Tag Archives: LSFM Mentor

Aleysha Minns, Class of 2013 | Film, Key Locations Assistant

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Aleysha Minns, Class of 2013 Intern at Warp Films

I genuinely cannot believe it has been over 4 years since I graduated from Lincoln, time has definitely flown by. As always, it’s been another eventful year for me in the world of feature films. In just over a year, I have gone from being a Locations Trainee to Key Locations Assistant on some of the biggest films currently being made in the UK. My involvement in these are still under wraps and I can’t wait for them to hit cinema (one is due in just over a month!)

In other news, LSFM Mentoring: my 4th mentee finished her final year and did incredibly well! I’m very proud of Hannah Darby and she is definitely going to go far. I shall hopefully be meeting my 5th mentee very soon. I have also been selected as one of 50 people to join the HETV Connect scheme based around High-End Drama recruitment, sponsored by thecallsheet.co.uk and Creative Skillset. Continue reading →

Steve Smailes, Class of 2012 | Freelance Photographer

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Steve Smailes PhotographyWhen you’re finishing university you often get asked “Where do you want to be in 5 years?” and let’s be honest, it’s a very difficult question. But 5 years on I’m here to say how it stacks up to what I was thinking when I graduated from the Uni of Lincoln in 2012. 

When I left I wanted to be able to set up my own photography business and be working for myself. It was a risky and in some ways optimistic thing as I was unsure how I was going to achieve this as I had limited resources in terms of money and equipment (I had a camera I’d used my student loan and money from some work experience jobs to buy) but had to keep paying rent and other expenses while building the business.

I was given a great head start by getting work with The Lincolnite which gave me a steady income and also the time to grow my business as I work for them on an on call basis and I still work with them today.  Continue reading →

Gemma Lowe, Class of 2012 | Career in Communications

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IGemmaLowe-2017pic’ve been following the LSFM blog and it is great to see what everyone has been up to since graduating; it seems a long time ago since I was the one wearing the gown in 2012 and it is amazing how much can happen in in five years! I have worked in a number of roles since graduation, some that were directly linked to where I am now and some that helped me get here even though I didn’t know it at the time.

Following the school radio project in the third year of my Media Production degree, I’ve had an interest in education. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I could combine this with my interest in media but I decided to just take any opportunities that came my way and see where I ended up! Continue reading →

Matt North, Class of 2012 | LSFM Mentor and NEW Audio Website

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Audio ProductionMatt-North_new-site_Sept2015 2012 Graduate Matt North is one of the School’s inspirational industry mentors and he’ll be available again for mentoring an undergraduate in the new academic year.  Matt said he really enjoyed being part of the LSFM Mentoring scheme this year (2014/15) with Emma Wapshott.

Matt works as a Media & Production Support Technician at the University of East Anglia and is a freelance audio producer. He’s shared that it’s been almost a year in designing/editing but today I can finally unveil my new website.  I’ve worked with a web developer on a complete redesign which now has an up-to-date portfolio, credits database and showreel.

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Jonathan Sidwell, Class of 2007 | 1st Assistant Director

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Jonathan-Sidwell_2007GraduateSince leaving Lincoln I have worked my way up the Assistant Director ladder and I am now working as a 1st Assistant Director predominately in Commercials and Music Videos.  I’m now in Chiapas, Mexico in the jungle shooting a show for discovery channel for a month… I’ll try and send an epic picture while I’m out here too!

Top Commercial Credits include: Sony, Racing Post, Diet Coke, BBC iplayer, The Ashes Cricket and Oreo.  I have also worked on music videos for many chart topping acts including One Direction, The Kaiser Chiefs, Rudimental, Twin Atlantic and The Wombats.  Recently I combined my passion for Rugby and my profession to work as a Rugby Consultant and 1st Assistant Director for the worlds 1st 3D Oculus Rift Experience for 02 & The RFU with the England Rugby Team  – ‘Wear the Rose’ which was available to experience at Twickenham stadium.

I would love to help out as a media mentor at LSFM.  For now, my advice to students: Try and learn as much as you can about the basics and keep up-to-date with technical advances and how they affect the digital workflow. Work experience is key – try and get as much as possible in your holidays!

If you are a media professional and would like to be a Lincoln School of Film & Media mentor, for one of our students, please do get in touch. Email: rawright@lincoln.ac.uk. Our alumni can send us a tweet – thanks.  

Aleysha Minns, Class of 2013 | Website | Film, TV & Photography

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Aleysha-Minns_20142013 graduate and freelancer Aleysha Minns, who is one of our inspiring LSFM mentors, is now officially self-employed and said: My website is finally live! What a long and interesting journey it has been. I think the mistake I made was starting to set it up too early, I was at a point were my work was still based around my student work and I was only just beginning my freelance career. I am still in the starting stages, but at least I have some credited work. Thank you very much to my web designer/developer Sam Kelham for putting up with me all this time. I definitely recommend him if you need anything like this done and can visit his website here.

This video is a showcase of some of my most recent work including work with Channel 4 and FyreUK. It shows my skills in a range of areas such as Production Management, Camera Operator, Producer and Director over different genres.

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