Favorite Parts of Working in the Media Industry as an Independent Media Professional
Willa, an independent media professional, most enjoys the diverse community engagement and varied experiences their work provides, stating they've "done everything from nudes to newborns," building trust with clients to capture meaningful memories and feeling grateful for the opportunities to connect with "so many different kinds of people, so many different events."
Community Engagement, Client Interaction, Creative Freedom, Time Flexibility, Visual Storytelling
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Willa Cutolo
Independent Media
Independent Organization
UCLA
N/A
English, Writing & Education, English
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The flexibility to control one's own time and schedule.
2. The opportunity to work with diverse communities and individuals, building connections and documenting meaningful moments.
3. The ability to use photography to create lasting memories for clients, and the trust placed in the photographer to do so responsibly.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
Here's the cleaned transcript:
I think there are two things that I enjoy the most about being in this line of work. One is how much I appreciate and am grateful for having control over my time and my schedule.
The other thing that I enjoy the most is how many different pockets of community, corners of the city, and types of people I get to work with. I've met so many people through doing this. I joke that I've done everything from nudes to newborns, and that doesn't fully encapsulate the work I do, but it's true.
I've done photos at a [unclear], in people's homes, just hanging out with a family, being a fly on the wall and distilling memories into something visual. I also get to cover events for community groups that I wouldn't otherwise be able to attend because I'm not part of those communities.
Being let into those spaces and being trusted in those spaces is not a responsibility I take lightly. I'm very grateful for it, and it makes me really happy that people bring me into things they care about and trust me to do a good job in making those memories for them and with them.
My dad always told me, "Life's about making memories," and I guess I'm just doing what he told me to do. I probably enjoy that more than having freedom over my time, honestly. It's just so cool interacting with so many different kinds of people and attending so many different events. It's awesome.