lewisspencerlearningcontract

[lewisspencerlearningcontract]

Post I. Bibliography

[lewisspencerlearningcontract]

Post H. Online Activity & Marketing

An essential and highly effective method of employment within our digitalised era is often processed through the internet. I’m currently developing, uploading and sending off my work online, and will continue to do so in the future as I evolve and grow, promoting myself as a filmmaker to companies and contacts.

[lewisspencerlearningcontract]

Post G. Experiential Learning & Career Routes

I intend on ambitiously working on as many different films as possible both graduate and external projects, taking on various roles but primarily those that involve assistant directing or producing to boost my experience within these specialisms. I will also try to obtain as much voluntary industry experience as possible to build credentials on my CV to support myself in mid-term and long-term careers.

My most enjoyed specialisms are producing and directing, however I must consider that these roles aren’t instantly available, especially within paid professional higher-end work. I must undergo a process of focusing on my short and mid-term goals in networking and contacting different companies ranging from independent to studio pictures, as well as consistently working on my freelance projects. I will ensure my CV is strong when handing into these filmic companies, and grab any work-related opportunities available to enhance my experience, and do whatever it takes to ensure I’m successful within my field of work.

[lewisspencerlearningcontract]

Post F. Self-Development in Filmic Specialisms

Being within constant education alongside working a part-time job and undertaking external projects has allowed me to flow with a highly determined mindset, always being ambitious with taking on lots of opportunities at once to allow myself to grow as a filmmaker. I very much value this work ethic in striving closer towards my future goals but know that even now coming towards the end of my Batchelors Degree at university, there’s still a long way to go. I intend to continue working hard on my short and mid-term goals, and follow a structure as seen below to support myself in progressing towards my long-term career goal.

Within my final year of my Batchelors filmmaking degree at Leeds Beckett, I will ensure that I produce a graduation film to gain further practical experience in this chosen field, whilst pulling ideas from my developing screenplays to formulate ideas for it. By doing this, I will have given myself the opportunity to enhance my producing skills at a much higher level from second year, preparing myself for professional work after I complete my degree. Ultimately, I aim to produce my own films in a long-term career within the film industry so I feel that obtaining as much producing experience with a full film crew will benefit myself greatly in the future.

After my final year, I intend on undertaking a master’s degree in filmmaking to further develop my existing practical based skills within the producing specialism. I strongly believe there’s always room for improvement, so aiming to best myself as much as possible early on both contextually and practically, as this will benefit myself as a filmmaker in the future. I will seek advice from my university tutors but primarily from Robert Speranza, my second year producing tutor as he has been very successful in this field of work and I could learn a lot of producing tips in discovering what it takes to be a successful producer within the industry.

[lewisspencerlearningcontract]

Post E. Experience & Skills

Before taking on filmmaking at university, I had completed 3 A-Levels in film studies, media and creative writing, which became significantly useful in developing my practical, theoretical and contextual knowledge/skills. I was able to evolve my stories from creative writing into screenplays, to which I had taken advantage of and used for the production of films and music videos when focusing on practical based work in film and media studies.  

Alongside my studies at college, I had ambitiously worked on various external freelance projects with college graduates and friends also studying similar subjects, allowing me to use my creative freedom in working on experimental, stop-motion animation and surrealist productions. In addition, I also worked part-time in a bar since turning 18 to provide myself with a steady income, and to develop multiple different skills in teamwork, customer care and finance.  

Also, during this time I had developed some work experience in professional filmmaking in advanced productions when collaborating with the likes of Hull College of Creative Media, Hull University, Studio 8 Northern Film and Hull Truck Theatre. I had undertaken roles such as an animator, assistant director and cinematographer in various short films covering stop motion animation, live action and drama. I was also taught how to use high-end professional equipment such as Avid software and cameras such as the Alexa Classic and Black Magic. I feel that all these areas and subjects have all individually enhanced my filmmaking skills at a university film school in different ways.

The outcome of learning and developing these skills has set me to a position where I know which area of film, I want to undertake. Due to having such a love for being on set and having a bold creative vision, I feel I’ll be most interested in pursuing entry-level jobs in screenwriting and production-based work. I read and study lots of books, film scripts and articles as well as watching lots of films to gain further inspiration for future films and strengthen my visual storytelling skills. At college, I had also worked as an all-rounder by making films only with the collaboration with actors, which I feel helped me discover where my strengths and weaknesses were as a filmmaker. My knowledge behind technicalities of cameras and editing in Adobe is inadequate, and so to improve here I intend to continue watching different types of films but also taking further classes/watching online tutorials to support these weaker areas.

[lewisspencerlearningcontract]

Post D. Desires & Goals

Short and Midterm Goals Timeline – Gaining Experience

Long-Term Goals Timeline – Developing Experience

My ultimate occupational long-term dream is to write, direct and produce my own films whilst getting paid to do so within the film industry. I feel that having a determined attitude and being ambitiously driven will lead to success in my goals, whilst additionally following the steps highlighted in my timelines below. However, before reaching these desires I aim to follow my midterm career goals in developing my practical based skills at a master’s degree level, joining the NFTS or working as a freelance filmmaker, setting up a small production company. Here I will build a well-developed portfolio of work through writing and producing as many films as I can, working with other specialised/experienced filmmakers within a well-established crew.

To gain a solid reputation for myself as a filmmaker, I aim to submit my films into various different festivals to make my people more publicly aware of my work. In addition, I will also develop websites, portfolios and showreels to add to my body of work, ready to present to contacts through online platforms such as Linked In and social media. My midterm career goals will not be so much financially focussed as I’ll be focussing on being as creative as possible and developing my work to a substantial level for professional submission and presentation.

[lewisspencerlearningcontract]

Post A. Introduction

My intentions of my Learning Contract are to explicate future desires within my career, examine entry routes into the film industry alongside over-viewing methods I can advance myself as a creative artist to fulfil my dreams in becoming a filmmaker. Throughout this presentation, I will breakdown and analyse topics within tree-like formulas and pyramid diagrams created on Prezi, containing areas I intend engage with and strive towards to assist my journey in progressing sufficiently in achieving my career goals.