I talked to a guy called Toby Trueman from the video production company 'Heehaw'. He was a lovely guy, but it really just doesn't appeal to me. I want to tell stories and commercial work really just doesn't seem to allow for that. Here are my notes anyway:
-Attended Napier in 2005, but dropped out
-Worked freelance as an editor (eg. Schoolplays, converting VHS to DVD). This wasn’t sustainable and he had a job on the side.
-Got assistant editor role at Heehaw. Mostly made tea and logged data
-Cut on Final Cut
-Now primarily Adobe Suite (Edits sound on Premiere too)
-If you can know or do a bit of anybody’s job, you’ll make yourself an indispensable part of the team
-Got a job in producing, which led on to writing and directing.
-If you’re the first one out the door, you won’t be trusted. Make it clear you’re passionate about the job
-For the placement, they're looking for people who can get involved in other people’s work. Need people who can show positivity. Less about skill and more about the person.
-50 projects on the go. 17 team members. Fully booked 2 months in advance.
-Show them your work etc.
-Most jobs intended for social media
-Need to jell with team
-Doesn’t look at degree, just at whatever work you’ve done before.
-Directors should have several showreels; Producing reel, commercial reel and montage reel.
-Showreels might be asked for that show you can work with animals or children etc.
-Mood films: You might be asked to make a trailer from pre-existing films. Eg Shots/tones. Everyone will know the kind of film you want to make
-If you’re afraid to answer the phone, YOU WON’T MAKE IT. You need to be confident on the phone.
-Sometimes client ideas are terrible.
-If you can write, you’ll go far
-A lot of directors start as producers. At Heehaw all producers also want to direct at a certain level
-Leave your ego at the door. You will start doing small tasks
-Maybe look at editing as a start
-Film supply, Unsplash, Shot Deck, Colour Palette Cinema, Adobe Colour: good for moodboards/references
-At Heehaw you’re unlikely to get hired if you’ve never been on a commercial shoot before. Just short films isn’t enough.
-If your showreel is, for example, only horror films, then you won’t work commercially. Clients want to see you’ve made their type of film before.
-Never fall back on one project. Always have several going at once
-When you’ve finished a project, archive all of your work on it
-Film Edinburgh
-Cloud Break Pictures is the sister company for Heehaw; it produces original content
-BBC online; submit ideas
-Encourages writing treatments for and considering directing animation
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