The answer is no

I just woke up, logged into my email and there’s an email from Monica with reply as the subject, I wasn’t sure if it was spam, but I decided to open it. 2 lines in I realise this is from Fabrica, I started skimming to get to the answer, but sadly it’s a no.

I’ll copy and paste the email below.

Dear Shen ,

thank you for your application to participate in Fabrica.  We receive a multitude of applications from highly qualified candidates such as yourself.

Upon careful consideration of your application as well as the current requirements of the Photography Department at Fabrica, we are not in a position to extend an invitation to you at this time.

We  thank  you a lot for the interest you have shown towards Fabrica and we wish you all the best for your future achievements.

Sincerely,
Monica Faggin

Admission Manager
Fabrica S.p.A.

I’m feeling surprisingly calm right now even though it’s a frustrating situation. It feels like they send the same email to everyone, but at least they try to be nice. I do wonder how far I am from where their standard is and what if I apply again and I fail again. So brings the question, how much do I want this? How much do I want Fabrica? How much do I want photography?

I don’t know. I will definitely apply again in 5-6 months time and take an entirely different approach, but those questions above I will have to seriously think about.

Spring is here

With the arrival of spring I hope I’ve turned a new page. Many of you may already know that I’ve left my last job and am now on the hunt for freelance work, so please let me know if you hear of any! With the arrival of September, also brings the anticipation of the call from Fabrica. Yes or no, I would really just like an answer at this point. With many friends now overseas, I’m really getting the itch.

Oh, I also got my website all done and live at last! Now in its entirety I present to you: http://www.xiaohan.net/ It’s taken a bit of time, a bit of messing around and a fair bit of cursing, but alas it is done!

Spring, my favourite season! Despite the allergies it brings me.

No answer yet

I just called Fabrica. They got my application, it’s with the photography department and there’s no answer yet. The lady on the phone said the photography department is very busy and I might not be able to get an answer til September, Fabrica goes on 3 weeks of summer break in August and resumes early September. Sigh, those Italians.

V made a good suggestion the other day. It’s going to be winter over in Europe soon and for me it’ll be hell, so he suggested if I don’t get in this time, wait til next year, apply again and go enjoy the spring and summer. Sounds like a good plan I think.

But in the meantime, I’ll keep waiting for Enrico Bossan, head of photography at Fabrica.

A little insight

I found Reed Young on flickr a while ago through the Fabrica group, I checked out his works and added him as a contact on flickr, but didn’t think much further about it. Just last week Karen suggested I find some ex-fabricantis and email them for some insights into Fabrica. So I emailed Reed, asked him about the selection process and how his time there was. I hope he doesn’t mind me posting his reply, it is here:

Dear Xiaohan, Fabrica was a great place for me. I was there for a little over a year and I learned a lot. The selection process is very unorganized and vague. Enrico Bossan is the head of the photography department and he is very busy working on Colors magazine and a few other projects as well. If Enrico likes your portfolio he will ask you to come for a 2 week trial and in that time you will be asked to make a personal project that shows your ability. This is very difficult because you’ll be in a town where nobody speaks english. But if you plan it right you can do a small photo project in venice and it can be very good.

Fabrica was the most difficult year of my life, so far. But I learned a lot. It’s a very independent working environment. For the first six months I traveled around Italy taking photos for a small magazine. Then I started to do some pictures for Colors. It’s a place that you need to put in your time and by the end of your scholarship you will be very busy with different projects. But the beginning is very slow for most people.

If you have any other specific questions don’t hesitate to email me. Good luck!

-Reed

Great insights, aren’t they? I’m glad I emailed Reed. I already have an idea for the small project to be done during the 2 weeks trial. Fabrica sounds almost like an endurance trial, but just like Reed, I’m sure I’ll learn lots too.

So my plan from here is, if I don’t hear from them til the end of this month, I will give them a call and we’ll go from there. But one way or the other I will be resigning from my job by the end of the month or mid August the latest. Hurray!

i had another dream

I’ve been checking the mail box everyday for the past week… hoping to see a magic parcel in it waiting for me! My heart goes a little faster, my steps a little faster, but alas nothing yet.

Though I had a dream this morning, somehow I was still living with my folks, they had a pile of old letters they didn’t tell me about. I was like what why, grrrr! There were 2 letters from Fabrica, both were A4 yellow multiple pages forms. The first one said I didn’t pay the application fee or the cheque bounced, so they can’t accept my application. I got pretty frustrated and was upset with my mum cos it was her cheque. Then the second letter said I wasn’t accepted.

Pah… too much insecurity no? Hope the reality will be the opposite of that.

PS. There’s no application fee to Fabrica.

application postcard

This is the postcard I ended up sending as the application letter to Fabrica. I thought I’d share it. It might come across as a little too try hard and childish, but I figured better being noticed than not at all.

So the following 2 pics were glued together then zig zag folded to form a normal sized postcard. This is then attached to an A4 letter, so it had my logo and stuff on top, an intro, then postcard, then a few more words and salute.

application sent

Actually it was sent like 2 weeks ago, I just almost forgot that I had this blog, oops. Anyhow the application should arrive there soon, all my fingers and toes are crossed, inter-crossed, etc. I am glad it’s all kind of out of my hands for now.

On other fronts, my trip was fun as you can see from my photos on flickr, which I have gotten sick of posting.

On another front, I’m off to Melbourne next weekend! Tell me what’s on there and what I should get up to. No no, not going to interviews like Karen, going for a friend’s birthday, he’s offering me his spare room so how could I turn that down.

My folio is here!

Yesterday at work I was on my way to the kitchen when I noticed a parcel in the intray that looked suspiciously like my blurb book and it was! It took me by complete surprise since I only got the shipping email from blurb on Tuesday.

Here’s a look inside:

Have to say I’m quite happy with the quality of the blurb printing, paper and binding. Some of the film shotS didn’t reproduce so well, the colours weren’t as vibrant as they were on screen, but apparently that’s just slide film. All of digital shots have reproduced really well.

Now all that’s left to do is write the letters and send this off!

Portfolio has been shipped!

Woot! Just got an email this morning from blurb that my folio has been printed and just shipped. Hot off the press! Can’t wait to get it, hope it looks good and there are no stuff ups inside…

Now I need to start thinking about and writing my application letter. Fabrica also need a letter from someone deeply involved in my work, but since I have no boss or lecture, I’m a little stumped about that one. The only suitable person I can think of is my boyfriend V, no one else is deeply involved in my work. So should the letter state loud and clear that he is my boyfriend, would that make his letter less valid?

I need suggestions please! All help and advice welcomed.

Full steam ahead

I did the photo shoot with Adrian on last Sunday! For once the results came close to what I had in mind, which I’m very happy about. I arranged to pick up Adrian from the upstairs of Central Station and he stood out from a mile away in his sharp suit and sunglasses, in a good way of course.

V drove and we went to an abandoned location in western Sydney. Working with a professional model is such a huge difference. I only had to give a minimum amount of directions, he models, I just take the shots. I’ve never had such a smooth shoot with such good results. If I may say so myself :p

The location turned out perfect, the contrast between Adrian’s focused eyes and the messy rubble of the building was exactly what I had in mind. V was my assistant of the day and did a great job, he also gave me a few suggestions which turned into fantastic photos.

These photos have boosted my confidence about getting into Fabrica, my folio is definitely a lot stronger with this series.