UNIT 11 Evaluation

After reviewing my options following college, I have been able to better understand the best routes for me and evaluate my decisions. In this write up, I will walk through my thoughts on each pathway discussed in my research paper, interviewed at the ‘Create your Creative Career’ event and Pinewood Future festival.

To begin, I want to get universities out of the way. Generally, university has never been something I’m interested in. My parents both studied while working and have been very successful off their own backs. They have always been role models in my life and opened my eyes to the possibilities. Meanwhile, my older brother is in his third year of university doing very well academically but not sure where he would like to progress. I know the film and TV industry is where I would like to end up so I don’t believe university is the right path for me. University is great for independence, beginning a network and specialising into certain aspects of the industry. I would much rather take the practical route of getting in at a younger age and working my way up. In my case, I’d like to get out of formal education and spend more time in a professional workspace to learn the skills I will actually need rather than studying with no real world experience. 

In terms of universities, although I won’t be applying for any, I believe it is beneficial to analysis the differences and which ones I would be drawn towards. Of the three established in my research paper, I would be more inclined to attend Royal Holloway over Bournemouth Arts and NFTS. Royal Holloway is a renowned Russell group university that presents a high ranking. If I were going to university, I’d like more developed studies about the industry in terms of theory rather than practical experience of set. The courses in film available at Royal Holloway are reflective of this and would surround me with the right people going forward. I’m not as big of a fan of NTFS as I believe they are very specific and I’d definitely need some other industry or university experience before attended. Bournemouth seems interesting and is somewhere many of my class mates are looking. However, I don’t believe their facilities and style is right for me as there is no specific draw and connection. 

Moving on, apprenticeships are the area I’m the most invested in. With apprenticeships, I discovered it is fairly difficult to find them for film specifically as most people in the industry are freelance and will only work on productions when they’re around rather than a fixed term. I instead decided to look down the studio route which led towards TV broadcasting. Through this, I would be able to gain the fundamental skills in a working environment alongside a qualification which gives me development in both senses. From there, I may find a permanent job offer at the studio or with a connection. Alternatively, an apprenticeship could be the best practical training that gives me the right knowledge to move into film. 

My priority apprenticeship is a Production Co-ordinator role with the BBC, hence my application early in this section. Like many, the BBC has been a big part of my life growing up and the apprenticeships open from them seem the most accepting and inclusive environments of the selection. As someone who struggles with visual stress tracking issues visually, I feel the people around at the BBC will be the most respectful environment. I have submitted an application and hope to make it to further stages of the process. The BBC are also very good at announcing their schemes and make it accessible to public knowledge, opening up to people like me with few connections to the industry. Whereas, companies like ITV and Sky don’t have as much of a public presence about their positions so I’ve pulled away. I may also apply for Channel 4 when the apprenticeships open in January 2024. Currently, they don’t have much information out but Channel 4 productions are also some of my favourites and would be a dream to work on. 

In terms of why that BBC apprenticeship specifically, becoming a producer years down the line is somewhere I want to see myself. At the start of the course, I thought I’d end up going down a post-production route with editing rather than full production. This was because editing was something I was interested in but didn’t have as much of a chance to do previously. I now know that I enjoy editing as a side hobby rather than taking it to a career. I am more aligned with production documents and managing people full time. These are skills that have been my speciality for years. My mum works in reprographics so I occasionally find myself helping her and building up these skills. People tell me that I’m an approachable and reliable person for organisation which is good to here and pushes me towards this opportunity. I already have a connection to the BBC as my tutor Nick works with them. Nick can give me advice on progress with the studio as well as a reference from this course. 

In a luckily situation where I don’t get into the apprenticeships, based on the limited places available, I will instead find industry work as a runner. This may mean I’m freelance immediately. Post production houses like Digital Orchard and Pinewood Studios take on runners but not on a set timeline/ scheme. This may be a more difficult route but I believe I’m ready for the challenge and adaptable to make things work. On top of these, I have also been given the opportunity by a family friend in industry to spend 3 days as a runner on a production she is directing in December 2023. She is eager to have me on board and likes my portfolio work so this could open up more possibilities. Through those three days, I can make connections and learn on set etiquette in a practical environment. She has also told me her productions in 2024 which I could have the opportunity to work on should I prove myself useful in December. With the film industry, a lot of the time it is who you know not what you know so I will be taking an opportunity that comes my way. You never know what could happen. 

I thought it valuable to have a look at the nearby studios. It amazes me how lucky I am to live in this county with places like Pinewood, Shinfield and Shepperton on the doorstep. In moving up to further education and work, my priority will not be moving out of home. Once I have a stable career in one of the above options, I will look into starting things up on my own. These studio are always looking for people and being local is a plus for their finances and availability. 

To conclude, over the coming year, my intention is to make my way through the BBC application process with backups of runner work straight into industry should that fall through. I believe these decisions have been well informed through attending career events and conducting valid first and second hand research.