“Be Different, Be Willing and Be You”

“Be Different, Be Willing and Be You”

Sitting in my first class as a Film and Television production student at Oakfields College, I never could have imagined where I’d be today. Since graduating, I have been on a professional journey that has taken me around the world.

For 5 years, I worked as Head of Video and Editing for a marketing and consulting firm, creating television commercials on Super Sport and over 100 videos for global companies and athletes. Now, I’m a Video Production Manager based in Berlin, Germany where I work for a globally recognized tech company.

Not only do I get to produce videos for different regions of the world, but I also get to travel to places like San Francisco, Portugal and Croatia – facing new challenges and meeting new people,all while doing the work I love.

Nowadays, everyone is a “videographer”or “video editor,” so crafting a unique skill set that is useful to others has become essential.

This is why the “three Bs” – Be different, Be willing and Be you –is one of the biggest things I’ve learned along the way. No matter how talented you are, finishing college and finding the next step in your profession is intimidating.

The biggest challenge I faced was breaking into the corporate industry, which was the market I was determined to become a part of. I had to start from the bottom, working many long hours as a runner for TV productions, often without credit. But this laid the ground work for where I am today.

Before my studies began, there were so many people questioning my decision to enrol in a film school but I cannot begin to describe the knowledge and value that it brought to my life.

Throughout my education at Oakfields College, I was able to gain practical skills and theoretical knowledge in every field of the video industry, covering everything from scriptwriting and camera work to editing and the basics of audio recording.

This helped me become a hands-on worker while on set, and gave me the confidence to share my ideas and opinions in a professional environment, in both pre and post production.

Choosing to study Film and Television also set me apart from someone who had just studied a particular aspect of production, such as visual effects or cinematography. Throughout my studies, I also met incredible people, from fellow students to university staff, whom I still refer to as my friends to this day.

This is a super exciting time to be part of the industry. Whether you’re thinking about starting your journey as an aspiring scriptwriter or cinematographer, or entering this field fresh out of college, many exciting and memorable stories lie ahead.

Show them what you got.