WELCOME TO 8 WEEKS IN COLOGNE AS AN EDITOR
Welcome to the travel blog of an international exchange art student from Finland who managed to get an opportunity to try out editing in Cologne~!
"People are so nice here!"
"Cutting between actors is difficult. I got seriously distracted at one point by an actor's unintentionally hilarious performance. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one that burst into laughter as the recording stopped."
A friend of mine told me to join them at a Dragon Legion art event in Florence, Italy. There, I found out their headquarters were in Cologne, Germany - the place I'd be coming in few weeks - and of the film/editing opportunity. As someone who wants a career linked to story-telling, I asked to try it out and they let me! "As long as you're willing to learn."
We shot footage over the first weekend and I was in love. The team, the creative spirit, the amateur-tinkering and figuring everything out... It was a blast.
After the shooting, I was left alone with a key to the headquarters and I got to go and come as I pleased. My routine turned into city touring in the morning/chill reading followed by going to edit at noon and leaving at night.
Despite having loved the industry, I figured that while I have a keen eye for narratives, my heart is more in drawn story-mediums. I chose to commit myself into art and writing.
Writing at Dragon Legion
For 1 week, I got to join an international project in Frankfürt. We had a German team, Polish team, Estonian team, and a Greek team and we wrote 1-shot roleplaying campaigns for the DreiEich-convention's players.
I learned to express my critical opinions better and they were well-received, boosting my confidence to do so more.
The people hands down the best - so kind, so inclusive, so chatty... I made a lot of new friends.
"Even just walking around, I could wave to many people or stop for a talk. The oddest part was feeling a sense of belonging. No - the oddest part was not feeling overwhelmed."
Art Shenanigens
I drowned myself into art history books and various galleries & museums
And I managed to luck out and get commissioned for some simple sketches that turned into background and profile pictures - one even got framed.
Personal Growth
"I learned to see and accept the unchangable parts of myself."
I learned more of who I am:
Reflective, analytical, chaotic, experimentatitive, opinionated, open, stoic, reticent, ambitious, passionate, dreamer...
And my confidence rose. I stopped feeling like I was a horrible person, and I hope I can hold onto that.
