Alumni in Focus

Ryan Uy

Making Digital Media Magic at FIDM Productions

“What I wanted was to have a career doing something I really like, and I enjoyed being in an artistic environment, creating,” says Ryan Uy, full-time Digital Media Editor at FIDM Productions and a FIDM Digital Media grad.

Philippines-born Ryan, who came to the U.S. when he was eight years old, studied both Fashion Design and Graphic Design at FIDM before getting his Digital Media degree there. “I remained studying at FIDM for those four years because I realized that at FIDM you can learn what you want/need to learn in the most efficient manner possible. You get right down to it, hands-on and everything. Every class that you take directly relates to your end goal, so there aren’t really any frivolous courses you have to go through.”

Ryan also appreciated FIDM’s well-equipped campus. “The thing I like most about FIDM is that you get the sense of being spoiled rotten. With the Digital Media Program, the technology available to students in the classrooms is always top-of-the-line and up-to-date with what’s being used in the industry,” he says. “You’re working on the most current computer hardware and software that the professionals use.”

Beyond the well-equipped facilities, instructors who are also working professionals in their fields were also a big part of Ryan’s FIDM experience. “The great thing about the instructors is that because of the small classroom size, you get to interact with them more closely, so it’s never a formal and impersonal environment. I always got a sense that they truly cared about the progress of my work and that I succeed in what I do. They not only taught me the important tools and skills I needed to be well-versed in the industry, but they also shared their experiences and brought insights as to how it really is out there in the business world.”

In his current position at FIDM Productions, Ryan gets to use the wide variety of skills gained from the program. “The best thing about my work is that it’s so multi-faceted that I can be as creative as I want doing many different things. Putting video together, I get to be a storyteller. Mixing music and sound, I get to be a musician. Creating graphics, I get to be an artist. On top of that I get to design the look and navigation when authoring DVDs. I’m doing all that, and more. Everything I do today working for FIDM is essentially what I learned going through the Digital Media Program!”

Ryan, who is inspired by “the way stories are told,” and combinations of fantastic visuals and music such as Moulin Rouge, Evita, and Chicago, advises aspiring Editors to “never stop learning,” and he’s clearly taken his own advice. “With the needs of the industry gearing toward people who are more well-versed in all parts of post-production rather than specializing in just one aspect of it, that makes me—as well as any other graduate of FIDM’s Digital Media program—that much more in demand.” With versatility being money in the bank in the entertainment world, grads like Ryan are able to hit the ground running!

Please Note: The information contained herein was confirmed at the time of original publication