way into the industry you want to work in however you can, and constantly work as hard as you can while showcasing your abilities. Employers take notice when you display passion for your work, and when you do, you are more likely to be considered for promotions or get an incredible recommendation for future employment. In the professional field, never be shy of asking questions, and take notes if you need to. Enjoy every single step of your journey and find work that you love and you really will never end up working a day in your life.
