What do you think are the three most important skills to succeed in your career area?
Being a people person
Having the grit to be better and grow
Hard working

Was this something you planned to do or did you change direction at any point in the past? If so, what was that and was it easy to do?
I’ve always been fascinated with film and the editing process. For years I was involved in film production from a motion graphics stand point. As time went on I became more and more intrigued about giving film a go and bought a camera. The first project I worked on I directed and edited a documentary called “Our Plastic Free Island”. This documentary confirmed my passion for working in film, and I now incorporate motion graphics and film together.

What do you love most about working in your career area?
Collaborating with like minded people who really appreciate the creative process to put together something special is as good as it gets for me! I collaborate with all sorts of companies and people which is real pleasure for me and one of the best bits about my job. I also love the fact that I rarely know what is round the corner.

Are there any negative aspects of working in your career area that people considering it should be aware of?
Being freelance is hard work and I stress that to people thinking about going freelance, it means working a lot of late nights and weekends. Going into the creative industry as a freelance takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. It also means thinking a bit more in a business sense, which can be a shock to the system for a creative.

What training / qualifications did you undertake for your current role or are you currently undertaking?
I studied Animation at university and throughout the course I started doing freelance motion graphics jobs. By the end of my degree I knew that was the area I wanted to focus on, then as I delved deeper into that world filmmaking caught my curiosity. Now I mainly learn new skills from working with others and asking them to teach me what they know so I can then I can create a mix of techniques that work for me.

Is there any other information that would be of interest to someone thinking of this career?
If you want to do it, then do it. If you put in the hard work then anything is possible. Social media is a powerful tool to connect and grow and if you approach it with the right mindset then the possibilities are endless. I’ve found myself connecting with people I have idolized for years and collaborated with them on some really cool projects. Approach the creative industry with a view to collaborate and get to know other people in the industry rather than compete and have fun with it!