I want to be a TV producer
Where did you go to school?
Forest Gate, London.
Which courses are you studying?
I’m currently studying Film Studies, Maths and Digital Media at NewVIc (Newham Sixth Form College) in East London.
How did you choose this particular college?
It was close to home and it had great facilities - lots of filming and editing equipment.
What’s it like doing these courses?
They’re really interesting. Studying makes me want to learn more and do better.
What’s the most surprising / interesting thing you’ve learned so far?
That maths can be applied to real life, to be honest. We’ve been studying statistics, and I discovered that my maths will help me with producing, as I can work out the probability of things happening and calculate potential profit too.
Would you like to do more training after this course? If so, what type of course and where?
I’ve got a conditional offer to do a degree in Content Creation and Broadcast at Ravensbourne. It’s a fast track course for people who want to be producers. I chose Ravensbourne because it has a great reputation and the description of the course on the website seemed perfect.
What kind of work experience do you have so far?
I did a week’s experience at Stratford Circus' Circus Media Centre working as a runner for a promotional video. It was really interesting – I got to see how things worked.
What kind of job do you want to do eventually?
I want to be a TV producer.
What do your parents think of your job prospects and your career ambitions?
They’re extremely supportive and they push me to do the best I can.
What are your tips for anyone who’s thinking of studying the same course as you?
Get as much experience as you can, get a good portfolio and work hard.
If you would like advice on creative careers and courses, contact a Creative Way Careers Adviser - either Matt Ball on m.ball@uel.ac.uk / 07889 001764 or Sarah Comerford on s.comerford@uel.ac.uk / 07515 051509.
Creative inspirations
Tim Burton
He’s not afraid to take chances, and he makes films for the fun and love of it, rather than just to make a profit. My favourites are Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice.
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
This is a controversial book that tells the story of a teenage romance, with racial prejudice as the background. I’d love to produce a version of this book for film or TV.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I like the messages the programme gives about teenage life and how you struggle through it. I also like how it’s progressed over the years. You can see how the advances in technology have led to different special effects.
Teachers at NewVIc
Some of my film studies and drama teachers at college really pushed me and encouraged me to get my portfolio ready so I could get into university. They’ve made me realise how much I enjoyed those subjects.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is such a phenomenon, and I love the way it took the world by storm so quickly. My favourite is The Prisoner of Azkaban – both the book and the film.
I know who killed me
This film was so terrible that it inspires me to do something better. It tried to be artistic but ended up really cheesy.
Joss Whedon
Whedon first wrote the script for a film of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the film was a complete box office flop. I admire him for carrying on, and making it into such a successful TV series.
CSI
CSI is based on such a simple idea – Las Vegas forensic scientists investigating crime – but it’s done in such a cinematic, highly visual way.
The Woman in Black
I found this play impressively scary. It made me realise that if a play can be frightening without using elaborate special effects, you could do something similar on TV.
Frida Kahlo
I like the way she didn’t try to be stereotypically pretty, and wanted to be appreciated for her art rather than her looks.