LO1: Understand progression routes and related application processes
task 1
UNIVERISTY
My Potential University options:
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My chosen options
Film Production - Arts university bournemouth
Open days: 4th november, 2nd december |
I chose this course because Film Production gives you practical experience of the many aspects of filmmaking, similar to Creative Media Production. At Arts University Bournemouth, you may choose to complete a degree in one of the following: Cinematography, Directing, Editing/Post-production, Documentaries, Producing with Script or Production Design. If I were to take the subject I would either go for Editing or Cinematography. The University has an international reputation in the film business. Recent graduates have worked on Oscar-winning productions such as Gravity, BBC documentaries and dramas, and for major studios such as Dreamworks. The University is located close to Bournemouth and Poole which is by the seaside. The location looks quite nice but I would like to visit on an open day to check out the area and facilities.
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entry REQUIREMENTS
Digital Film - University of brighton
open day: 11th november |
The Digital Film course at Brighton University focuses equally on practice, industry and theory. I think a subject that balances theory and practice will be beneficial for me because I would like to go into depth as to why I am creating a piece of work and what it all means on screen. I will gain skills and experience in screenwriting, shooting, editing and using the latest technology, while forming a critical understanding of film form, the cinema industry, marketing, distribution and related media entrepreneurial skills. This is really what I am looking for in a film course because I want to better my theory knowledge as well as improving my practical skills. Brighton is a colourful town by the sea. From what I have read when looking it up, Brighton is a town no one wants to leave. Also being home to the oldest working cinema in Europe, why wouldn't a filmmaker want to go?
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entry requirements
Filmmaking - University of west england
open day: 18th november |
BA (Hons) Filmmaking is based on the City Campus in Bower Ashton Studios, Bristol. I take interest in the lesson structure of this course as units include designing screen fiction, documentaries, experimental short film and craft lab; where you can visually create whatever you like. The facilities and resources include digital media studios and production and fabrication workshops offering traditional tools and the latest technology. The universities industry contacts include the BBC, ITV, Aardman Films@59, Bottleyard Film Studies and E3 Media. They provide ongoing professional input and work experience opportunities. I think Bristol would be a great place to go to University because the city is renowned for its arts culture which features a large community of film festivals that go on all year round. This would be the best option aside for a uni in london for the contacts that are available in Bristol.
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film practice - University of arts london
Designed to develop the creative, technical, commercial and practical skills required in digital film production, BA (Hons) Film Practice is geared towards industry. I like the sound of this course as there is lots of hands-on learning experience in which you'll explore the entire film production process from development to post production. They also guide in making submissions to international film festivals and competitions in order to secure work experience at UK film festivals which would be great for getting contacts. The units I take interest in are Contextual Studies 1: Modernism, Contextual Studies 2: the Global Village, Digital Production, Collaborative Project. London would be good place to go to university for the contacts and the experience, my only concern is accommodation and travel.
Year 1 Units summary:
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open days: wednesday 7th february |
Film Production - University for the Creative Arts
This course is 75% practical and 25% theory. I quite like the idea of learning theory as well as practical skills on as I know the subject will contain a lot of hands on work. It is situated in Farnham which is a town in Surrey, England. I am looking for a university that sits in a city but the facilities and student life has good feedback so I have considered UCA and made it one of my options. The units seem very detailed and explored ideas I take interest in and I like that the uni assist in creating portfolios with their students.
Ucas
APPRENTICESHIPS
To look for potential media related jobs and apprenticeships, I used the website 'Mediargh' which offers advice, resources and support to people who are interested in media production as a career path. Mediargh also hosts one of the UK's most active media job boards.
Soho runners |
Soho Runners provides freelance runners to some of London’s top post production houses. It is London’s leading recruitment specialist providing runners into the Soho post and film communities This would be a good start to a career in film production because runners are given the opportunity to learn and progress by being a part of production. A runner is an entry-level position, the most junior role in the production department of a broadcast, film or video company. There is no single job description as runners act as general assistants and undertake whatever basic tasks are required to ensure the smooth running of the production process. Runners’ general responsibilities include tea making, transporting scripts and hire equipment, taking messages, looking after guests and getting everything in place for shoots. The role offers the opportunity to gain vital experience and knowledge of the production process, offering valuable networking opportunities, and is often seen as the first step on the ladder for people aspiring to roles in broadcasting media. Applications taken all year round.
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Runner / Operations Assistant - Warner Bros. (London) |
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is a leading film and television studio, which opened in June 2012 following a £100 million investment by Warner Bros. It is the only studio in the country to be owned and operated by a major Hollywood Company. The purpose of a runner at their studios is to provide accurate, effective and timely office support to the Operations, Sales and Bookings team, clients on site and staff employed at Warner Bros. De Lane Lea. The position requires someone with a passion for filmmaking (which I do) who enjoys working as part of a team in a pressurised environment. I think I would suit this role as I understand being a runner allows you to pick up skills in a variety of roles giving the employee the opportunity to learn about every aspect of the industry. Applications taken all year round.
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entry level jobs
Framestore runner, london
Framestore is home to a collective of visionaries working across film, advertising and content. They offer an entry level runner development job that gives the opportunity to see how the whole studio operates and gives both you and us the opportunity to work out your strengths and to find a role that will suit you moving forward. There is no requirement to have a formal qualification to be a Runner at Framestore. However, a runner applicant should demonstrate that they understand the basics of visual effects production by including a portfolio/demo-reel with their application. This means I could show my understanding of Creative Media by showing the company my portfolio and the progress I have made on the course. This may indicate to the company that I am progressing in the right direction, which they may want to see continue on their Runner development scheme. Applications taken all year round.
The job description talks about how progress is made on the course, similar to a university application. This is important to me because I want to establish which option is best for my development in this industry. I also think spending time in an actual work place rather than a school will give me a real idea of what my strengths are in this industry and give me an insight into other people careers and how they have developed.
The runner development programme sounds very similar to an apprenticeship in the sense that the company monitor you progress. This attracts my interest because, although the application is for a business, Framestore make it very clear that the position they offer is for the purpose of teaching the future filmmakers of today. I would feel comfortable working in a professional environment knowing the staff are there to pass on the skills they have learned.
National Youth Film Academy - PRODUCTION TRAINEE SCHEME
The Nation Youth Film Academy is situated in London is now accepting application for their Production Trainee Scheme 2018/19.The BBCs Production Trainee Scheme is recognised across the industry for providing gold-standard training and development opportunities. It will also provides great foundation skills for building and developing a career in media production. You don't need any academic qualifications or specific training, but I think my Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production along with my portfolio will demonstrate my passion for creating content that conveys my ideas which may make my application stand out amounts others. This scheme is one of the main entry-level routes into production based roles across TV, Radio and Digital Production at the BBC. Application deadline - 5th October
The National Youth Film Academy are looking for people who can demonstrate a genuine passion and interest for television, radio or digital media. This could be work experience or via personal projects like running an online blog, getting involved in local radio or creating short films. Like I said earlier, I think the my Creative Media work as well as productions I have worked on outside of college will indicate this is a career I am serious about.
My only hump about this job is that is routes the applicants career into the direction of TV, Radio and Digital Production. Although the scheme is run by the British Broadcasting Company, I am hoping for a career in film. Realistically, it is very difficult to enter the film industry but I would rather follow the opportunity that directs me towards a career I am more interested in. Also, looking work produced by both companies; the BBC scheme is mostly broadcast and TV content while Framestone work on advertisements, films and creative content for all sorts of media. In conclusion, I would apply for the Runner development course at Framestone because it is more suited to my interests and skills.
study abroad
tefl internship - romania
This is a paid TEFL internship where you spend 5 weeks on a summer camp in Romania teaching English through games, activities, fun excursions, debates, drama and music. The camp is not classroom based so creative learning activities need to be devised. I think this would be a fun occupation as I am a very social individual and would enjoy coming up with activities that teach. I think Romania would also be a great place to explore during free time; the entire internship would be a learning experience for me as I would get to witness a different culture as well as make new friends. With pocket money of €150 – €250 (€50 per week) plus fully inclusive accommodation and meals throughout the internship and organised day trips (worth upwards of €1,600), there wouldn't be a dull moment.
The experience costs £269 which is actually really good considering how much the activities I would be doing cost. I would also have to pay for my flights to and from the country but travel to the camps would already be organised for me. I can apply on the Premiere TEFL website which offers paid English teaching internships across the globe. Romania attracted my attention though because I have colleagues at my current work place from romania who have been trying to convince to visit since I started working with them. The country looks very pretty and the location of each summer camp are home to influential artists, musicians, inventors and sports people. I would come home with new cultural experiences under my belt, an insight into teaching and maybe even a slight tan.
Summer Camp usa - support staff
Working at a Summer Camp in America I believe would be a once in a life time experience. A support staff team member is someone who works at camp but their role isn’t directly involved with the campers. This role involves keep everything running super smooth on a daily basis. Making sure everyone has the equipment, facilities and food they need to keep camp going full swing. Being part of the support staff team means you get given more free time to ensure you can get involved with the day-to-day fun of camp. This would be great for me because going on an American Summer Camp is something youths from the UK know and love the idea of, but are likely to never experience. Being support staff at summer camp would allow me the best of both worlds - experience the world of summer camp but also gain work experience in the industry of my choice abroad. Applications are accepted on the camp leaders website, and there are over 500 camps to apply for. I would have to pay for my flights and travel to the particular location, but throughout the camp experience, food and accommodation will be provided by the company.
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task 2
Critcal Evalaution
I created a mind map to establish my strengths and ambitions and what progression route they are suited for. My strengths include good social skills, self confidence, fast learning, good team player, sense of pace and skills in cinematography and video editing. Social skills and self confidence are really important in any new environment. They will help me make friends in university, create effective first impressions in a working environment and are essential on summer camp when working with young people. I think showing a person you are confident in communicating creates a comfortable atmosphere for both you and the individual whether they are a friend or stranger. Fast learning is also important in all of my options because each is a learning process that provides a different experience. At university, I would cover large topics quite quickly so being able to pick up these new skills quickly would give me more time to research and refine them. The runner courses available as both apprenticeships and entry level jobs require fast learning because I would come across new scenarios everyday which require different skills. A forward thinking mindset is essential on productions as they are likely to be thoroughly organised at a fast pace. On both the TEFL camp in Romania and the Summer Camp in America, fast learning would be a good skill to have because the young people I am looking after will teach me things as well. I think younger people would be able to identify more with someone who understands their point of view of life - I would love to learn about their experiences as child not from the UK. Being able to work well in a team is crucial in the arts. Creative people put their own ideas on the table but in reality, the need to be able to accept many other creatives ideas to develop a product. Throughout my time on the Creative Media course, I have developed much better team work skills compared with when I started. I think the reason for this is the transition I made from a secondary school where I studied lots of different subjects with a huge variety of people, to a much smaller class full of individuals that are making their ideas come to life, just like me. That was when I realised we all have different ideas that need to be respected and developed as a team. When I work on productions, I try and pay attention to pace and whether watching it feels natural. I think this skill will benefit my on a film production course at university because it shows I take my audiences experience into consideration and that I try to explore every element of storytelling. The skills I have developed in cinematography and video editing will be extremely useful on both the University courses and Runner occupations. I know in University these skills will be put into practice rather rapidly but, as a runner, it may take some time for my peers to identify my abilities and put them to use. I think my strong people in editing is not knowing how to use the program, but using the program to tell my stories in a unique way. I love finding artist who have established their own style and identifying how they have diverted from the 'norm'. My aspirations include gaining friends and contacts, get my work recognised, create my own short film to a professional standard, develop my production skills and explore the world. I can make friends at all of these progression routes, but I think gaining contacts and networking will contribute to becoming successful in the industry. The best routes to take with this is either University or a runner job. If I went to the University of West England for example, there are hundreds of film festivals and conferences going on all year round that I could attend and network at. Similarly, by working on different productions as a runner I could showcase myself to the people in meet during the process who may be interested in employing me in the future. Producing my own short film and getting my work recognised is something I would like to have achieved in some time from now. My best option for establishing a style and creating my own short film would be at UWE. Bristol is full if arts and culture that I could draw inspiration from and like I said, networking at events would mean meeting people who are interested in my abilities as a filmmaker who hopefully can identify my work as mine just by the techniques used. I can develop my production skills at University, in an Apprenticeship and in an entry level job. University will be professional practise whereas the others will be the real thing. I think university gives you the opportunity to evaluate and progress in a controlled environment. However, paying courses like the Production Trainee Scheme and Runner Development Programme track the candidates progress in employment which shows I could be supported educationally if I didn't go to university. My last aspirations is to explore our planet. I would like to experience different cultures and learn more about the world. By studying abroad I could achieve this, and either Romania or the USA would be ticked off my list. However I think my career development is more important at the moment as film is such a competitive industry. Currently I am waiting for response from Universities and the entry level jobs. This is because I am still undecided on what i want to do. University is clearly the best option, but I am not sure if I am ready to leave home just yet.