Although over a decade old, I co-produced and filmed a short film exploring addiction, temptation, and redemption. While working with the young and talented budding film director, Kyle, I advised him on copyright issues that would arise if we used a particular infamous song in the film's soundtrack.
Despite this warning, we still included it as it was essential to accomplish Kyle's vision. Although the film couldn't be publicly shared due to a copyrighted song, it was the key to Kyle's acceptance into UCLA's top-ranked film program. Before his acceptance, though, the Dean of the Film and Television Department reached out to me to confirm that Kyle had directed the film, praising it as one of the highest-quality submissions they had ever received. This experience taught me the immense satisfaction of helping young people achieve their career ambitions.