Dream Career

Once I finish college, I am attending Brighton Screen and Film School, where I hope to learn more and improve on my skills within filmmaking. I am also thoroughly looking forward to participating in high production projects and having the opportunity to work with new people and develop my skills. Hopefully, by the end of University, I will have a clearer idea of what path within filmmaking I want to take, and I will have figured out which aspects I excel in and what needs more work.

At the moment, my main goal is to become either a director or editor, since these are the two skills that I enjoy most and feel that I am best at. I would like to develop my media skills before this so that I can perform to the best of my ability. I intend to do this by working hard on all my University projects, and hopefully finding work experience placements and/or tackling non-education related work before I have found a permanent work placement after Uni.

Skills:

Editing (specifically on Premiere Pro, however also getting the hang of new editing software)
Initial ideas (coming up with the main idea for a project and expanding on that idea up until post-production)
Teamwork
Taking on board and reacting to feedback

Goals

To work on my pre-production skills (mostly research)
To gain more knowledge when it comes to the more technical things such as camera settings and advanced editing
To be more confident pitching my ideas to a group that I am working with

Research

I have done some research on some of the jobs I am interested in pursuing once I have left University. The jobs I mostly looked at was a Film Director, Editor and Production Runner.

Film Director:

"A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, production design and all the creative aspects of filmmaking." - Wikipedia

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/film-director

This website provided me with all the basic knowledge that I would need when aiming to become a film director. As well as this, the website included links for work experience / job vacancies that I can use when I begin searching for work placements within the industry.

The website also provided a list of skills that would be needed for this job role. I have marked these skills as things I think I am good at, and things I need to improve on.

creative flair
initiative and problem-solving ability
excellent communication
diplomacy and sensitivity
motivational and leadership skills
the ability to work under pressure
excellent time management
attention to detail.

Editor:

"As a video editor, you'll manage material such as camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects to produce a final film or video product. This is a key role in the post-production process and your skills can determine the quality and delivery of the finished result." - Prospects

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/film-video-editor

In the work experience section for editing, it is stated that I would have to produce a showreel. I do already have one of these, however I intend to create a new one after I have worked on numerous new projects.

The website also provided a list of skills that would be needed for this job role. I have marked these skills as things I think I am good at, and things I need to improve on.

a keen eye for detail and a critical mind
creativity and a passionate interest in film and video editing
patience and concentration
the ability to listen to others and to work well as part of a team
a high level of self-motivation, commitment and dedication
organisational and time management skills
the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
communication skills, both written and oral.

Production Runner:

"Production runners are the hands and feet of the production team. They copy the call sheets, sides, scripts, health and safety notices and other paperwork and run around distributing it to the crew. They take lunch and breakfast orders for the production office, do runs to the post office or other suppliers." - Screenskills

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/runner-broadcasting-film-video

The work experience section of this site states to "seize opportunities to gain experience at university, for example on campus newspapers, radio or TV stations", which I fully intent to do if the opportunity is presented.

The website also provided a list of skills that would be needed for this job role. I have marked these skills as things I think I am good at, and things I need to improve on.

strong communication and interpersonal skills
excellent time-management and organisational skills with the ability to work to tight deadlines
flexibility and the ability to think on your feet in order to find practical solutions to logistical problems
the ability to prioritise efficiently
good research skills
initiative and problem-solving ability
physical stamina and resilience
teamworking skills
the ability to network with a range of people (including actors, directors and caterers, among others)
the ability to remain calm and perform well under pressure
a proactive approach to work
an understanding of the industry
enthusiasm and motivation
a driving licence and your own transport - is usually necessary
a current first aid certificate and a qualification in health and safety