How do you get into film? Ask the expert Q&A

Ali PlumbHi, everyone, and welcome to our Q&A Getting Into The Movies. I'm joined here today with one of the UK leading experts Mr Gareth Ellis Unwin and with us also is Shanai who is from the Get Into Film collective.

ShanaiCorrect

Ali PlumbI love that phrase, I love the word, collective. Oscar winning producer Gareth Ellis Unwin not only makes Oscar winning movies, but is also the head of film and animation for Screen Skills the UK's go to organisation which helps young people get into the film and TV industry. So we put the word out, asking you guys to give us some questions for Gareth and you did not disappoint.So let's get into the first question. How did you make it into the industry Gary?

Gareth UnwinI did a B Tech National Diploma in Media Studies at a college called Ravensborne. And I graduated from Ravensborne with two skills I still use now. One is that I can still make a good cup of coffee or tea. The other one was that I could work a photocopier and those were the two skills that Day 1 in the industry I needed straightaway.

Ali PlumbWhat internships can you do before going to university? I got started, believe it or not at one of the old Harry Potter sets where I was doing work experience which was amazing enough begin with, literally doing the tie knots for all of the different students of Hogwarts, like, cos most of them couldn't do their own ties. So I was working with all the costume departments just going. It was mad.

ShanaiIt's important

Ali PlumbAnd that side of things really fascinated me and got my mind kind of racing as to what film making was actually about.

Gareth UnwinThe bigger organisations will offer internships. So work experience, or work shadowing, I think you have to be mindful of what you're trying to get out of that particular moment. And so turning up and thinking you're gonna be calling the shots or re-writing the script is probably not going to be what you're gonna get to do.

ShanaiI have had some experiences that aren't exactly what you think that they are, but I think on my CV, I think that looks good. Even if I was just making tea and coffee at least you're doing something. At least you are not sitting at home.

Ali PlumbSo how competitive is the film industry?

Gareth UnwinUm. I think you have to recognise it's a high stakes game. There's often a lot of money riding on a film success or otherwise. There's about ninety thousand people in the UK that are specifically working in the film industry. If you could take that comparison against the wider workforce throughout the whole of the UK it's quite a sort of narrow target, but it is there to be achieved and one of the things that we recognise in our industry. We need to get that number fifteen thousand people started in the screen industries to just continue to service this brilliant production boom that we're in at the moment. We need carpenters. We need electricians. We make up artists, costumers, props people, drivers, in the UK last year and I think it's something like two point four billion pounds was spent on film production. We were a very important part of the UK economy. We are now one of the world leaders in this space. People love making their programmes here.

Ali PlumbI think people forget that some big international movies that are set everywhere across the globe are also shot here. So Avengers movies are shot in the UK, yet the first Guardians of Galaxy was shot in London.

ShanaiCan I still get into the industry if I fail my exams?

Gareth UnwinI've often found when I had to recruit responsibility, it was more about the person that was in front of me than the qualifications that they had. And quite often what would make someone's application sparkle was those things that they did in the weekends, in the evenings and outside of the school curriculum that showed that real passion for these things. When people say, "OK, if I don't do well in my exams is over for me?" I say "No. Not at all." But make sure you're finding opportunity to really sort of give opportunity for that passion for the industry to shine.

Ali PlumbWhat can we do to make ourselves more employable?

Gareth UnwinOK, so there are some simple things. I'm afraid they're really un-glamorous. It's things like having a really good CV, your CV, is your calling card to the potential employer and I'm still really surprised when opportunity presents itself and people have to do a bit of a scramble to get their CV together and hear the I haven't quite got the latest credits on it, or I did that bit of work experience that's not on there. So your cv, you have to maintain that all times. I think the other thing is to make sure that you're treating it as a as a professional activity. So turning up on time making sure you know where the interview is taking place. Allowing yourself extra time to maybe deal with any sort of late running trains all those other things have you had any of those little stumbles yet?

ShanaiWell, I mean, I'm only seventeen and I'm currently in my first job. And my interview didn't go too well. But I got the job.

Ali PlumbOh, well. There you go.

ShanaiBut I was about half an hour late. I took a deep breath and I was very frank about being late and I was like I understand that it's really bad that I'm late, but I really want this job and I think I'd be really good. Sometimes, depending on the person is that personality that comes through and being able to just be yourself in front of these professionals because they are just people at the end of the day.Honestly, will always win the day.

Ali PlumbOK, that's about it for now. Thank you so much for watching thanks to Shanai and to Gareth for taking part and to you guys for giving us all the great questions.