Hello! I’m Michael Caylor, and I am a student at CSI. It wasn’t an immediate decision to go to college after high school, mind you; I took 4 years to figure out what I wanted to do as my lifelong job. I jumped from place to place until finally deciding to pursue a degree in Digital Media. I feel very in my element here; I come from a background of playing strategy video games, and the process of learning shortcuts and UI elements feels very similar to what I do now. On top of that, the added ability to create things such as logos, posters, Photoshop images and more is a great opportunity to express myself.
I didn’t realize how many of my interests aligned so well with the Digital Media Program. I took a Film Theory course in high school, and that helped me have a foundational knowledge of cinematography. I worked with the IT Department in high school as well; this helped me understand how to troubleshoot problems in software. Adobe products and other programs can be... “meticulous” at times, so working with IT made me learn to be patient with the software I work with. Lastly, my hobby of miniature painting gave me a good understanding of Color Theory, which is great for deciding what colors to use (and how to use them) in my projects.
My plan after attaining my Applied Associates is still up in the air, but I have a few ideas. I've done a lot of camera work for sports games and have gotten a lot of experience and connections from it, so I aim to work as a camera operator for college sports (or even someplace like the NFL if I get lucky.) I will also be working on my own projects. Whether it be video essays for YouTube, or posters and T-shirt designs for myself, I want to continue improving my craft and refine my personal “style” within my work.