I am Derek Cohen film maker. I joined the Career Connection in January 3rd of 2000. I just made a decision that I wanted to change my life and do something that was for me. So I got on the internet, did some searching, found the Career Connection. Spoke to Jimmy on the phone, he told me what the process was what I needed to do. In about a week I was in New York speaking to Tony Travis and he took me under his wing, to be his mentee and from there I was off. Just you know going here, going there doing all kind of jobs including getting sandwiches and all kind of  just build yourself up, Kind of things and learning and paying attention and starting getting bricks. Within about 6 months of being in a program I did my first 2 shorts the first year and then I got a really great job as a production coordinator, while I billed to a production coordinator. When I first  started I really didn’t have a title, it was all around guy in the office and then when he saw I had a knack for  you know  putting things together and making the time schedule and just you know I mean being organized, they offered me that position. Starting making more money, I stayed in that position for 4 years. Then I had a opportunity to direct the feature because I was doing little things on the side the whole time I was doing that, calling Tony and Lisa France and they were putting me on different projects and in the summer of 2001 I went in with no real formal training, just all heart and the things that I learnt along the way and I directed my first feature full feature length film Ghetto Fabulous. It’s in Wal-Mart, Target and Hollywood Video distributed by York Entertainment.

When I first enrolled in their program, I knew I wanted to write but when I originally spoke to my mentor Tony Travis I told him that I was interested in directing. And I don’t think that you should enter this program with a closed mind that you want to just be a director, you want just to be a writer. Who knows you might be on the set and you might gravitate towards sound or lighting or DP work. So just have an open mind and when you get on the sets ask a lot of questions and befriend a lot of people and it will work great for you and just like it did for me. And like I said this is my first project and it s been more than I have imagined. And I expected to be lost in the beginning and I got lucky maybe and my first project was everything that I ever dreamed of. But if you feel you are lost and you are not comfortable with the situation talk to your mentor he will place you some where else until you find somewhere that you are comfortable with. Like I said you might be a n incredible writing person or an incredible dp or an incredible director or writer or both. So just have an open mind and if this was really what you wanted to do with your life I think you just need to tackle four force and go for it.  It’s the only advice I can give you and I am living proof that this system does work and its made for people who are hungry and if this is not what you want it will show. It will show by results. So if you want results, if you want doors to open for you that would never be open to you otherwise this program id wonderful. It’s phenomenal.