Getting into the Film and Directing Industry

Of course, breaking into any industry can be difficult, especially with the competition that can often be found in videography, photography and direction. With the right level of experience however, and connects it is possible to land a great job.

In a recent interview with Director, Ashleigh Jadee, the ex-videographer speaks on how she assisted on her first set with a colleague from Primark and later began working as a freelancer shooting BTS footage as well as full music videos. Ashleigh has worked alongside the likes of Ms Banks, Ambush, Suspect, H&M, House of CB and many more starting with Scorcher and Wretch 32 when she was only 19 years of age! Ashleigh also touches on how key networking is and states “Look around the people you’re around because there’s always someone... Just utilize what you have”.

A great way to start if you are not fortunate enough to have the connections and know the right people is by making your own content. When starting up, there’s no harm in offering people free shoots / edits in order to build a portfolio which showcases your work. Many people, whether that be music artists, brands, people looking to hire a videographer for their birthday etc will not be content with paying a rate with no evidence of the work they are able to provide.

Time and patience are key! Ashleigh Jadee would not have been where she is today if she didn’t have 10+ years of passion and drive in perfecting her craft. Another alternative could be to join a production company. However, being managed is not something that takes to everyone’s interest for several reasons and another option could be to be mentored. This could ideally be by a professional, a lecturer at university or as part of a summer workshop.

The University of West London has some great facilities for students to use where equipment can also be hired out from the Distribution Room.

Catch my interview with Ashleigh here: https://soundcloud.com/user-832388812-903346867/student-outreach-interview-with-ashleigh-jadee?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing