The importance of a plan

Initially the thought of taking on two work placements at the same time didn’t sound like a daunting task. Prior to obtaining both my work placements with Cinemagic and Profile Tree, I have had a few jobs with similar companies. Additionally, I have worked with Cinemagic before on a previous short film Perfect Strangers (Patrick Maxwell, 2017). These are areas I took into consideration when drafting my first C.V. However, during my first two months working on these placements, I have learnt fundamental skills in the organisation of my time, between university, personal life, filming, workshops and attending film screenings. As an individual who plans to work as a film producer, these skills were invaluable to me. 

Profile Tree

Before researching where I would be attending my placement, I had never heard about the company Profile Tree. They had reached out for video creators to join their team for one of their clients, Connelly Cove. Through research, I decided that this work placement would be important to my c.v. as a film student as it could provide me with future contacts, and it would also give me an opportunity to create professional videos for my portfolio. When drafting my c.v. and cover letter for my application for the video creator position, I researched their website and social medias so I could use any information on the company to better my chances on obtaining the placement. As Alan Jones explains, ‘during Application those finally selected for interview will be those who have given clear, concise information, and evidence, to convince the reader that they are worth seeing’ (2, 1990). For me, the most significant aspect of creating my application was the research I had done into the company before applying. Previously, I would have sent the same c.v. and cover letter to each company. I have learnt how important it is the curate each c.v. and cover letter according to what the company wants and what they are about. 

At first, I felt intimidated by the tasks I was given once starting my placement at Profile Tree. The projects assigned to me were simple to understand and easy to carry out. However, I fell behind in my first week of filming for the company. It was my first time on my own, filming the busy city of Belfast and I felt daunted by the many people around me. I had also challenged myself to film night shoots, which I have never done before. It wasn’t until I reviewed the footage, did I realize night shoots made it a lot harder to achieve high quality images. In my second week of placement, I decided to reshoot my first video, where I concentrated on getting high quality smooth shots. As Lucy Baxtor explains, ‘schedule in contingency time for any unforeseen technical, logistical or personnel issues and ALWAYS have a bit of money put aside for these things, too’ (215, 2017). I was two videos into my placement, before I started getting into a comfortable schedule of filming and editing for the company. Having experienced the pressure of not having previously organized my time and having done research for my films, I now understand the immense importance of pre-production and planning. 

Cinemagic

I worked with Cinemagic on the weekends, where I helped at their screenings and workshops for their annual film festival. Prior to obtaining my placement with Cinemagic, I have worked with them on the short film Perfect Strangers. I was able to contact the people I had previously worked with from the company. As explained by Georgina Gregory, Ros J Healy and Ewa Mazierksa, ‘the best chance of finding work is contacts, word of mouth and referral’ (115, 2008). Nevertheless, I was able to add this credit to my c.v., which aided my chances of obtaining the placement at Cinemagic. For me, the most important element was the fact I had previous experience with the company and I knew who to contact to secure my placement. Having applied these previous experiences with the company to my application, I have learned how significantly important it is to make those contacts for any further opportunities that may arise. 

In contrast to my placement at Profile Tree, I was able to work and communicate with people. However, from the onset, I was thought the importance of careful planning and delegating. For several of the screenings in one of my first weeks on the placement, we had a problem with the number of tickets that were available to buy online and ended up having way more people than planned at the event. The seating plan had been organised prior to the event and we were able to seat the individuals who came on the spare seats in the lecture hall. We were all given individual tasks such as seating people in the proper seats, checking names and tickets. William J. Byrnes states that ‘without proper planning, good organisation, creative leadership, and some control over the enterprise and its budgets, the chances for success are greatly diminished’ (2015). Ultimately, I learned the importance of prior planning for mistakes and having those solutions planned out before the event. 

As I prepare for my final year as a film student, I aspire to improve my skills at time management, planning and research. This is something that I didn’t take into consideration while starting my internships. Invaluable to the application process, would be the research I had done into each company. The skills and contacts I have acquired at my placements will make me more employable and adaptable in my future career. Nevertheless, you can never underestimate the importance of having a well thought out plan.

Filmography:

Maxwell, Patrick. Perfect Strangers. 2017.

Bibliography:

Baxter, L. (2017) Running a creative company in the digital age. Harpenden: Creative Essentials.

Byrnes, W.J. (2015) Management and the arts. Burlington, 5th ed. MA: Focal Press.

Gregory, G., Healy, R., Mazierska, E. Careers in Media and Film : The Essential Guide, SAGE Publications, 2008. 

Jones, Alan. How to write a winning C.V. , 2nd ed. (London : Arrow Business Books, 1996).