I have just finished working as a Production Trainee on the feature film ID2: Shadwell Army (2016), which was shot entirely in Hull. After a few years of hard work, gaining a place on Channel 4’s 4Crew and becoming a Skillset Film Trainee, both came together to provide contacts as well as funding to help me gain my first feature film role in the relatively small but amazing production team.  The film is a sequel to ID, released in 1995, and had two incredible Producers, Sally Hibbin (Ken Loach’s producer) and Patrick Cassavetti [Brazil (1985), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)] who both felt very strongly about providing film training for local people. I spent 7 weeks helping to create our fictional Shadwell and learnt so much about working in Production as well as how feature film works.

The cast was also incredible, with the likes of Simon Rivers, Linus Roache (pictured with me), Neil Pearson and Lee Ross, I learnt a lot from watching and speaking to them on set/in the office as well as helping them out with anything they needed. Being a trainee in a smaller team means that you get to know every person in every department and receive much broader training. I learnt about all aspects of production and worked as part of locations, accounts and script as well as also being an extra on the last day!
I made so many friends with both cast and crew alike.  It’s safe to say that I have fallen in love with working in drama and most of all, had my first film job in my hometown.  From this I went straight to working as 3^rd AD on a short ‘The Broken Teeth of Lions’ with Director Chris Marshall, with Chris Hees (BAFTA winner/ Oscars nominee) as Associate Producer. I’m now working in London as a Locations Assistant on a film Beautiful Devils (2015) written by Jennifer Majka, who won a BAFTA with Chris Hees (coincidence!).