I have a lot of answers and at the same time, I have no answers.

It’s the end of the beginning of my senior year of college - and I’m excited to update you all on my latest adventures!

I directed for the first time - a proof of concept short film for a television series I have been writing. It’s called Freeze Frame - and it’s based off of the bestselling novel by Tyler Beauchamp.

Freeze Frame follows Will Horner, a teenage boy that is absolutely in love with the art of filmmaking, but deeply struggles with the recent loss of his older brother. Writing and directing Freeze Frame has been incredibly healing for me. It has been nice to guide fictional characters through grief just as I deal with it myself.

This past quarter, I was chosen to be a part of a SCAD-Pro team that worked alongside our client, Deloitte Consulting, for ten weeks. I did all of the photography and videography for my team. I deeply advanced my understanding and experience in shot design, behind-the-scenes photography, and documentary videography. I shot and edited a six minute documentary that outlined the goals and outcomes of our SCAD-pro X Deloitte collaboration.

SCAD had to personally approve me to take four classes instead of the normal three to accommodate the SCAD-Pro course, and I’m very proud to say I finished with ALL A’s. I leave fall quarter with two complete feature films, a pitch packet for Freeze Frame (to take to executives and beg for money/representation), experience working with Deloitte, a directing IMDB credit, an acting credit, and probably more I can’t remember.

ALSO- I have really solidified my voice. All of the stories I write are about the joys, hardships, and details of womanhood, girlhood, or childhood. I really, really love to dive into the emotional aspects of growth in transformative years. It has been very fun watching my voice come to life through my stories, and I can't wait to share them with you all.

Now, it is the holiday season. Mistletoe hangs in the air, along with the question, “So what are you going to do after school?”. I have a lot of answers and at the same time I have no answers. I want to do something in which I can wear a lot of hats. I like to hold the camera, but I also like to write for the camera. I love to be behind the camera, directing my vision, but I also love being in front of the camera, acting and singing my heart out. I want to have a different day every day. I think if I were to have a repetitive 9 to 5 I would not only be miserable myself but everyone around me would be miserable due to my habit of rambling when I am bored.

I love the thought of working in a development department of a production company, but I understand that there are very few that land an entry-level job in a development department. I could take the casting agency route- but I’d have to be in LA. I could be a writer’s assistant - but again, LA. I could work at a television station. I interviewed with Gray television a few months ago and they told me I would be perfect as one of their marketing producers. I’d be creating the local business advertisements for local news segments. I also have this weird feeling I would enjoy working in the radio business, but I don’t know where that feeling comes from. Part of me thinks it is just my 2012 obsession with the movie Radio Rebel or maybe I just wish my voice was on the radio.

As I am writing this as I travel to Florida for a few days, I feel the breeze of the cool Georgia air and I seriously hope my career path does not take me away from Georgia. I don’t want to be far from my family, the familiar places of my hometown, or my late best friend’s resting place. At least not for long. It can be hard enough being in Savannah - and that’s only three hours and forty-seven minutes away from Newnan. I could not imagine LA.

As for now, I am currently working on the eventual relaunch of my first book, The Sunshine Project. I am also combining all of my recent journal entries and notes app poems for my second book, which will hopefully release in 2024 - (I need a literary agent if anybody knows one). Most of you have read my high school diary (The Sunshine Project) so I guess now you can read my college diary too!

I have also been continuously manifesting every day that I will become famous within the next two years. I hope I do for my future's sake, but also for my conscious. I've told pretty much everyone I've met in the past year that they should remember my name because I will be on the big screen - so if that doesn't pan out, it could be quite embarassing. To get to that fame, I constantly post on YouTube and TikTok. I am auditioning for as many roles as I can. I write as much material as I can. And of course, I am looking high and low for an agent. Wish me luck friends- if I reach the fame I'm longing for, the christmas card will have much fancier photos and my little Opal will have a custom gold chain.

Anyways, thanks for reading my rambling.

I love you,

Francesca “Frankie” Petrino