I graduated from The University of Derby in 2018 with a BA Hons in Media Production as I always knew I wanted to work in the film and TV industry.
Then I moved down south for more work opportunities. I was posting my CV in groups for people looking to get into the industry and was contacted by a post-production company in London offering me ad hoc running work. I ended up working for them pretty much on a full-time basis freelancing.
It was such a valuable experience for starting my career and getting first-hand insight into how the industry worked. It was also quite surreal seeing the likes of Lena Heady from Game of Thrones casually strolling into the office for a voice-over session.
Being a runner
Being a runner is definitely hard work (you are running around a lot, it’s in the title!).
My day-to-day duties included keeping edit suites tidy, providing refreshments to staff and clients, booking transport and couriers, stock orders, setting up meetings and general receptionist duties.
The hard work is definitely worth it as staff are often more than happy to talk through specific work areas you are interested in.
Working at Sussex Film Office
When the pandemic hit us I was out of work as I was unable to work from home as a runner. I spent most of my days contacting companies for work opportunities with little to no response as understandably it was a hard time for all of us. Trying to break into the industry with little experience made it extremely hard.
I contacted Sussex Film Office and was offered some ad hoc work which led to my full-time position with the company now as a film office coordinator. After being with the company for almost a year, and taking on such a big and fulfilling role looking after clients through their productions from start to finish, I can’t wait to see where my career in the film industry takes me with Sussex Film Office.
What is Sussex Film Office?
The Sussex Film Office is a dedicated one-stop shop for all production types and budgets in and around Sussex.
Our comprehensive range of services include a whole range of production support including location research and location sourcing, managing crew, cast and industry suppliers, together with a liaison service for companies and individuals planning filming or photoshoots in the area
The hardest part of the job
Film-making is fast-paced and time is of the essence. This requires a lot of hard work and planning in detail. The logistics of creating a production can get complicated and very time-consuming.
However, it’s so rewarding fulfilling a request, helping on a production and seeing the final results.
