On October, I was walking on my way to Computer Graphics Class when I came across an ad that stated that a group of senior film students needed a graphic designer to help them with advertising their senior film project "The Old Sodbury". Their ad also stated that they will not pay me but they will include me with IMDb credits for the amount of work I would do for them. As soon as I saw their ad I contacted them right away and they schedule to meet up with me in person. I was so excited but at the same time nervous because they might not like my artwork but i was still willing to take a chance. I met up with the two film students, Kristina Ivanova and Imran Shailkh, the ones that are in charge of the film project. I showed them my artwork and they told me right away to design them a flyer for their funraiser to raise money for the film project. They wanted to make their flyer and send it in the next day. I was kind of worried about that part because for me it takes more than a day to design something that looks good, but i took the challenge anyways because i really wanted to show them that I'm capable of being their designer. So as soon as my meeting was over, I started working on the flyer right away. Took me countless hours to make the flyer, I even had to wake up really early the next morning just to give it a couple of extra touched and at around 7 or 8pm, i submitted my work. Kristina said it looked good and she will have the flyers printed out the next morning and will pass them out to everyone. For a moment I was so happy and was thinking that becoming apart of this team will have more doors opening to me. Or so I thought....
A few days later, I saw on their Old Sodbury facebook page about the upcoming funraiser and they used a completely different design that was clearly not mine. I figured they might have used two different designs to advertise their funraiser: one for facebook and one to pass around to people. I also emailed them to see what else do they want me to design next. Never got a reply from either one of them. Then the very next day as I was on my way to class, I saw the exact same flyer that was shown on facebook. It was not my design at all, meaning they have never used my design to advertise their funraiser and they used someone else's artwork as their way of telling me that i was not good enough for them.
Once I discover this, I felt deeply angry but at the same time hurt because they didn't bother telling me right then and there that they didn't want me as their graphic designer; they had made a fool out of me. They had made me waste a great amount of my time and just made me go through so much trouble for this. I wrote both to Kristina and Imran about how they made me waste my time for nothing, how they have made me upset by using someone else's artwork without consulting me, how it was very inconsiderate of them to do that and unprofessional of them, and they really did let me down as my first clients. I wrote at the last sentence that if they're going to use someone's artwork and not mine, then they shouldn't bother contacting me again. They never did. I was pretty hurt by this, what really bothered me the most is that they didn't coming up to me and say they didn't want me; I would have been disappointed if they did say that wanted no part of me but at the same time accepting of their decision, would not have wasted time, and would not be hurt and angry. What they did was very selfish, showed me that they were cowards for not coming forward, and even unprofessional. If you come around these two film students, do not trust them with your artwork because they will turn the tables on you when you least expected it.
Although this opportunity went downhill for me, i have learned a few things: 1. Don't trust senior film students with your artwork 2. It was a sign that I am meant to work with people that are trustworthy, very legit and are way better than those people that made a fool out of me. I just need to find the right people. Anyways I shall keep looking for more opportunities so I could succeed in my goals as becoming a graphic designer. Wish me luck!
