One day I would love to be a film producer, but it is becoming clear that I have a very long road ahead of me!

For 6th form I chose a creative college and studied media, where I made a variety of physical media which was good practice for planning and producing, and set me up for my next Production Assistant course where I created a couple of short films. I was very lucky during this course to be given a month long work experience on a feature film (budget £850k) set as a production runner. It was long days and hard work, but I loved it. It was shot in various locations over that month and some days I found myself having to commute over an hour each way to set. Luckily my expenses were paid (but my labour was given for free!).

After completing the course I started to look for more running work, which was very time consuming, and extremely hard to find. Multiple times a day I was checking Facebook groups and other social media/websites, desperately trying to find productions that were starting to shoot. After sending my CV off to what felt like hundreds of production companies, but never getting a reply, I finally heard from someone who offered me running work on a horror feature film, but then funding fell through and the job was cancelled. Imagine my frustration!

Luckily the producer decided to use some of the locations he had secured to shoot a short instead, so I was able to get on-set unpaid experience with him. I met a lot of great people on that shoot, who I am still in contact with today. Through college, I was then able to get production runner (again, unpaid) experience on a lower budget feature film.

After another period of no luck, I decided to reach out to a producer that I have become close to on the first feature film and she said if I could get myself to the Canaries, I could get some (unpaid) experience on set on a Hollywood action film with an A List Director and actor. I couldn’t believe my luck. However, the shoot finished earlier than expected, and my chance to have this amazing experience didn’t pan out, as the production team had been too busy to organise my trip.

Thankfully, not long after this I found work (through a Facebook group – People In TV: Runners) on a low budget short (£10k), not too far from where I live. Again, I received expenses, but no wages. It was on this project that I felt most comfortable in my role and worked to the best of my ability. My fellow runners joked on set that I was ‘Head Runner’, as I had the most experience on set, so naturally, I ended up leading the team to make our work most beneficial, and it didn’t go unnoticed. I am hoping to work with this producer again.

I then discovered My First Job in Film, and that has been brilliant. I have applied for numerous roles (unfortunately it is rare to hear back) and was lucky enough to be interviewed for a 12 month contract in a media production house. I wasn’t chosen for that role, but they have just been in touch to book me for a days corporate shoot next week and I am happy to say that I will finally be paid for a day on set.

I have a couple of productions lined up (assuming their funding does not fall through) and some work experience on a well known HETV drama production. My advice to anyone wanting to get into the film industry would be to just persevere and keep sending out your cv as at some point you will get lucky. You can’t be afraid of rejection and you mustn’t give up.

The best thing about my on set experiences so far has been the amazing people I have met and the stories and wisdom they have imparted, and the friends in similar job roles on set that make each day a joy to be present on set.