The next steps in my career are not fully polished, I have explored a variety of aspects in the industry from being a self shooting videographer to working on a feature film set. In order to succeed I need to select one area and put my all into it, however, I am unsure so I am going to weigh up each side considering my previous experience in each field and how it has affected me.

Considering I have worked as a self-shooter for the past 2 years I think it is an area I have a considerable amount of experience within the field and the struggles surrounding working by yourself. If you look deeper there are 2 options as a self shooter, working for a company or being freelance. As a freelance videographer, you often rely on social media and word of mouth to find clients, often working with the same clients over and over. Your working hours may be random with a lot of days sitting alone editing and travelling to and from shoots. You also rely on finding work by yourself, pitching projects and communicating with clients through a large variety of formats whether that be online job posts or through email and phone calls. Whereas working within a company means all work comes to you, with regular working hours and a larger number of clients. It opens up to more collaboration within the industry, there is someone contacting clients allowing you to have more creative freedom with a greater amount of time to do so.

Personally, I would rather venture down the path of working within a company, the creative freedom is a must for me rather than focusing on finding work I would prefer it to come to me and work from there. The regularity of hours is also very attractive as it allows for more structure outside of work.

On the other hand, the world of feature films or high end TV. I understand that to have a major role in this area of the industry you have to start at the bottom, and in the camera department that means working as a trainee. This involves getting coffee (most important) for the camera department and working closely with the second assistant camera, completing all the extra jobs they need doing. Effectively you are the second assistant camera’s assistant. Hours are longer and there are often 6 day weeks but working in the camera department means you are always active and are constantly learning new information as a trainee. After a period of time and experience you can work your way up to being a second assistant camera and then the first assistant camera and camera operator. The next big step up is working as the Director of Photography, overlooking both camera and lighting departments, that is the ultimate goal for me.

I think for me working in the camera department on high end productions is my goal and is the area of the industry I would like to be involved in despite the fact that you have to work from the very bottom. I get excited being on set and it makes work feel less like work, there truly is nothing like it. However, to reach this goal there are a number of steps to take, some of which I have taken. One option is to go through a company like ScreenSkills, this involves applying for a 2 day workshop to learn all the basics of being a trainee. You are then on their books for a calendar year, they find you work for you to apply for roles and make industry contacts. Another involves contacting camera assistants and asking for advice and potential work, this can mean contacting hundreds and only getting a few replies, it can be a demanding yet rewarding process.

In an ideal world, work is constant and you have the creative freedom to do what you want. I think a mixture of working as a single shooter for a company on a freelance basis combined with working on sets and working your way through the camera department would work really well. It is my dream to do it that way, I am just happy with a camera in my hands.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. ScreenSkills. [online] Available at: https://www.screenskills.com/
2. Myfirstjobinfilm.co.uk. (n.d.). My first job in film: How do I become a camera trainee in the UK film industry?. [online] Available at: https://www.myfirstjobinfilm.co.uk/resources/careers-guide/detail?page_id=5

IMAGES

Figure 1 – Personal Library Image. BTS Photo – TALK SHOW – Stress. (2020). Shot by Isobel Doyle

Figure 2 – No Film School (2019). 1917 BTS Shot. [image] Available at: https://nofilmschool.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_superwide/public/1917_bts_2.jpg?itok=06K6M_Tg

Creative Enterprise Week was a week at University focusing on the next steps for students after graduation, this included industry panels, project pitches and company showcases for potential jobs. 

The week started with the project pitches focusing on potential projects working with environmental charities for work experience. At first this seemed like a great idea to be a part of but as the pitches went on the expected workload became greater, therefore making free work less desirable. Despite that I still learnt a lot about my self worth as a filmmaker, not to do a lot of work for free and to have a rate that is both reasonable yet justified. We were given the option to pitch, as you may have guessed I chose not to because of the amount of work expected but I did have a few ideas whirling around that had potential.

We were then given a showcase by the company Perspective Pictures, a digital first creative agency. The company is young (both in average staff age and the years in operation) and focused on the commercial side of filmmaking, creating online branded content for companies, the work included the likes of Huel and TimeOut. It just so happened that they were hiring and offered out interviews to students, the roles being shooter, editor, creative internship and a sound engineer. Due to my previous experience, I felt I was a good fit for both the shooter and editor roles so put myself forward for an interview. It was my first interview for some time meaning I was nervous but excited and tried to portray myself as confident yet not cocky. This seemed to work as I have been called back for a second interview which is very exciting, I just need to get my portfolio and showreel together.

Finally, the industry panel included a recent film graduate and 2 older graduates, all of whom are working in the industry. They all shared the same ideas about entering the industry from university, going out and making films and getting your name out there whilst working on bigger productions. Taking risks is what will get you to where you want to be, it’s something that you can do to expand your horizons and improve your skills. They also gave some tips and trick to help with our graduate project films including the importance of the 1st Assistant Director, something I had witnessed first hand during my work experience on The Windsors (Hardy. J, 2020). I agreed with them, the main problem with student film sets is the lack of an AD and a lot of time is wasted in between set ups and takes. To have a reliable person who is responsible for keeping everyone on schedule is of great importance.

Creative Enterprise Week was an interesting insight into the industry and offered different avenues to explore when it comes to graduating from University. It’s something to consider and take time finding the right path, things may go wrong but there are ways to ‘make it’, one thing every speaker had was enthusiasm and a love for producing films. No matter what they were doing they are all considered filmmakers.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. The Windsors. (2020). [TV series]. Directed by J Hardy. United Kingdom:RAW TV

IMAGES

1. Perspective Pictures Website. [online]. Available at: https://www.perspectivepictures.com/

In terms of work experience over the past year I have completed a number of days at a variety of companies from social media content creation to high budget feature film/high end TV set work.

I have been working at a social media content creation company called MOB Kitchen since April 2018 as a part time video producer, this has included me creating a variety of videos for both clients and the brand itself releasing the videos to an audience of over 500,000 across all online social media platforms. As part of my role I run a web-series for the platform called Street MOB (MOB Kitchen, 2019), showcasing the best street food in the UK. The series involves me planning, shooting and editing the video before being approved by the brand’s creative director; Michael Sladden, and uploaded to the social pages. Videos usually last around 2 minutes and feature a variety of shots, including an interview, slow motion ‘food porn’ shots and VHS tape footage. I also shoot the promotion photos for the episodes which are posted on the page days before the release of the video. There is an example posted below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvyLef3NNJE

I have thoroughly enjoyed working for MOB Kitchen over the past 20 months and have reaped many benefits from working there. I have been able to access a cinema quality camera in the Canon C300 meaning I can learn whilst on the job and apply to my University course. They have allowed me to experiment with different styles and I have learnt how to work in a small team in a pressured environment with, in some cases, large amounts of money involved. I have learnt many skills throughout my time at MOB Kitchen, mostly about social media production and how to be a self shooter and editor. This area of the industry is fast paced and constantly changing so adaptation is a key part of the role.

View this post on Instagram

A HUGE Street MOB coming tomorrow! We give you @nannybills , Darren named the business after his main influence, his Nan who owned Bill’s Cafe in North London! The burgers are out of this world, and the gravy, even better. You have to check them out MOB! Tag a burger lover 🍔 #mobkitchen #streetmob #foodporn

A post shared by MOB Kitchen (@mobkitchen) on Oct 16, 2019 at 7:27am PDT

For 2 weeks last summer I was part of the Fulwell 73 team as a work experience intern, working in areas of pre-production and post production. The pre-production was labelled as Production during the application for the internship, however, I never saw a camera or a single set whilst completing my first week. I sat and assisted in the Pre-Production stage for a new comedy show they were developing for Channel 4 called Pants on Fire (E4, 2019). I assisted researchers and spent most of the days waiting for a small piece of work to slide across my desk, some days it never did! I felt very unneeded and raised my concern with my point of contact at Fulwell 73, I was moved to the Post-Production department for the second week. My second week was much better, I assisted the technical officer, ran hard drives between the studio and the off-site storage rooms, I was taught how to use Avid Editing software and given time to experiment on Avid. Overall, it was safe to say I enjoyed the second week considerably more however, I was not fully satisfied with the experience. I still felt unneeded but remained positive throughout the rest of my time there. It slightly put me off the ‘office work’ side of the industry, sitting in a quiet room editing with no one talking to each other. It drove me mad being there for 1 week so I can’t imagine doing it for any longer!

Finally, I had 3 days of set experience across 2 different productions, one day on a drama-documentary as a runner and the other two as a location marshall on a Disney Feature film titled ‘Outfit’, which has now been announced as Cruella (Gillespie. C, 2021). Both gave me very different experiences, the one day drama documentary was much more eventful as the crew was much smaller and was directed by Greenwich Lecturer: Justin Hardy. As part of the Runner/AD team I was constantly working to lock off locations, assist with car marks and bring actors to and from set meaning I was constantly moving and the day flew by. It was very interesting to be on the same radio channel as the 1st AD, he barked orders and ran the entire show. It made me realise how important that role was on set. 

Whereas for the Disney production; Cruella, it often led to me waiting around for long periods in locked off areas which had next to no footfall far away from the actual set. At times I was closer and more involved with the set which was far more exciting, you could feel the on-set buzz. I was hooked instantly and is definitely an area of the industry I would love to explore further. Both on set experiences helped me learn a great deal, for example, basic on set lingo, radio etiquette and the importance of maintaining communication whilst on set.

Work Experience is beneficial and an important part of the entire process of selecting the area of the industry you would like to explore, I believe the several weeks I have completed have helped shape my idea of the industry and the future work I would like to partake in.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Cruella. (2019). [film]. Directed by C. Gillespie. Hollywood: Walt Disney Pictures
2. Pants on Fire, (2019). [TV programme] Fulwell 73 Productions: E4.
3. Street MOB, (2019). [Web Series] MOB Kitchen: Instagram.

IMAGES
Figure 1 – MOB Kitchen (2020). Oink London | Street MOB. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B788ZpqIALw/
Figure 2- MOB Kitchen (2019). Nanny Bills | Street MOB. [image]. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3rrIQjFLsv/
Figure 3 – Fulwell73.com. (2020). [online] Available at: https://www.fulwell73.com/

Over the past 3 years of studying at the University of Greenwich, my filmmaking knowledge has greatly expanded and in turn my practical work has also progressed. This is clear to see if you look back over my work from the past 3 years, although, during the first year I do not believe I improved greatly and it was until the second year that I really found my feet.

My work during the first year was good for that time, my lighting and composition skills were not amazing but I had a certain level of narrative storytelling, I understood what was needed to have a story and my work on Impulse (Marigold. A, 2018) proves that. The story wasn’t groundbreaking but after adapting a monologue into a story about two people it worked well and was… good?

Moving into second year, my lighting was in the same place but my composition was much better, Arcade Boy (Gibbons. F, 2018) had more dynamic shots and great coverage for most of the scenes. I have to thank the writer for writing such a great piece that made directing the film much easier and the actors gave a performance that I wanted. For a second year university film I say it was quite successful and I had a lot of fun shooting and editing it. I understood framing much better and had a lot more to choose from in the edit especially during the main conversational scene, there were a variety of angles and a lot of reaction shots to use to keep the audience interested. Despite directing the film I always had my cinematographer head on and always kept an eye on everything to do with the camera, so, moving into the second term I wanted to work on my cinematography skills. 

For Pretenders (Perkins. T & Dobson. S, 2019), I worked solely as the Director of Photography meaning I could put all my focus into all things camera and lighting. As you can see from the screen grabs above & below, my cinematography has improved massively and I enjoyed having more fun with my composition. I also used a lot of natural lighting for all the scenes due to the high windows from the location in the University grounds, very similar to the works of Robbie Ryan in The Favourite (Lanthimos. Y, 2018), something I discovered while researching the film before shooting. Despite the differences in genre and era the locations were very similar so drew a lot of influence, mostly from the video ‘THE FAVOURITE | Cinematography | Fox Searchlight’ (Searchlight Pictures, 2019). I’m pleased with my work but think my lighting could improve, I used the natural light well but needed to add to it, either with bounce boards or extra lights to avoid the digital grain created in some images.

Coming into my final year, the one thing I wanted to improve on was my lighting, during the cinematography workshops we have worked a lot on lighting but also on camera movement. I am most proud of the dolly zoom achieved in one lesson, it took 5 of us with 2 grips and 3 of us working on the camera but we managed to make it work. 

Moving into the final project, the teaser we created had much better lighting. I really enjoyed planning out the lighting and working with a smoke machine to create a haze and in turn the light beams in the scene; I wanted a very contrasting image and I think I achieved that. I have been working extremely hard on my lighting, researching different styles of lighting and techniques used to apply for my final film usually through the Aputure YouTube page and their weekly tips videos.

Over the past 3 years I have learnt a lot, with the main growth coming over the final year due to the specialised workshops which have allowed me to hone my skills in the cinematography department. I am excited to see how my final project looks and how much I will improve over the next few years.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Searchlight Pictures (2019). THE FAVOURITE | Cinematography | FOX Searchlight. [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVTr1_RdPz0
2. The Favourite. (2018). [film] Directed by Y. Lanthimos. United Kingdom: Fox Searchlight.
3. Impulse. (2018). [short film] Directed by A. Marigold. United Kingdom: Independent
4. Arcade Boy. (2018). [short film] Directed by F. Gibbons. United Kingdom: Independent
5. Pretenders. (2019). [short film. Directed by T. Perkins & S. Dobson. United Kingdom. Independent
6. With You In Mind. (2019). [teaser trailer]. Directed by I. Doyle. United Kingdom. Independent

IMAGES

1. Figure 1 – Felix Gibbons (2018). Arcade Boy – Short Sequence
2. Figure 2,3,4 – Pretenders. (2019). [short film. Directed by T. Perkins & S. Dobson. United Kingdom. Independent
3. Figure 5 – Felix Gibbons (2020). Dolly Zoom. [image] Available at: https://youtu.be/tz5zRVk1itg
4. Figure 6 – With You In Mind. (2019). [teaser trailer]. Directed by I. Doyle. United Kingdom. Independent. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyX0GMT6NA0