Callum studied BA (Hons) Film and Television Production at Teesside University graduating in 2020. He now works in the University Marketing Department as part of our Video Team creating the amazing videos you see on our website and social media.
Why did you study film and TV?
I’d always been interested in video and was very much into the YouTube scene. I enjoyed coming up with new ideas and putting them together. When one of my videos hit 20,000 views with a whole host of comments, 14-year-old me knew he wanted to create entertainment in the future!
What was the highlight of the course?
One highlight was a Channel 4 documentary that we had to pitch in our second year. We filmed someone called Adam Alderson who was a multi-visceral transplant survivor. I wasn’t really much of a documentary fan, I liked fiction rather than factual documentation. However, once I got into the project as the Cinematographer, I realised that I had the ability to determine the look of the whole documentary just like I would a fictional entertainment piece and because of this it became one of my favourite projects. I was immersed in Adam’s incredible story as we filmed 3 hours’ worth of interviews with him and his wife, Laura.
After filming in the Yorkshire Dales, we edited it, and I had a chance to put together the teaser trailer for the documentary. This was a fantastic opportunity and started my love of editing which I think is now one of my best skills. You can watch the teaser and short taster tape here.
How has studying film and TV impacted your career?
I was lucky enough to get an internship with Wander Films, a local film company set up through the University’s Launchpad programme. I worked on my real-world skills, learnt from the people around me and met some really great companies and people. One of the more memorable projects was working with Europe’s largest magnet trader, it was a project I was really drawn to. On this project, I worked closely with a VFX artist who had worked on things like Harry Potter and Doctor Who. It was exciting to work so closely together, and I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside him and learning how to bring film and VFX together. You can see that project here.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to study film and TV?
When I was considering university, I struggled with the idea of doing film and TV as a degree because I didn’t think there would be many opportunities after University. I thought everything was in the South. But it turns out, there are so many opportunities available. There are a multitude of different video organisations around the North producing ads. Businesses these days have internal video teams and most recently big studios like The Northern Film & TV Studios, in Hartlepool, are being developed which will bring more big names to the north. If things like this are holding you back, please don’t dwell on them, as there is no better time to get into film and TV than now.
By Callum Neve.
