Name: Jordan Hall
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Age: 21
Major: Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Art with a concentration in Photography
Her Campus (HC): What made you decide that Florida State would become your university?
Jordan Hall (JH): I went to a charter high school in South Florida for film and acting. At the time, I wanted to pursue film as a career, and Florida State has one of the top-ranking film schools in the nation. My mom encouraged me to visit FSU, and it ended up being the only school I toured/applied to. From the first moment I stepped onto campus, Florida State felt like home. I think the trees are my favorite part; there’s something magical about the way the sun shines through them.
HC: Do you have any upcoming projects that you are super pumped for?
JH: I’m excited to move into my own studio space. For the last several years, all my photography has been based out of my house, which isn’t the most efficient way of working. I’m trying to figure out how I want to set it up and how to decorate it. Lately, I’ve been working with a local band, the Invented Truths. It’s been a long time since I’ve done live video work/photography, but it’s been great to get back into it. I’m excited to fine tune my editing process and put together some sleek music videos for them. I also want to do a fun series with my friends, but so far, they’ve all declined. I want to set up a headshot of each of them, but right as I press the shutter, I want to throw cold water at them. I think it’d be a silly and fun way to catch their natural reactions, as well as practice high speed photography.
HC: How has moving away from your hometown challenged you?
JH: I grew up in a very conservative suburb of Dallas. Moving to Florida helped me see the diversity in the world. Looking back now, I am much more open-minded than I was when I was younger; that’s partially due to where I live, but also probably a factor of getting older. A difficult aspect of moving away was leaving my family. I ‘ve always been very close to my family, and I had to adjust to the idea of only seeing them once or twice a year. Since I turned 16, I’ve lived in four different cities. I’ve been able to meet new people in each place and it has helped me build a network of people who I can rely on in both personal and career situations.
HC: Do you have any advice for someone who is entering college and has no idea what they want to major in?
JH: It’s okay to not know. I wish I had explored a little more before I dedicated my life to film. I spent a year studying something just to find out that I want to start over in a new topic. Your first year is the perfect time to take classes that are slightly outside of your comfort zone. Classes that I expected to be my favorite turned out to be boring in comparison to some of the more experimental classes I chose to take. Talking to people who are already in the major that you’re interested in is great too. They can give you insights on the workload, professors and privileges that their program offers. If you’re lucky, they can even show you the facilities and introduce you to people in the major to help you decide if it’s the place for you!