1. Evaluation of B1
B1 allowed me to not only think about my next steps after college but allowed me
to create a brand and identity for myself using social media as a major platform to
get my work seen by potential clients and employers setting me up for my future.
Research into My Future Options
Upon completing college, I wasn't sure which progression route to choose to
further my knowledge and abilities. This unit allowed me to not only research the
different types of progression but also the jobs I could potentially aim to get in
the future and backtrack to see what progression routes could help me achieve
that and create progression plans. After concluding this research, I had selected a
few options that could help me in the future. I attended four university visits with
two of them organised by Sunderland College (Sunderland University and
Teesside University) and two of them more specialist universities that I had
researched when researching progression routes (The Northern School of Art and
Leeds MET Film School). These visits allowed me to determine that University was
not for me and allowed me to rule this progression route out. Upon completing
this research, I have since applied for the BBC Apprenticeship Scheme as a
Production Assistant as well as applying for countless other jobs such as crew and
touring opportunities in my specialist field of lighting, theatre and live events. This
section of B1 allowed me to fully investigate and delve deeper into the options
available after college it made me reconsider options and find new routes to
achieve the same end goal. It also allowed me to network with industry
professionals and potentially future employers that could aid me in achieving my
end goal. A networking opportunity that particularly sticks out to me is a visit
from National Theatre with their production of, "Jekyll and Hyde". I was able to
speak with the technical manager and the set and costume designer after
watching the performance, I was able to discuss the technical elements of the
show whilst receiving advice on how to get started in my own career. The next
day they were filming the performance, and we were able to go back and see
their multi-camera filming set up discussing how they did this as well as how it
worked.
Creating my Brand Identity
The importance of creating a brand identity for myself in the media industry was
something I was able to really develop my knowledge and understanding of when
2. researching what made a good and recognisable brand that would stand out from
competitors. In order to create a brand identity I began with researching what
goes into creating a professional media industry CV that would be suitable for
applying for jobs within the industry as I was unaware of the differences between
a regular CV and an industry CV where I was able to attend lectures and video
calls gaining advice and tips on how to present and what to include in a CV which
would stand out to an employer. Alongside creating a CV, I also developed with
help from those lecturers and video calls as well as support from the college a
personal statement/cover letter which I would be able to take with me into
industry. B1 allowed me to create a brand for myself by allowing me to research
and delve deeper into logos, brand identity and advertising. I was able to conduct
research into what makes a logo stand out, the importance of recognisability and
colour schemes. I was able to create my own logo colour scheme and business
card which I now have as a brand pack that I can use in the future to keep brand
continuity.
Brand and logo themes
3. During this unit, I was also able to develop a digital portfolio in a showreel. This
allowed me to develop my skills not only in camera but my editing skills as well. I
have also been able to develop my knowledge of the industry and the steps it
takes to become known and get jobs for example creating a showreel this has
allowed me to research into pre-existing showreels to understand what I like and
do not like about them and subsequently create a showreel that reflects me as a
practitioner whilst engaging my intended target audience. Adding to my digital
footprint I have also created a Create Britain Profile aiding me to do this we had
the chance to attend a video conference with the creator of Create Britain which
allowed us to understand not only how to create a profile but the reasons for why
we were creating the profile and the importance of connecting with other
creatives.
Undertaking Networking Opportunities
Over my time studying Level 3 Creative Media at Sunderland College, I have been
exposed to a wealth of networking opportunities such as visiting universities,
meeting industry professionals both in person and online as well as being able to
participate in a select number of workshops delivered by industry professionals.
Throughout both years on the course, we were able to visit Sunderland
University, this was helpful as in the first year it allowed me to look around the
facilities and understand more about the courses and student experience if I was
to consider it as a higher education option. Although I now have ruled out the
option of studying media at a higher education level, these visits allowed me to
understand job gaps in industry as well as delve deeper into exploring the
different industries and job roles. On the 25th
of January BBC Look North came to
4. interview us on what the opening of Crown Works Studios would mean to us and
what it could do for our careers. As I have an interest in lighting i opted to do the
lighting for this which allowed me to practice studio lighting set up and colour
temperature and the impact it can have. This opportunity also meant we could
work with industry professionals on something that would be broadcast the next
week, allowing us to work on professional practice. Most recently we were able to
work with Tricia Scott the Founder and Editor of The Female CEO, this opportunity
was one of the most impactful ones as not only did she discuss her career and the
path in which she took as an entrepreneur but she also gave us the opportunity
by working in teams to have an article published on her website. The challenge of
a live brief and the time constraint of only a few hours allowed us to experience
what a day in the life would be like in industry as well as seeing if we could cope
under the pressure. Through having the opportunity to meet Tricia at college I
was also able to get in contact with her with the potential to work with her in the
future.
Overall B1 has allowed me to meet people and have experiences that can benefit
me in my future career and give me a taste of what life in the industry would be
like. The experiences I have been exposed to allowed me to gain skills that I can
take with me as i progress into industry and aim to develop my skill in lighting
hopefully progressing into a senior lighting technician in the future.
