digital film tools and workflows, to further the medium’s future. If you could fix one thing about the way people work, what would it be? Film crews are now, more than ever, pushed hard to produce eye-catching content. Workers are often expected to travel and set up base in locations that are considered ‘high-risk’ areas, exposing the crew to threats we are not officially trained for. It is my passion to work with schools around the world to implement ‘hazardous environment training and first aid’ as part of the film education curriculum. What advice would you give to someone seeking a career in the media industry? The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing, keep improving, keep evolving and striving to be part of stories you feel should be told to the world. If you wish to follow me, my Instagram is @jm_fnf.
MORAL OF THE STORY? DON’T BE GOOD AT A JOB YOU DON’TWANT!
stereographer, compositor and virtual cinematographer.
It is easy to forget that the film industry is a job with high risks. The best? Working as a crew member on the flight-mission One More Orbit and setting the new Guinness World Record for circumnavigating Earth over the North and South Poles. What has been the biggest change in the media industry between when you first started and now? Early on, most film productions were shooting analogue. It’s been an interesting ride as part of the digital transformation, and one of the people with the opportunity to invent new
Did your education prepare you for the work? I started my undergraduate in maths and physics, but moved to a BA (Hons) in cinematography from Norway/Wolverhampton, UK. I took a three-year break to work in the industry, then was lucky enough to be accepted as one of the eight students to study a masters of cinematography at the NFTS, UK. What was the worst day at work you ever had? Experiencing the death of a colleague.
talking about!” College is important and transformational for many, but I had a chance to learn so much at an early age working in this industry. It’s one of the few left where you can start at the ground level, find what makes you happy and go from there. What was the worst day at work you ever had? And the best? It’s a roller coaster. Our clients mean a great deal to me, so I take how they feel about us and our work personally. Covid-19 has been very challenging. Among other things, we lost some valuable members of our team, which had a pretty wide ripple effect. I received a call not long after from one of our most valued clients, letting me know how disappointed they were with the impact this had. That was a very bad day. But every tough situation is an opportunity. After that call, the whole company pulled together, working tirelessly to turn the situation around. It was truly inspiring. On our next call,
the client told us our new metrics were excellent, and they were grateful for our hard work. This was probably the proudest moment I’ve had in a long time. What has been the biggest change in the media industry between when you first started and now? One interesting thing has been the reinvention of episodic content. Lines have blurred across film and TV. Today, TV is the dominant water-cooler conversation, and the rapid expansion of streaming platforms has driven quality to cinematic heights. In this ‘post- broadcast’ era, movie stars like Meryl Streep and Kevin Costner are on the small screen, and streaming platforms produce movie-esque TV shows with film-scale budgets. It’s very cool. If you could fix one thing about the way people work, what would it be? We need to make the exchange of information more automated, accessible
and secure. Companies like ours would be even more efficient if we could focus on capacity planning, scaling and project management to support clients’ needs. We rely on our information systems and technology infrastructure now more than ever, and collaboration will become even more essential as the media landscape keeps evolving. What advice would you give to someone seeking a career in the media industry? Getting through the door is easier now than it’s ever been, and the industry is full of exceptionally talented people who are willing to mentor the next generation of innovators in every area. If you’re flexible and open to ideas, willing to put in the effort and have a passion for learning, you can thrive. Your career path could be almost anything, whether you’re a creative, numbers or people person. Ask for what you want, don’t wait for someone to tap you on the shoulder. And ask questions… lots of them!
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