WEX & EEP

Introduction

In this part of my portfolio, I will detail any work experience opportunities, explaining how they were beneficial and what I learnt from them.

Richard Belfield - guest Speaker 17/11/22

This week, Richard Belfield, an award winning television producer and director, visited us to speak specifically about documentary making and discuss some of his own work. Richard spoke to us about how he has worked and progressed in the industry over the course of forty years. It was very interesting to learn about his own story and the various challenges he has faced along the way, and how he overcame these. One of the key pieces of advice that Richard gave was to always be open and honest when talking to people, as that way, they are likely to feel more comfortable talking to you and put trust into you when discussing sensitive topics. Richard told us about how he had travelled across the world, seeking out stories which would interest people and could be developed into a short film. Whilst this is perhaps a complex way of generating ideas, Richard also said that he often finds his ideas through newspaper articles. Personally, I found this session very interesting as it gave me a sense of what real life documentary making could look and feel like. After having listened to Richard, I will now endeavour to watch some of his own work to study the techniques that he has used.

Action Jackson - guest Speaker 07/12/22

This week, Action Jackson, a motivational speaker who promotes the importance of happiness, held a lecture in the main hall for us to attend. During the presentation, Jackson spoke to us about his own personal experiences and how he has worked his way towards where he is today, explaining his own journey. Throughout the talk, he emphasised the fact that it is more important to feel happy, content, and fulfilled in the job that you are doing, rather than focussing solely on money. I found this talk very fun and engaging and it has encouraged me to think about ways that I can feel happier within my own life. I will continue to research some of the methods that Jackson explained further. I have included some photos from the talk below.

A Christmas Carol - Live Editing 08/12/22

Today, in a small group, we were given the opportunity to live edit 'A Christmas Carol', which was performed by members of the Canterbury College performing arts team. With two of us working the cameras, and two of us at the live editing desk, we were able to alternate the shots that we were recording. For some of the main sequences, such as the opening and the dance scenes, we used the wide shot to ensure that all of the action was in frame. On the other hand, for some of the dialogue scenes, we used some medium close ups to draw the viewer closer to the action. This opportunity was very insightful and allowed us to work with some industry standard equipment, giving us an idea of the possible jobs that are available within the TV and Film industry. This is definitely an option that I will explore further when thinking about my future.

'News and Views' Christmas Show - 15/12/22

Today, in a small group, we were given the opportunity to assist on the filming of the 'News and Views' Christmas Show, which is created and presented by members of the media department at Canterbury college. We were each assigned different roles to help out on the project, whether that be working on the camera, lighting, or sound. After making some adjustments to ensure that the set and presenters were well lit and would provide some continuity between shots, I was positioned on the static, main camera which was of a wide shot of the actors. I found this experience to be very informative and it allowed me to actively use some of the industry standard equipment that I had not previously had the opportunity to operate before. I have included some photos from the shoot below.