# My USC statement of Purpose and Video option



## Ali (Sep 19, 2010)

its my first draft of the statement of purpose.
Any critique is welcomed, thank you
here is the link to a music video I recently Directed which was featured on CNN International, and I was also interviewed by them.
I will be applying as a transfer with a 4.0 GPA and a film internship at a local studio.

Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFYOgJOVFkk


Iraq in 1991 was not a peaceful place to be. You can say I was born under unusual circumstances.  For the six months prior to my birth, my mother lived in hiding, moving from one family home to another. My father was being tortured in one of Saddam Hussein's jails. My father's family took part in the 1991 Intifada, the Shi'a uprisings against the Saddam Hussein regime. My mother wasn't aware that my father was still alive until he was released six months after my birth. I grew up in Iraq in constant fear, because any day could be our last. It was a strange feeling to be afraid of the very place I call home. After the murder of two uncles and my grandfather, my dad began working on getting us out to safety. 
	In 1997, we packed what little clothes we had and said goodbye to whoever was left. At that point I didn't realize it was the last time I will ever see any of them again. We were all uncertain of our future. We made our way to Jordan, then onto Syria where we lived for a couple of years. I enrolled in the local school, and within a few weeks I was voted class president. That might've had something to do with telling everyone stories of all the exotic places I had seen, and the interesting characters I met on my journey. I was young, and I didn't remember much about my journey, or why we left Iraq in the first place, but I used that to my advantage.  I let my imagination fill in the blanks. 
	My life experienced another twist when I learned that we were leaving the Middle East behind and going on a “long trip”. The adults knew that we couldn't comprehend every that was going on, so they withheld all the details from us children. I found American to be quite interesting. There were people of different colors, speaking different languages, praying to different gods, and yet they were all living in the same area. It was hard for me to understand at the time, but I finally realized this is the safety that my father had been talking about all these years. This was our destination all along. We didn't have much when we came here. We carried with us our religion, language, and the belief in the American Dream. I wasn't sure why all these different people left their homeland to come here, but I knew we were here for a new start.
	I have met people from all walks of life. They all came from different places, left for different reasons, and heading to different destinations. One thing they all have in common is that each person has a story of their own. I have spent my life so far talking to people. The way in which different people choose to spend their time on earth interests me. Throughout my journey, I have seen people come and go, but story telling remained my constant companion. I saw films from all over the world, and while I didn't always understand the language being spoken, I still felt at peace. The beautiful combination of a stunning image and the sound of an amazing piece of music was my escape. For that moment in time, I forgot what it meant to be a refugee. I left poverty, and I was didn't care if I was in a third world country. For an hour and a half I was lost in time. One day I was fighting in the Trojan Wars, and the next day I was captivated by the sound of music. To this day, the only place I find true peace is inside of a movie theater.
	I want to share that feeling with the world. There are many children who are in the same place I was in years ago. I want to transport them to a world different than their own. I always knew I wanted to tell stories in the form of movies; what I didn't know was that I love movies more than girls. Not long ago, I was sitting in a girlfriend's car being yelled at for canceling a date to go work on a music video. The whole time she was yelling, all I could think about was how cool it would be to make the argument into a short film. I imagined recording her yelling from my point-of-view, slowing it down, adding an epic movie score, and sharing it with the world. 
	I believe that each and every one of us is put on this earth for a reason, and that the God has a plan. My passion is making films. Whether I am shooting a funny scene with friends on a camera phone, or shooting a music video on a DSLR, I have the same feeling of peace and happiness. I rather work with a camera and shooting a short for 12 hours and no pay, than work in a retail store selling cameras for $9 an hour.  I want to write and direct my own feature films one day, and I want my films to look and feel just as magical as the films I watched growing up.  I want to be one of the best, and in order to do so I want to learn from the best. I will use every opportunity as a learning experience and a stepping-stone to achieving my goal. I truly believe that USC has the right mixture of experienced faculty, dedicated students, and an inspiring city that I can call home.


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## Ali (Sep 19, 2010)

p.s. I just noticed some of the spelling errors
I will fix that in my next draft


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## hdt (Nov 9, 2010)

Just went to a screening held at George Lucas building of SCA and saw their awesome facilities. I hope you will get in.


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## GabrielM (Nov 9, 2010)

I think that you statement is great. It's very well-structure.

However, it is impossible to say what committee selection is looking for...

I too caught some typos. Make sure you fix them. Good luck!


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## suenos53 (Feb 11, 2011)

You spoke from the heart. Good luck getting into USC!  USC really prides itself on diversity so you would be a great fit.

Don't forget to look into other worthy schools -Chapman, Art Center, Loyola Marymount, Cal Arts, and so on. Each has its own strength.


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