The challenge of finding a placement for my course was weighing heavily on me – it would be one of the most important ‘asks’ I had faced.
One of the main themes from guest speakers on our course began to echo in my head. Given the fiercely competitive nature of the film industry they had all emphasised the importance of continually asking for what you want.
This blog reflects on my early experiences in finding and getting started with my placement. I’ve found writing about it enriching and thought this quote was apt ‘one of the values of writing is that you can freeze the film: reflect upon one frame or a short series, then run the film backwards and review a previous scene in the light of reflections upon a later one.’ (Bolton and Delderfield: 2018, p. 138).
I will use the ‘Gibbs Reflective Cycle’ as an aid.
Description
Whilst working my part-time bar job, a company came in to shoot an advertisement for the bar. I noticed the videographers fleece had a ProfileTree logo on it.
Remembering that they attended the placement holder event I spotted an opportunity. Buildingup some courage to chat to him I took the leap of faith and asked for a placement. Expecting a big NO I was delighted a few days later to receive a big YES. First ask therefore successful!
The second ask was coming…
My first task was to cold call pubs, cafes and restaurants offering them a free thirty second advertisement to be showcased on ProfileTree’s social media page Amazing Food and Drink.
There’s me thinking I was going to be doing some editing on state -of–the-art tech in the office!
I had to secure a minimum of three shoots.
I was reasonably confident of my filming skills but had no experience of cold calling and felt unnerved at the thought of it.
I did some research, took a deep breath and with camera in hand made my first foray into the icy waters of cold calling. Fears quickly realised I was met with a NO on my first call; same with the next four and confidence soon at a low point.
I reminded myself of the old adage “every no brings you closer to a yes” as I approach Edge Coffee. Without hesitation and to my complete surprise they said yes, invited me in and allowed me full control of the shoot – it felt great!
First one in the can and confidence on the up as the next two calls delivered two yes’s – success at last and the three reels filmed!
I brought the footage back to ProfileTree where the guys were mightily impressed with my filming and the speed at which I delivered the three yes’s.
Feelings
Having initially been in the right place at the right time it felt like destiny that I would end up at ProfileTree. I was as excited as I was nervous for my first week and knew that I had to step up to the mark to ensure I could fulfil this destiny!
There was a lot of pacing up and down before I braved that dreaded first cold call. My mind was plagued with the negatives of what could happen rather than focusing on the fact that I had nothing to lose (beside the fact I might not return with any footage!)
Before entering the first business, I peered in, imagining what may or may not happen. I took a few deep breaths and dragged myself in to hear “sorry we aren’t interested, NO”. This wasn’t my imagination, it was reality and it happened again, again and you guessed it again. The constant rejections got rather frustrating but at each call I remained calm and just as persistent – surely everyone won’t say no…right?
I convinced myself that I was getting closer to that sweet exhilarating first yes and when I did it turned out to be a sense of relief as much as joy. All that hard work had paid off but there were still two to go, the show must go on. The high of receiving the first yes filtered in and I was delighted when the next two produced the same, positive outcome.
Salvation at last but I still had to edit and showcase the results to ProfileTree. Feeling more at home in the confines of the office, I could happily edit having overcome the first hurdle.
Evaluation
Besides the mental drain there were plenty of pros and cons to the overall experience. The main negative was the rejection of cold calling itself, not necessarily being denied but the feeling of being stuck in a rut. I tried to turn this into a learning experience and used it to it built my confidence. As I approached more doors I began to realise that I had literally nothing to lose and all to gain. This realisation made it far easier to keep going through rebound after rebound.
A major positive was the on-going development of my interpersonal skills gained during my pitches. As I built confidence it got easier to ask the question and engage and I found it increasingly easier to converse in a professional manner. This is a big plus to my overall development as I gradually learned how to properly present/convey myself. This will be even more important in the future as I attend interviews… Mulvey and Done state, ‘While these tests don’t usually have right and wrong answers (and shouldn’t really be called tests), employers will often have a preference for what kind of person they are looking for’ (2016, p. 195). Getting hands on experience of persuading someone to allow me to film and engaging with them maturely will be of great benefit to me when it comes to being interviewed.
Another positive was the feedback from senior people in ProfileTree. Their reaction to what I had done commercially was very satisfying. They were also very complimentary of my filming and editing skills. Their positive feedback was a great confidence builder and encouraged me to ask them if I could edit some of their own footage for another brand. I was delighted to get another yes to another question!
Analysis
Early on in the task things didn’t go well because I was far too nervous. No doubt I was showing this as I approached the people in the various venues. I was almost relieved to get the ‘no’ so that I quickly exit. I was allowing the rejection to get into my head and make me even more nervous for the next visit.
It was only when I managed to balance the feeling of being disheartened against trying not to take things too seriously that things began to improve. I found that I was becoming more resilient and my confidence gradually increased. With the first ‘yes’ I realised that persistence pays. This is particularly important in the dog eat dog world of the creative industries where jobs are hard to come by and competition is unrelenting.
The technical side went well for me and actually improved with my new found ‘commercial’ confidence which in turn allowed me to ask the question in ProfileTree to edit their footage for another brand.
Looking in on the situation as a whole I think it’s fair to say I stumbled early but quickly learned how to deal with what was coming at me.
Conclusion
To conclude, I now realise that I shouldn’t shy away from potentially awkward situations but rather embrace them. If anything, it was my constant commitment to the task that allowed me to complete it. If I had have let my initial frustrations dampen my enthusiasm I would not have been successful.
I learned that a positive outlook, resilience and persistence are keys to success.
I also learned that there will be knocks along the way that I have to take as learns, not as negatives.
I also need to feel confident in my role as a videographer and be comfortable enough to film without second guessing myself. I now feel assured that I can approach businesses as a free-lancer and expand upon the experience at ProfileTree. Having gone through this experience I feel I can enhance it even more, by going out of my way to put myself in those positions.
I now know that practice really does make perfect. I became less robotic with every person I spoke to. I acknowledge that a personal and relational touch is needed, as Gregory et al state that ‘In the creative sector, where small businesses dominate, the ability to sell ideas is absolutely fundamental to survival. Employers are looking for people who can explain concepts and enthuse or persuade others.’ (2008, p. 27). This understanding is essential to me as a learner as it gives me a taste of what is to come in the real world.
Action Plan
There is one quote I turn to when I’m full of self-doubt, stuck at the crossroads.
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
I would have never found success in my task if I had given up; I would have returned empty handed and none the wiser.
For future reference I’m going to have social media for my freelance work to advertise my own work and show what I’m capable of.
Looking back, I had to ask to get the placement; I had to ask the venues to film their businesses; I had to ask ProfileTree to edit their footage. With each ask came greater success.
The moral of this story is if you don’t ask you don’t get so keep asking the question!
Images
[1] Main, Paul, (2023), Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, Available at: https://www.structural-learning.com/post/gibbs-reflective-cycle (Accessed: 16th November 2023).
[2] ProfileTree ,(2023) Homepage, Available at: https://profiletree.com (Accessed: 16th November 2023)
[3] Instagram, (2023), amazing_food_and_drink, Available at: https://www.instagram.com/amazing_food_and_drink/ (Accessed: 16th November 2023).
Bibliography
Bolton, G. & Delderfield, R. (2018) Reflective practice: writing and professional development. Fifth edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Done, J. & Mulvey, R. (2016) Brilliant Graduate Career Handbook, 3rd Edition. Pearson.
Gregory, G., Healy, R. J., & Mazierksa, E. (2008). Careers in media and film: The essential guide. SAGE Publications, Limited.