Diego's Joint/Media Savvy - The author created a marketing promo for a bar during a week-long work experience, shooting a TikTok video and photo series promoting drinks. They gained experience working to deadlines. New Enterprise Studios - During a voluntary week-long placement, the author learned practical low-budget filmmaking techniques and helped with set building. They created a short film and participated in a podcast about the industry. Networking - The author attended talks on building a media business and the industry's future in the region. They gained first-hand industry knowledge and insight.

1. WORK
EXPERIENCE
AND
NETWORKING
B1 Progression

2. Diego’s Joint/Media
savvy
- At the beginning of January, I started my work experience at Diego’s joint/Media
savvy where I would be observing and participating in their work and producing
our own project for the week. At the beginning of the week, I was tasked with
creating an original marketing promo for the bar and at the end of the week I
would present my ideas and ideally have a final product to show to the organiser
of the work placement. Throughout the week me and my work experience
partner created many ideas for the promo but eventually settled on two ideas, a
short video for TikTok and a series of photos promoting the bars environmentally
friendly drinks.
- We shot the video and photos in one day, experimenting with styles and angles
to make the drinks show in the image. The following day we worked on our
presentation and editing, I edited the photo series using photoshop and getting
feedback from the organiser to ensure I stayed on brand. After we had edited
the content, we presented it to the organisers and showed them our work from
the week.
- From this week's work experience, I gained helpful insight into the world of work
and working of deadlines and tight schedules, I believe that this experience has
helped me and will help greatly when completing my college course further

3. New Enterprise
Studios
- Unlike my work experience at Media Savvy, my time at new enterprise
studios was completely voluntary and arranged by myself. During my
weeklong work experience here, I observed and was taught about different
aspects of shooting films on a shoestring budget, as NES is a self-funded
and independent company, they rely heavily on networking and advertising
to bring in revenue, so when I was there, I was shown how to make
practical effects for cheaper and how to apply them to look realistic.
- Throughout the week I helped with their projects, this involved set building,
painting and woodwork. At the end of the week, my work experience
partner and I we tasked with creating a short 2–3-minute video with
complete free reign of the studio and any props we would need. After
creating the video, we were invited to speak in an episode of a podcast that
one of the organisers runs called ‘Movie Madness’, we spoke about the
future of the industry in the northeast and the studios being proposed by
Fulwell 73.
- This work experience gave me a realistic Insite into the independent Film
industry in the northeast and how it will be getting easier as more
development is happening in the field with the extra investment in the city
from the government being a big factor in it.

4. Networking
- During our time at college, we've had many opportunities to have talks with
people and visit different places with our class, all of this has helped build our
network and give us knowledge about the working world of media.
- Lee axon – Lee came into the college in early 2023 and gave a talk about his
company ‘DigiFin’ and how he built his business, he explained how he stared it
by going into a car dealership and asking to shoot them as free commercial
which they agreed to. From there he has built his hobby into a successful
company and is continuing to grow it every day. When he came in, he tasked
us with creating a short advert for the college in less than half an hour which
was a good task to help us practice our skills. Overall, I'd say that Lee’s talk
was interesting and gave a good Insight into the world of freelance media.
- Sunderland University – In the past two years, we have visited Sunderland
university a handful of times on college events and trips. The first and most
memorable event that we attended was a lecture by Leo Pearlman who co-
owns the company ‘Fulwell 73’, he was speaking alongside a few other
creatives who were all discussing the future of the industry in the region. The
lecture was very interesting and showed how promising the future for Film and
TV is in the area.

5. Evaluation
- Overall, I would say that my work experience has helped me grow and develop skills
such as time management/organisation, idea generation and working in a team with
unfamiliar people. During my time spent at both Media savvy/Diego’s joint and New
Enterprise studios I felt like I gained a new understanding for working in the industry
as I experienced it in person and gained firsthand knowledge from professionals in
the field.
- My networking experience has helped with building insight into the industry in a
different way as it has given my testimonials and advice that you wouldn’t get
elsewhere. The networking has also built my confidence because it has allowed me
to talk to people and discuss topics that I wouldn’t do otherwise.