[VIDEO DESC & TRANSCRIPT: Jay is standing in front of a computer desktop setup. The NAD logo is at the bottom right corner.
JAY: You learn as you do the project, I think this is one of the best ways to do it rather than learning through classes. Learn as you complete your project, then you get to see the results. My first year at Convo, I took on many projects that I wasn’t familiar with — I accepted them all because I knew I could learn from them, alongside support from my co-workers. I figured if I said no, it would’ve been a missed opportunity. And at the end, maybe the project wouldn’t have amazing results, but at least I did it. That way I could get feedback and continue to improve from there.
Black and white clip of Jay working at the computer desktop. In the center, a white border surrounding white text “JAY” underneath, appears in white text “CREATIVE DIRECTOR”.
JAY: My name is Jay Kowalczyk and I am the Creative Director at Convo.
Black and white close up clip of Jay working at the computer desktop.
JAY: As a kid, I was fully mainstreamed – then it was time to go to college and thought about Gallaudet University. I actually hesitated and wondered if I should go to RIT but I decided on Gallaudet University. I majored in Social Work, While I had a passion for social work, my bigger passion was filming. I didn’t know where to start though. As I worked towards my social work degree, an opportunity appeared with Bison TV – which was a club for students to film different ideas. I decided to try my chance, submitted an application and got accepted! Freshman year, I was the assistant editor. Sophomore year, editor. Junior year, director. Senior year, producer! That experience was incredible! We did everything from news announcements to creating a TV show. One year, we released 12 episodes which was similar to the “Friends” TV show. All of us worked together on scripting and filming. It was fun! I graduated with a social work degree, but I immediately applied at Gallaudet University to work in their video services as a digital editor. I continued to grow there before I eventually started working for Convo.
Black and white close up clip of Jay’s hands typing on keyboard alongside an iPhone and coffee.
JAY: We do many kinds of filming projects that range from commercials (which were heavy on scripted ideas) to inspiring stories (this, to me, is a form of hell). Our work includes stuff like ‘beYOUtiful’ and other community campaigns that we’ve done by filming in various locations about different people. We ask them questions like, “Who are you?”, “Where are you from?”, and “What do you do?” We gather all the footage for those inspiring stories. When it’s time to edit, it requires a lot of hours editing, reviewing, and editing more! It’s fun but at the same time, it’s a lot. On top of that, I also do web designs, graphic design, brand management — the feel and message Convo sends out. For example, when you’re on a call with an interpreter — how do you see the interpreter? What does their background or lighting look like? Before you connect to an interpreter, how do you see Convo? Honestly, my social work degree is key in my career — such as having people skills, there is so much to be learned with this. How I interact with people during projects among other important details. If I didn’t have that, I’m not sure if I’d be here.
Black and white clip of Jay inspecting a camera.
JAY: What does my typical work day look like? Honestly, my day is always changing. In other words, my schedule is project based. If a project requires more time, I work more hours. I also work on projects that require maintenance — like web management. But when it comes to filming, it’s not “time-related”, it is “quality-related.” Sometimes you really have to spend a lot of time on the project. There’s a time limit on it’s magic. If you spread it out 8 AM – 5 PM daily, you can lose that magic. When you have the magic, you need to continue as long as you can to incorporate that magic into your projects. This means you have to meet the project’s time, not your own time.
Black and white close up clip of Jay’s computer with all the files on the editing software. White text appears at the bottom center, “Having a project-based schedule allows my creativity to flow easily. For me, creative juices flow best at night but maybe for others, they work best at the crack of dawn.” Light blue text “- Jay” and a light blue line outlines the left side of the text.
JAY: When I wake up, there’s many projects in my head – some of them only need a few hours while others can take months. I use a lot of different software such as: Final Cut Pro X, After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch and many more. There’s a lot that I can play with, but also there’s a learning curve for all of these softwares. Learning these softwares means I can proceed with the next project with better results. Many projects come across my desk every day. This is the type of the job that I love, there’s always an opportunity to learn more!
Black and white clip of Jay putting up a paper on the corkboard wall.
JAY: If you feel like you’re derailing from your passion, you probably think you might lose that passion – but maybe you won’t. If you derail from it, your passion will build up and feel a little stronger. Maybe one day when the time is right, your passion will be ready to come back to! Take it from me, I graduated with a degree in social work and I’m now the Creative Director. When an opportunity comes up, take it!
Black and white clip of Jay walking into the equipment room. Video cuts to a dark blue background. Red alphabet letters of “N-A-D” in American Sign Language appear one by one in the center of the video. The copyright text appears in white underneath, “National Association of the Deaf, Copyright 2020, All Rights Reserved”.]