Interview Yourself

Assignment Value:

Submitted by:

• Tim Owens

So far, this assignment has been completed 1 times.

Each year since 2017 Vanity Fair interviews Billy Eilish, and in many ways it is an introspective in which she is talking to her former self as the years go on. I hope when you’re reading this they are still doing them! But now it’s your turn. The first part is easy, make a list of questions you want to aks yourself, turn on the camera and hit record. A year from now, take the same questions and record yourself answering them again. Feel free to edit in responses from the previous year and even reactions to those previous answers. As the years go on perhaps you’ll learn more about yourself and who you are becoming.

For this assignment, the character is me. The goal was to answer a series of questions about my life right now and create a snapshot of who I am in this moment. Inspired by Vanity Fair’s annual interviews, this project gave me the opportunity to reflect on my goals, challenges, and personal growth. Some of the questions focused on where I see myself in the future, what I am most proud of, and what lessons I have learned over the past year. Looking back, I realized how much has already changed in my life and how much more could change before I answer these same questions again next year.

The location for this video is my House in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I included a map of Fredericksburg to show where this chapter of my life is taking place. As a college student and Navy veteran, much of my daily routine happens here, from attending classes and completing assignments to thinking about my future goals. Filming in this space made the interview feel personal because it reflects where I am right now and the experiences that are shaping me.

This assignment ended up being more meaningful than I expected. It was easy to answer the questions, but it was harder to think about how much my answers might change over the next year. The experience reminded me that growth often happens slowly, and sometimes it is difficult to notice until you look back. By recording these answers now, I have created a time capsule that my future self can revisit. The biggest lesson I learned is that I am still growing, learning, and figuring things out, and that is completely okay.

Watch my interview here

Credits

• Original video footage created by me.
• Character image sourced from Google Images.
• Fredericksburg, Virginia map sourced from Google Maps.
• GIF sourced from Giphy.
• Inspired by Vanity Fair’s annual interview series featuring Billie Eilish.