Film and Television Studies
Department Alumni Careers Event
Tuesday 26 January 2016
6.30 - 8.30pm
Contents
Introduction and Welcome
Alumni Biographies
•
Lucy Alfred, Bid Coordinator, Purcell
•
Ellie Coggan, Primary School Teacher
•
Ollie Coleman, Picturehouse Marketing
•
Robin Davies, Head of Production, Slam Films
•
Ian Francis, Director, Flatpack Projects
•
Philip Goldie, Production Assistant, BBC Current Affairs
•
Lisa Kerrigan, Television Curator, BFI National Archive
•
Stephanie Mulrooney, Account Director, Tomorrow People Marketing
•
Charlie Russell, Documentary Filmmaker
•
Sara Sesardic, Producer, Wise Buddah
•
Edward Smith, Freelance Videogame Critic
•
Pete Spencer, Development Executive, Big Talk Pictures
•
Rachel Wood, Freelance Video Journalist, Press Association
Departmental Careers & Skills Support
Useful Resources
Notes - a handy space for contact details
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Introduction and Welcome
Welcome to the second Film and Television Studies Department alumni careers
networking event.
This has been specifically arranged with your personal development in mind. We
want to give current students ideas about possible career paths and are delighted
to welcome back graduates from the degrees of Film and Literature, Film Studies
and Film with Television who have generously given their time to come and speak
with you.
Do make the most of this excellent opportunity for you to talk with graduates who
are working in a wide variety of areas: filmmaking, television, radio production,
journalism, arts management, marketing, bid management, and teaching. Through
one-to-one conversation, you will gain careers advice and valuable insights in an
informal and friendly atmosphere.
Think carefully about the questions you would like to ask of the very people who
were in your shoes a few years ago. Here are some ideas to get you started:
•
What strategies did you use get relevant work experience?
•
What do you like most/least about your job/work?
•
How did you find your job? Where was it advertised?
•
What recruitment process did you go through?
•
For those who have completed further training/qualifications post Warwick,
how did you go about funding this?
•
How have you acquired further relevant skills?
•
What professional bodies do you belong to?
•
How do you keep up with industry news?
We hope that you enjoy the evening and look forward to receiving your
feedback!
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Lucy Alfred
Year of graduation: 2010
Degree subject: Film with Television Studies
Brief summary of current job:
I work as Bid Coordinator for Purcell, an international architecture practice with
studios across the UK and in Hong Kong, Australia and India.
I put together tender documents for potential new projects, often with very short
lead times. These can be for new and existing clients and range from jobs at highprofile cultural locations like the Natural History Museum to private residential
projects in Mayfair.
The main bulk of my work lies in designing and laying-out bid documents which are
submitted to the client as part of the tendering process. This involves art-working,
graphic design, typography and copy editing.
Based in our London studio I focus on winning work in the capital, although I assist
on tenders for our regional studios across the UK if required.
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Brief summary of previous roles/experience:

Design and Events Officer – St Nicholas Hospice Care
For three days a week I designed and wrote internal and external
communication materials such as leaflets, posters, magazines and flyers.
These were for a range of audiences either promoting events and services
or providing clinical information on living with dying.
For the remaining two days I organised mass participation fundraising
events including runs, treks, swims, walks and anything else ‘hot, sweaty
and adrenaline-fuelled’. Alongside this I supported people in the local
community who took part in and organised their own challenges to raise
money for the hospice.

Project Assistant – National Trust
I assisted in the community engagement, learning and interpretation
development for a £2.5 million sustainable renovation project. This involved
organising and running regular meetings and activity sessions with local
families, as well as designing and writing newsletters and organising a
green-living festival.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
Above all I think the gravitas of a degree from the University of Warwick has stood
me in the best stead. Of course work experience is indeed essential, but there is
still a great deal of importance placed on the reputation of the university that an
applicant has attended. To be able to say you have studied one of the best film
courses in the world, at one of Britain’s top universities, is not to be underestimated.
I never wanted to work in the film or television industries, nor did I want to be an
academic. I simply wanted to study a subject I was passionate about, which excited
and inspired me. I figured that if I was going to spend thousands of pounds on a
degree, I may as well learn about something I enjoyed and was good at!
While I already sort of knew it from Media Studies at school, I quickly learned that
the film courses at Warwick were about so much more than ‘just watching films and
TV programmes’ (which our friends on just about every other course, apart from
maybe Theatre Studies, liked to think we did all day).
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To fully appreciate the art forms and their positions in the world you must have a
strong grasp on politics, social and art history, technology, literature, sexuality,
fashion…the list is endless. Our lecturers and tutors taught us all this, on top of the
skills of research; analysis; clear, concise, objective writing; and working to
deadlines.
The content and structure of the course alone put you at the top level of
employability.
The second most influential experiences at Warwick were my involvement in
organising events as part of Film Studies Society (which my year group set-up in
our second year) and the inaugural Keeno Kino team.
For Film Studies Soc I organised a careers talk from a Film Department alumnus
for my fellow third year students, as well as the obligatory socials at Kasbah,
Smack and the Union (yes, the old one, big up £1 drinks at Top B!).
With the Keeno Kino team I organised several film festival evenings in the upstairs
room at Kelsey’s. These events showcased the filmmaking talents of students from
across the university, not just the Film Department. We wanted to provide a
platform for our peers to show the films we knew they were making, in their
intended manner of consumption.
The events were a great success for everyone involved. Indeed, a member of the
team, who regularly showed his films at the events went on to premiere a film at the
Austin Film Festival in 2015.
I was also SSLC rep for the duration of the course and took part in WSAF 2010 with
a production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and a play written by my housemate.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
I suppose the best piece of advice I can give is: don’t compare yourself to your
fellow graduates. It might seem like everyone else has found their dream job, but I
truly believe nobody really knows what that is, not even when they’ve been working
for 20 years!
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Most people (me included) bumble along, developing their strengths and honing
new skills, until one day they realise they’re actually quite good at whatever it is
they’re doing and maybe they’ll keep at it for a while! Gone are the days where we
stay in the same job, in the same company for 30 years. The world is changing
quickly and it needs bright young things like you to adapt and move with the tide.
Just focus on what you’re good at and what interests you. Then, think about what
you want to develop in yourself and go from there. If your first job out of uni doesn’t
quite accommodate all those things, it doesn’t matter. You’re a fresh graduate and
have at least another 40 years of working ahead of you to fine-tune your career.
You’ll get there in the end.
And breathe. Always breathe. Everything is better after a nice, long, deep breath.
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Ellie Coggan
Year of graduation: 2009
Degree subject: Film and Literature
Brief summary of current job:
Primary school teacher. My main responsibilities include planning, teaching
lessons, assessment, marking, writing reports, conversing with parents, creating an
exciting and attractive learning environment in my classroom, and ensuring that I
am constantly promoting positive values.
Other useful skills include: the ability to act, sing, dance, administer first aid, be
proficient at almost every sport, draw, paint, direct plays, fix obscure ICT problems
and consume vast amounts of tea.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
Upon leaving university, I worked in PR for a few months, before working for a year
as a copywriter and proof-reader at an online marketing company. After realising
that I wanted a different career, I volunteered at a primary school for 2 months. This
(along with my copywriting experience) meant that I was able to get a job as a oneto-one English tutor at a secondary school, and then as a teaching assistant at a
primary school. My head teacher agreed to support me through a Graduate
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Teacher Programme with Wolverhampton University, allowing me to train as a
primary school teacher whilst being paid as an unqualified teacher.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
Teaching is an incredibly demanding profession, both emotionally and practically.
My time at Warwick, with the both the film and literature departments, prepared me
well for the academic rigour, and long hours, that teaching requires. Time
management is particularly important when training to be a teacher, and when
qualified. The demands of a film and literature degree at Warwick, along with the
excellent support provided, taught me how to be productive, whilst ensuring a
work/life balance.
Employers and other education providers have been impressed by the prestige that
a degree from Warwick affords. It is an advantage not to be ignored when applying
for jobs and postgraduate courses, and I have found that it has stood me in good
stead since graduating. The resilience and support network I built up whilst at
Warwick helped give me the confidence needed to make a career change.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
Don’t worry if you still don’t know what you want to do as a career – try as many
things that interest you as possible. Join clubs, take up hobbies related to your
areas of interest, volunteer with relevant organisations, and get as much
experience as you can!
For teaching: volunteer in schools (for at least a few weeks at a time), keep up to
date with education news, check you have the necessary qualifications, be aware
of application deadlines, and start drafting your personal statement early.
Teaching is a profession that requires a lot of dedication and hard work. It is also
incredibly rewarding, varied and fun, and I truly believe it to be the best job in the
world!
Useful websites: www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching,
https://twitter.com/getintoteaching, http://www.theguardian.com/education.
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Oliver Charles Coleman
Year of graduation: 2012
Degree subject: Film with Television Studies BA
Brief summary of current job:
Currently I am working as Marketing Executive at Picturehouse Entertainment. My
day to day role involves working across the marketing and publicity for the titles that
we distribute around the UK and often worldwide. I specifically chat with subdistributors around the world who are screening our films (which range from
arthouse feature films to live broadcasts from NT Live, RSC and Bolshoi Ballet) to
ensure they have all the assets required, are on top of the exhibitors they are
working with to ensure they are promoting our films and helping think of further
marketing ideas. I also am part of the team that looks after the press side, either by
working with an external PR or agency or by running the campaign myself (which
includes sending out press notes, pitching features and reviews into the press and
talent handling).
I currently also write for and edit Front Row Reviews, a film website with about 15
other writers. We review both theatrical and home entertainment releases as well
as covering festivals (when we are able to get around). I have been writing for them
for about seven years now and have been lucky enough to be quoted on several
films posters and DVD art works.
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Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
Previously I worked as Publicity and Marketing Executive at Peccadillo Pictures
(where I had been for around 3 and half years), where I initially interned once I’d left
Warwick. By the end of my time there, I was running the department and in charge
of every publicity campaign across theatrical and home entertainment releases. I
travelled abroad to various festivals like Cannes and Locarno, where I was part of
the team watching new films to potentially bring back to the UK and looking after
any potential press that films we had in festivals around the world may require. As
with my current role, I looked after the press for our titles (which were all arthouse
feature films and short films) as well as talent handling. I helped with festival
submissions and various other admin including grants from embassies. During my
time with Peccadillo, I also helped to look after our DVD extra features by
conducting exclusive interviews when we had access to talent in the UK as well as
internationally.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs?
Wow – I could go on for ages. What my experience at Warwick gave me first and
foremost was confidence to know what I was talking about; this was through both
my wonderful degree and the extra society activities I took part in (Film Studies
Society, RaW, Warwick TV, WSAF). By putting myself into situations where I was
forced to talk with people often (many of whom I never knew), I grew confident at
networking and being about to talk about my work – which is massively important. I
have my degree to thank for the writing that I do for Front Row Reviews –
specifically Film Aesthetics and Theories of the Moving Image, which really taught
me how to look at film and be able to write about them. I often think of several other
modules; Hollywood, British Cinema, Spanish Cinema and Film History as some of
the modules that gave me a brilliant grounding in my knowledge of the history of
film but also grew my appreciation and interest in foreign language film. Generally
though, due to the sheer amount of films that I watched over the time of my course,
it illustrated such a wide expanse for the kinds of films out there and all the
opportunities of kinds of storytelling.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
Top tips? Go with your gut because it usually isn’t wrong. Be aware that there are
people around willing to help you and give you advice and jump right into the deep
end. I know this sounds like clichés, but there is a reason they are repeated over
and over again. I started my internship with Peccadillo the day after I finished my
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degree (partly because I was worried about how to pay rent in London but mostly
because I knew I was ready to jump right into the industry that I was passionate
about). It is also important to manage your own expectations – that’s not to say
don’t be ambitious but realise that just because you have the degree doesn’t mean
you are going to run the company right away – you still have a lot to learn, believe
me I am still learning every single day. I wasn’t that aware of film distribution but I
understood the need for it, so I look at a list of those who were doing something I
was interested in and then phoned them. Most asked to email a CV and I had to
wait, but there isn’t any harm in doing that. Just keep going because if you are
dedicated you will succeed.
Alumni Career Story
Name: Robin Davies
Year of graduation: 2006
Degree subject: Film with Television Studies
Brief summary of current job:
I work as a Head of Production for new film and television production company
SLAM Films, founded by Stephen Mangan, Andrew Lincoln and Louise Delamere in
2015. SLAM’s first TV commission was Birthday that screened on Sky Arts in June
2015.
As a new start up my position is fairly broad but with a focus on the practical side of
progressing a varied slate of film and TV projects. Anything from reading and
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reporting on submissions to tracking and coordinating legal documentation and
shepherding all projects through development and (hopefully) into Production.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
I have worked in a range of positions…
After bizarrely Boom Operating on a feature film (!) I really started as Producer’s
Assistant to Elizbeth Karlsen at Number 9 Films, which was a great foot in and
gave me enormous exposure to all facets of the development, production and
release of feature films (Made in Dagenham, Sounds Like Teen Spirit). After a
brief stint in production offices (Sherlock Holmes II), I moved across to largely
focus on legal delivery and coordination of feature films to the international market.
I worked closely with a Post Production Supervisor ensuring relevant financiers,
sales agents and distributors receive legal and physical delivery of a project
(including Suffragette, The Lady in the Van, Wuthering Heights). Concurrently I
also worked closely with Producer Kevin Loader and Director Roger Michell on all
their projects at Free Range Films, and am now developing a feature I will produce
with Kevin Loader.
In amongst this I maintained my production skills, coordinating a couple of feature
films (How I Live Now, Le Week-end) and production managing additional
photography on The Inbetweeners 2 and producing a short fillm called The Last
Bus with another Warwick graduate, Tom Ludlam.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
I landed my first role after a month long internship and think that I was given a full
time position after impressing Stephen Woolley (Number 9 Films) with my
knowledge of film history and international directors; something he said was lacking
in many interns that came through the office! Whilst a large proportion of my career
has been around ‘physical production’ (coordination, delivery etc) having a wealth
of film and TV reference to draw on during development sides to jobs has been
invaluable.
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Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
It’s a tough nut to crack but I can’t stress how invaluable getting a start in anything
is. If you want to work in production, take any chance that comes your way –
making tea, delivering rushes, set running – as you just never know where it will
lead. I was fortunate enough to have parents who lived close enough to London
that I was able to bunker down with them until getting a regular income, but in the
early days it is just about exposing yourself to as many people in the industry as
possible and being willing to impress and learn.
There are great trainee schemes available through skillset, BFI and Creative
England but I just targeted independent production companies, many of which are
always looking for enthusiastic interns, and even the bigger ‘corporate’ players,
such as Working Title, BBC Films and Film4.
It’s vital to have an end game in mind and tell people that is where you want to end
up, but even if you are making tea for a producer and want to be a Director of
Photography, ensure you make the best possible cup of tea you possibly can so
that you can get a trainee camera position on that Producer’s next project. The
industry is an incredibly small world and reputation goes a long way.
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Ian Francis
Year of graduation: 1997
Degree subject: Film and Literature
Brief summary of current job:
Director, Flatpack Projects
I’m a curator, writer and festival producer, responsible for the annual Flatpack Film
Festival which takes over Birmingham every Spring as well as a range of yearround projects and events.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
After a brief post-graduation stint in a sachet factory I spent five years at
Birmingham Film and TV Festival, working my way from volunteer to programmer
via marketing and education events. When I left I set up my own regular film-night,
7 Inch Cinema, which led to a number of other mobile cinema projects and
eventually spawned Flatpack in 2006. Alongside this I’ve worked as a freelance
programmer and consultant for various organisations including the BBC, Film
Council and Independent Cinema Office.
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How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
Being able to write and communicate clearly and engagingly has been crucial
throughout my career, and this is definitely something that I developed at Warwick.
A good grounding in cinema history has also been very useful, and when I’m
working silly hours towards a brochure deadline it feels very similar to a late-night
essay session. I could have been a lot more active on the extra-curricular front
while at university, but from a recruitment point of view the people who come to us
with a wide range of experience beyond their studies do really stand out.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
I ended up setting up my own business not because I was particularly
entrepreneurial, but because I couldn’t see anyone else paying me to do the kind of
work that I was interested in doing. However, the skills and contacts I developed as
an employee were invaluable in going freelance.
When I first started to seek work I relied on job ads and recruitment fairs, but
they’re only a part of the story and it’s worth thinking creatively about where the
opportunities might be in your chosen field. If you don’t know what your ‘chosen
field’ is, sample a few things as a volunteer and when you find something good, try
and make yourself indispensable. All of our core team including myself started out
as volunteers. However, be careful not to become a serial volunteer/unpaid intern –
put a value on your time.
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Philip Goldie
Year of graduation: 2011
Degree subject: Film and Literature
Brief summary of current job:
Production Assistant at BBC News Feature. I’m part of a small production team
working on The Travel Show, a weekly consumer journalism programme which
goes out on the News Channel and internationally on BBC World. The scope of my
duties is quite broad. I’ve been trained to operate a Canon C300 camera so do a lot
of self shooting, I research potential stories and recently produced my first feature
for the programme. I’m also responsible for the programme’s post production
workflow, managing the rushes each week and occasionally assembling rough cut
sequences for the editors.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
Production Assistant at BBC Comedy (through BBC Production Talent Pool),
Project Supervisor at BBC Studios and Post Production (through EMS
Recruitment); Data Wrangler on “Strictly Come Dancing” (through First Positions);
Behind the Scenes Camera on “Skins” and “Dates” (through personal connections);
Unpaid Intern at Irresistible Films (applied through Arts Hub); Unpaid Intern at You
Me Bum Bum Train (through Guardian Jobs). Along with other Warwick alumni I cofounded The Overlook Screening Room, a monthly film screening in East London.
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How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
My degree introduced me to many of my best friends, many of my favourite films
and has been a tremendous source of confidence and support since graduation.
When I started in the industry however, I found potential employers were more
interested in the extracurricular activities I took part in at university. Joining Warwick
TV gave me demonstrable experience using Final Cut Pro and industry-level
cameras, which I put to use in several short films I made with my classmates. This
was experience I could make direct reference to when applying for work on “Skins”,
shooting material for their behind the scenes documentaries. Manning the desk and
presenting a show on RAW impressed someone at a recruitment agency and led to
my first job at the BBC, on a project archiving old Radio 5 Live tapes. Even
apparently irrelevant activities such as volunteering at Nightline gave me several
transferable skills – good telephone manner, events planning - I could make
reference to in covering letters or interviews.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
The BBC run a scheme called the Production Talent Pool for a few months each
year, designed to recruit new runners and production assistants. If you get a place,
arrange to meet with the talent managers at the department you’re interested in.
Recruitment agencies like EMS and First Positions are a great way of getting first
jobs in the media, but as a contractor the hours are long and there’s no job security.
You should be able to find contact information on their website.
Emphasise your individual skills and experience; employers aren’t particularly
interested in your academic achievements or your gap year.
Figure out what you enjoy doing, try to push that in a direction that might interest
potential employers. If you make films, learn how to use professional equipment
and editing software. If you enjoy watching films, start a film event.
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Lisa Kerrigan
Year of graduation: 2003
Degree subject: Film with Television Studies
Brief summary of current job:
As a television curator at the BFI National Archive I select, document and care for
archive collections as well as researching TV history and working on BFI projects.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
After Warwick I did an MA in Film with Archiving and then worked on an educational
project digitising archive news material. Before moving to the BFI I worked in radio
in the BBC Archive.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
Learning to research film and television topics and write analytically about film and
television has been essential for me. The ability to assess and interpret film and
television critically is a huge part of my job and the film history and aesthetics I
studied as part of my degree underpins all of my knowledge.
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Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
For anyone wishing to work in audiovisual archiving I would recommend
volunteering at a local or regional archive and / or seeking an internship at a
commercial or national film archive.
Alumni Careers Story
Name: Stephanie Mulrooney
Year of graduation: 2010
Degree subject: Film and Literature
Brief summary of current job:
I’m currently an Account Director at a B2B marketing agency called Tomorrow
People in Birmingham. I manage a team of 3 people – a graphic designer, an
editorial manager and a digital marketing manager – to create content and
campaigns for businesses that sell products and services to other businesses. It’s a
fast-paced role, combining a bit of project management, business development,
creativity and all sorts of digital marketing skills – you need to know a bit of
everything for this role! We work with all sorts of companies in different sectors –
energy, telecoms, technology and software, among others. I love it because I get to
work on lots of different projects – no two days are the same, and the people I work
with are really talented.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
After finishing my degree, I sent my CV off to lots of different marketing companies
and agencies looking for work placements. I was lucky enough to find an internship
at a social media agency called We Are Social in London, working my way up to
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being an Account Manager for brands including F&F at Tesco, 7 For All Mankind
denim and Jacques Cider. Eventually I moved back up to the Midlands and worked
for a big, traditional integrated marketing agency, still specialising in social media
marketing, before starting at Tomorrow People about 18 months ago.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
I think the thing I loved most about Warwick was being surrounded by such smart,
talented people - it really pushed me to work hard, and to have confidence in my
own skills. Some of my course mates have become life long friends, and we
supported each other through the long hard process of job hunts and interviews
and internships…! Although my career hasn’t been directly related to film or
literature, the skills I learnt at Warwick have definitely been useful - being able to
take information, analyse it and make connections between different texts is really
valuable, whatever line of work you end up in.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
Marketing is a competitive industry, but passion, enthusiasm and preparation will
get you a long way. Don’t underestimate how important it is to get the basics right –
and how often people overlook them! Invest time in your CV and cover letter, and
make sure they are tailored to the role you’re applying for. Most importantly, if you
get an interview then spend a few hours researching the company before you meet
them, and prepare some questions – someone who can show that they really want
to work for you and are excited about the role is far more interesting than someone
who has all the right skills but comes across as bored!
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Charlie Russell
Year of graduation: 2002
Degree subject: FILM & LITERATURE
Brief summary of current job:
I’m a BAFTA and EMMY award winning documentary filmmaker, who makes films
for the BBC and Channel 4.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
I worked my way up through the television industry from a runner to a producer and
director. I’ve filmed with the Queen and George W Bush. My best known work is
“Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die” for BBC2 and “My Granny The Escort” for
Channel 4.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
What I learned about film at Warwick I use every day as a director.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
Be keen. Work hard. Don’t give up.
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Sara Sesardic
Year of graduation: 2010
Degree subject: Film & Literature
Brief summary of current job: Producer at Wise Buddah
Wise Buddah is an independent production company that creates audio and visual
content for radio stations and brands. I produce audio content, predominantly for
BBC Radio 2, as well as commercial brands like Magic FM, and brands like O2 and
Ladybird.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
I was a freelance assistant producer in radio, predominantly working on Heart
Breakfast in London, The Frank Skinner Show for Absolute Radio, and various
Radio 2 programmes for Wise Buddah. Before that, and after graduating university,
it was all about the work experience placements and internships. I did these at
Heart, Smooth Radio and Wise Buddah to name a few and started freelancing after
I won a BBC Radio 1 documentary commission for Wise Buddah as an intern.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
I was heavily involved with RaW, the university’s student radio station. This is
ultimately what set me up with the necessary experience and passion to get my foot
in the door. My Film & Literature degree was also invaluable - the research and
writing aspects have helped me develop my skills as a producer when it comes to
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writing pitches and scripts. Also, I always try and incorporate my love of film into my
work - my first documentary commission was all about vampires and our fascination
with them in popular culture at a time when Twilight fandom was at its peak. A great
excuse to analyse the transition from a leechy old man like Dracula to the hot, sexy
vamps of True Blood and Twilight!
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
Getting into the radio industry is all about your network - get yourself some work
experience placements and internships and keep in touch with everyone you meet
along the way! Radio Today also has a great website for all the industry updates as
well as job postings. And learn how to bake! Nothing makes you more memorable
than an amazing batch of home cooked cookies. I made some for my Heart
colleagues after my two weeks work experience was up and ended up working
there for almost two years!
Alumni Career Story
Name: Edward Smith
Year of graduation: 2011
Degree subject: Film and Television Studies
Brief summary of current job:
I'm a freelance videogame critic who writes for a variety of publications.
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Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
As a freelancer I've written for publications like The Guardian, Vice and Playboy.
I'm a recurring panellist on the BBC's Game On podcast and previously worked as
a full-time technology correspondent for International Business Times UK.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
My degree at Warwick was based around comprehension, reading and learning to
take critical approaches to a range of art forms, including film and television. These
are vital skills when it comes to working in criticism. Thanks to the knowledge I
developed at Warwick, in my current job and previous jobs I've been able to
effectively research factual information and process it into concise, readable
stories.
There was also a lot of informal learning. The time I spent talking with friends and
discussing films outside of classes gave me the confidence and perspective to
approach criticism as a potential career. I think to want to do any job based around
your degree subject, you need to have a love of that subject, and that spending
time thinking about your work with friends can help that to develop.
And whatever your interest, Warwick has an outlet. As well as contributing to The
Boar newspaper and the now sadly defunct satirical paper The Sanctuary, in my
final study year, I co-hosted a videogame discussion show on RaW, the student
radio station. The combination of these experiences made me want to pursue
writing, presenting and broadcasting.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
- If you're specifically looking to work in videogame criticism, make sure you do a lot
of reading. Critical Distance (www.critical-distance.com) is a great weekly round-up
of the best game criticism, and it'll give you a sense of what people in the industry
are talking about and in what directions videogames are headed.
- Be sure to use Twitter, a lot. Tweetdeck is a good Twitter client which allows you
to organise various feeds and access tweets much more easily than the standard
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Twitter site. Get it and try to follow as many game-makers, game critics and
publications as you can. That might seem like a strange and very specific piece of
advice, but knowledge is very important to this work and you don't want to have to
be playing catch-up all the time (like I did/still do.)
- Be prepared to write for free. It'll hone your ability and will give you a portfolio to
send to editors when you start pitching to paying sites. Some good non-paying sites
(i.e. sites that will get your work in front of a good-sized audience) include:
www.mediumdifficulty.com
www.unwinnable.com
www.borderhouseblog.com
www.fiveoutoftenmagazine.com
However, though more open than commercial publications, these still have an
editorial process. So, if you really are just starting out and you want to write
unbridled, then start your own blog or Wordpress site. As long as you're getting
words written, one way or another, it doesn't matter. You just need some good work
to show to editors.


Don't be afraid to approach people. If you want to pitch an idea to a site or
magazine, the contact details are usually on their websites and as long as
you're polite (and you spellcheck your emails) you usually get a response. It
won't always be a yes, obviously, but they won't bite your head off either.
Same goes if you want to interview somebody. Find the developer's website
and send an email. My first paid commission came from an interview
request that I sent out of the blue, when my only writing credentials were on
non-paying sites and my own blog.
Be original. Game criticism is absolutely stagnant at the moment thanks to
the same old reviews, the same old opinions, the same old approaches
being pushed around in circles. Find something new to say. Write about
different games. Give personal and idiosyncratic interpretations of games
people have otherwise looked over
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Pete Spencer
Year of graduation: 2009 (BA) and 2010 (MA)
Degree subject: Film and Literature BA; Film and Television MA
Brief summary of current job:
Development Executive at Big Talk Pictures. My job mostly involves tracking talent,
developing new projects with writers and directors, and working across a slate of
scripts from the initial idea up until when production finishes.
Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
After graduating, I began my career by interning at a film financier (Prescience Film
Finance), spending my days reading scripts and producing script reports on potential
projects in which the company might invest. I then gained a place on the Working
Title Films’s Action! Internship programme, where I worked across development and
production. I finished that job to become the assistant to Hossein Amini (Drive; Two
Faces of January), then assisted the writer John Logan (Spectre; Penny Dreadful)
before joining Big Talk Pictures as the Story Editor in 2013.
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How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
My BA and MA degrees exposed to me to a wide variety of different styles, genres,
and periods of narrative storytelling and helped identify devices that can have a
profound impact on the way a story’s told. It helped hone my research skills, which
are crucial when working with writers developing their scripts.
The close textual analysis skills Warwick’s Film department teaches are as applicable
to a script as they are to a finished feature film. My degree helped me think more
analytically and logically – if not sometimes a little too academically(!) – on a film at
script stage.
Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
Watch as much as possible, and understand why films may or may not have been
successful – critically and commercially. In the early stages of your career, it’s crucial
to show you can write and speak intelligently about film and the industry. Work
experience, internships, and entry jobs like runners or assistants will nearly always
involve writing reports on sample scripts, potential projects, and books in
consideration for adaptation. It’s necessary to have as wide a knowledge of film as
possible – both historically, which you’ll definitely get from your degree, and what’s
in development and recently released – in order to write informed and useful reports.
This skill is invaluable to any producer, production company and talent agency and
worth developing.
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Alumni Career Story
Name: Rachel Wood
Year of graduation: 2010
Degree subject: Film & Literature
Brief summary of current job:
Freelance Video Journalist at Press Association. This simply involves filming,
interviewing and editing together video news stories/packages for one of the UK's
oldest and most highly respected Fleet Street news agencies (founded in 1868!).
It's a very fast-paced job where breaking news (such as the Paris attacks) can have
you up, awake and working until 4am. You can be sent out to cover anything, so in
a single week you might interview David Cameron, the cast of Geordie Shore, and
Matt Damon, before filming a view from the top of the largest Christmas tree in the
world.
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Brief summary of previous roles/experience:
Worked as Studio Support at BBC Radio Stoke whilst studying for an MA in
Broadcast Journalism. Also did work experience for local and regional newspapers
and radio stations.
Became an Editorial Intern at Sky in 2011, then a Content Editor in 2012, then
Lead Content Editor in 2013, before being promoted to Editor. All these roles
were for the entertainment channel websites at Sky, and involved working on the
live Sky Movies Oscars broadcast. This work involved creating video and written
features and interviewing on the red carpet for shows like Game of Thrones, 24,
and The Walking Dead. My top interviewee has to be Sir David Attenborough.
I got on to the 2012 BBC Production Talent Pool and worked for The One Show,
and Glastonbury and Reading festivals on a freelance basis.
How has your Warwick degree/experience been of help to you in your
current job/previous jobs? (Please mention particular modules /skills
developed/society involvement etc.)
The film and literature degree taught me how to look at and talk about
entertainment (film/tv/literature/theatre…) in a critical way while retaining and
conveying the enjoyment of the original text, which is exactly what writing about TV
and Film involves.
The formal qualification adds weight to my opinion on film and TV, too. Not only in
job applications but also in conversations with people in media. If you happen to
come across the Editor of Total Film magazine at a press event and you sound like
you know what you’re talking about, it can be very, very useful.
Getting involved in writing, radio, and film societies at Warwick helped hone writing
and broadcast skills that are essential to work in media.
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Do you have any top tips/websites for current Warwick students
wishing to follow in your footsteps:
Top 3 things to work in media/journalism/television:
#1: If you want to be a journalist/features writer get your NCTJ qualifications (or
BJTC if you want to be a broadcast journalist). This is industry-accepted (and
usually required) journalism training. Any publication worth it’s salt will not hire you
without it, and those 4 letters added to your CV will open many doors. I would be
nowhere if I hadn’t done a BJTC course after my Warwick undergrad.
http://www.nctj.com/
http://www.bjtc.org.uk/
(Note: only needed if you want to be a journalist. Not necessary for working in TV or
production – there are lots of internships and starter schemes you can do to train in
this area)
#2: Work experience. Every Christmas, every summer, every break you should
apply, apply, apply to local papers, magazines, radio, online, or TV publications.
And get involved in every relevant society at university. Anything and everything is
relevant, and you’ll learn vastly different things from each publication. You can’t
have too much experience, and there’s no better time to do this than during or just
after university, as you will not be paid for this work.
#3: Passion. Magazine and newspaper editors, TV Producers, Production Execs…
they can smell it from a mile off, and they can always tell when your heart isn’t in it.
If you want to write you should have a blog, if you want to work in radio you should
do your own podcast, if you want to make films, make them with your mates.
Official work experience is great, but if you don’t have that then you HAVE to
demonstrate your passion in other ways.
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Departmental Careers & Skills Support
Film and TV Careers Guidance
With Sue Johnstone, Senior Careers Consultant. Every other Thursday morning in
term time in A0.08 (sign-up sheets are outside the room)
A 30 minute appointment is ideal for all students who want to
explore their future career plans. These are also available in
University House - check availability and book a slot.
Book an appointment via myAdvantage (http://go.warwick.ac.uk/myadvantage)
It is OK to book an appointment if you have absolutely no idea of where to start to
plan your career! Appointments can be used for a range of reasons including:
•
Discussing how to get work experience
•
Advice about making applications and developing CVs
•
Applying for further study
•
Interview coaching
Student Careers & Skills Representative
Daisy Richards is your Student Careers & Skills Representative who acts as the
liaison between students in the Film & Television Studies Department and Student
Careers & Skills.
Check out Daisy’s updates at
https://www.facebook.com/WarwickFilmTVCareers
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Student Careers & Skills
warwick.ac.uk/careersandskills
warwick.ac.uk/workexperience
Work experience
(and bursary support)
warwick.ac.uk/careersvacancies
Vacancies and internships
Warwick Careers Blog
careersblog.warwick.ac.uk
Careers on Facebook
www.facebook.com/WarwickCareersCentre
Prospects Planner
www.prospects.ac.uk
(What Job would suit me?)
@WarwickCareers Student Careers & Skills on Twitter
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My Notes ...
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