After I graduate from this FDA course I think I would like to go on and complete the final year and receive a bachelor's degree. Many people I have spoken to have said that because the film and tv industries are so competitive and hard to get in to, having a full degree will hopefully increase my likelihood of being hired after I leave university.
I have decided not to apply to the third year at Weston College, I want to move away from home and hopefully have a new and exciting experience somewhere new. I also don't like having to do the long commute from Bristol to Weston every day and i'm just ready for a change.
Having said this, i've never really enjoyed being in education - at any level. I have only ever gone on to voluntary education because I thought it would be necessary for my chosen career path. Ideally I would have left school at sixteen and found a film-related apprenticeship instead of doing A levels but I hadn't yet decided that film was definitely what I wanted to do.
This is why, while applying to university top-up courses, I will also look out for any apprenticeships, entry level jobs or work experience opportunities which could be appropriate for me. I'm really keen to get into real production work and so if I were able to find something, I would definitely choose that over a third year at uni. I will start with the BBC careers page because that is where I ultimately want to end up working, but I will also look at websites such as Hiive and Cahootify.
I have decided not to apply to the third year at Weston College, I want to move away from home and hopefully have a new and exciting experience somewhere new. I also don't like having to do the long commute from Bristol to Weston every day and i'm just ready for a change.
Having said this, i've never really enjoyed being in education - at any level. I have only ever gone on to voluntary education because I thought it would be necessary for my chosen career path. Ideally I would have left school at sixteen and found a film-related apprenticeship instead of doing A levels but I hadn't yet decided that film was definitely what I wanted to do.
This is why, while applying to university top-up courses, I will also look out for any apprenticeships, entry level jobs or work experience opportunities which could be appropriate for me. I'm really keen to get into real production work and so if I were able to find something, I would definitely choose that over a third year at uni. I will start with the BBC careers page because that is where I ultimately want to end up working, but I will also look at websites such as Hiive and Cahootify.
APPLYING FOR WORK OPPORTUNITIES
In order to put myself out there and get used to applying for jobs in the industry I am going to start now because although I lack the experience most employers are probably looking for, through applying perhaps I can receive feedback and advise from professionals. I am going to look for entry level opportunities for Jobs, training and work experience online. I will use cahootify, hive and various other job search sites.
BBC PRODUCTION TRAINEE SCHEME
I have decided to apply for the BBC Production Trainee Scheme because it looks like an amazing opportunity to spend just under a year working and learning at the BBC. Given that this is exactly where I want to end up working some day I think even if i'm not selected for the scheme the process of filling out the BBC application will be good experience for the future when I'm sure I will have to do it again. The scheme is 11 months fixed term 5 days a week and can be based in London for those who want to be in the centre.
The application process consists of basic personal details, three questions which need written answers and a list of multiple choice questions.
Written ANSWERS
MULTIPE CHOICE
bbc PRODUCTION APPRENTICE SCHEME
I have also decided to apply for this apprenticeship as an extra option. It is a similar area but this will include a qualification as well as experience. This application was a lot simpler as it mostly just asked for personal information and education/work history. I didn't have to give any written answers like I did for my other application - presumably because that one is a lot more money and is probably much more demanding and like a real industry job.
UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS
I have found two top-up courses which I think would suit me well. I have learned over the last couple of years at Weston that although I love film and definitely want to explore the industry - I am also very interested in television production and I imagine it will be easier to start off in tv and work up to film. These courses both cover film and television.
University of brighton - BROADCAST MEDIA (top-up)
This course looks really great because it sounds as though the main focus is practical production and it's also really broad in terms of industries and job roles. I think that Brighton would be a really great place to live, not only for the great student life there but also being close to London will be great when I start applying for work towards the end of the year. This course also has a really great employability rate after graduation.
Southhampton solent university - television and video production (top up)
This course similarly looks good because of it's focus on practical production as apposed to lots of written work and theory. The description does say that the course focuses mainly o the role of producer and i'm pretty sure that I would much prefer to work towards a more creative role on set such as cinematographer or director. Perhaps I will use this course as a back up because although it will be good practical experience, it's not exactly attuned to my interests within the industry.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I am now in my second year studying towards an FDA in Film and Media Production at University Centre Weston. The third year top-up at Weston is Lens-Based Media which will continue to focus on independent film making.
During the past four or five years watching and analysing film has been my main focus in life. More recently I have also become fascinated by TV coverage of news stories, political broadcasts and documentaries. I have built upon this interest through my studies since sixth form and my learning has re-affirmed that I am destined to a career in either film or TV.
Whilst studying A Level Film we focused for few months on Iranian Cinema and I was shocked at how much of an impression some of the films had on me. We learned about the Iranian director Jafar Panahi who after being put on house arrest by the Iranian government following the release of several of his controversial films, was banned from creating films for twenty years. During his imprisonment, he secretly produced a film titled 'This Is Not a Film' which he then had smuggled out of the country on a memory stick hidden inside a cake. I found this to be such an inspiring story and I hope someday to show such passion and determination in my own work.
For my AS Film coursework I made my first short film with one other student. It featured a young girl with multiple jobs trying to fund her Grandmother's care home. The idea was that we would create suspense in that the viewer was unsure as to the girl's ultimate intentions for her earnings. The end product was atmospheric but it lacked shape. We didn't anticipate the amount of planning and time needed in the initial stages and we had a rush to bring everything together. This was quite an experience and I learned a lot from it. Since then we have been developing a more complete understanding of the overall production process from start to finish and I now have a more in-depth knowledge of camera shots and movements.
Recently I have become extremely passionate about someday being involved in the making of future BBC content, whether documentary, drama or news production. I can't imagine anything more thrilling and rewarding than helping in the creation of a BBC production and watching it go from script to screen knowing I have been involved. I really enjoy working as part of a team and l look forward to being amongst industry professionals. I love to be hands on and I am able to make rational decisions in difficult situations without getting flustered. I am still unsure about the exact job role I would like to have in the future. I am artistic and I love the visual side of film so perhaps cinematography or directing would be something to strive for.
In the meantime, I am really looking forward to starting out as a runner as this will be fantastic practical experience with so much to learn. Frankly I would be thrilled to be fetching coffee at the beginning since I would witness the production process first hand. I feel sure that this course will broaden my horizons in terms of job prospects and provide the platform I need to make the leap from student to employee. I am particularly impressed by the direct contact and involvement with local media companies which is included as part of the course as this is something I would not be offered at Weston. It is very encouraging to see profiles of ex-students who have successfully entered employment for well-known Radio and TV companies on completion of this course. I very much hope that I might be considered for enrolment in September 2018 once I have succeeded in achieving the required qualifying UCAS points from my current course.
During the past four or five years watching and analysing film has been my main focus in life. More recently I have also become fascinated by TV coverage of news stories, political broadcasts and documentaries. I have built upon this interest through my studies since sixth form and my learning has re-affirmed that I am destined to a career in either film or TV.
Whilst studying A Level Film we focused for few months on Iranian Cinema and I was shocked at how much of an impression some of the films had on me. We learned about the Iranian director Jafar Panahi who after being put on house arrest by the Iranian government following the release of several of his controversial films, was banned from creating films for twenty years. During his imprisonment, he secretly produced a film titled 'This Is Not a Film' which he then had smuggled out of the country on a memory stick hidden inside a cake. I found this to be such an inspiring story and I hope someday to show such passion and determination in my own work.
For my AS Film coursework I made my first short film with one other student. It featured a young girl with multiple jobs trying to fund her Grandmother's care home. The idea was that we would create suspense in that the viewer was unsure as to the girl's ultimate intentions for her earnings. The end product was atmospheric but it lacked shape. We didn't anticipate the amount of planning and time needed in the initial stages and we had a rush to bring everything together. This was quite an experience and I learned a lot from it. Since then we have been developing a more complete understanding of the overall production process from start to finish and I now have a more in-depth knowledge of camera shots and movements.
Recently I have become extremely passionate about someday being involved in the making of future BBC content, whether documentary, drama or news production. I can't imagine anything more thrilling and rewarding than helping in the creation of a BBC production and watching it go from script to screen knowing I have been involved. I really enjoy working as part of a team and l look forward to being amongst industry professionals. I love to be hands on and I am able to make rational decisions in difficult situations without getting flustered. I am still unsure about the exact job role I would like to have in the future. I am artistic and I love the visual side of film so perhaps cinematography or directing would be something to strive for.
In the meantime, I am really looking forward to starting out as a runner as this will be fantastic practical experience with so much to learn. Frankly I would be thrilled to be fetching coffee at the beginning since I would witness the production process first hand. I feel sure that this course will broaden my horizons in terms of job prospects and provide the platform I need to make the leap from student to employee. I am particularly impressed by the direct contact and involvement with local media companies which is included as part of the course as this is something I would not be offered at Weston. It is very encouraging to see profiles of ex-students who have successfully entered employment for well-known Radio and TV companies on completion of this course. I very much hope that I might be considered for enrolment in September 2018 once I have succeeded in achieving the required qualifying UCAS points from my current course.
I have now been offered a place at Brighton which was my first choice so I have withdrawn my Southampton Solent application and will now start preparing to hopefully move to Brighton for the next academic year - assuming I receive the required 50% pass rate from Weston.