We kickstarted the first day of Confetti Industry Week with some incredible and inspiring guests, including Confetti graduates now working successfully in the screen industries. The Do It For Real: Media session was an insightful discussion expertly chaired by our Head of Talent Development, Alison Whitlock.
CG Generalist, Max, First Assistant Director, Milan, and Radio Presenter/Production Coordinator, Zara, discussed their career paths, how their courses informed their next steps, new skills and experiences post-Confetti, and the importance of networking.
“Confetti pushed me to be better, it gave me the motivation to go for it. It has helped me to flourish and it can do that for anyone.” – Max Brown, Confetti Graduate
Read on to see more of our top picks!
Adam Mcintosh – Associate Franchise Operations Manager at EA Games
You don’t need to be a gamer to know EA Games, they are behind some of the most well known franchises including FIFA, the Sims, Battlefield, the list goes on. Adam gave an insightful talk into pursuing a career in the industry. He outlined the games studio structure including an overview of the major players, like EA, and the roles of mid-size and smaller independents. There were plenty of opportunities for students to ask questions and Adam shared his top tips on getting a recruiters attention, including CVs do and don’ts, how to sell yourself, and just how much you can takeaway from the job spec.
Chrissy Levett – Founder & Creative Director
Chrissy delivered an inspiring talk with lots of visual examples illustrating how graphic design can help to drive social, economic and political change. She drew on a range of campaigns ranging from climate action to social injustice, and protests against famine, war, and censorship. In one particular example Chrissy showed how her company, Creative Conscience is tackling gun licensing in popular first-person shooters like Call of Duty, and in another she demonstrated how something as simple as typography could be a huge catalyst for change in promoting freedom of speech in China.
Sarmad Masud – Writer & Director
Award-winning filmmaker, Sarmad, treated us to not one but three directing workshops featuring a pair of terrific actors. The sessions delved into the multi-faceted role of a Director, from directing the performance to sticking to time, maintaining a dialogue with your producer, and working collaboratively with the Assistant Director. Sarmad taught students simple hand gestures used in industry to direct the camera crew, he also went into great detail on how to get a truly believable performance from the actors:
“All acting is, is truth. As a Director, it’s your job to help the actor find their truth and to convey that on-screen. All anyone cares about is, do I believe what I see?” – Sarmad Masud
Kevin Lee – Producer for TSM
Kevin provided an insight into a day in the life of a Producer working for one of the largest esports organisations, TSM. With lots of experience already under his belt, he detailed the different hats he wears in his role, juggling varied responsibilities ranging from managing script writers and editors, to supporting with finance and player scouting. Kevin also touched on the importance of balancing work commitments with learning new skills, networking and competitor research. In the second half of his talk, Kevin helped students put their knowledge into practice:
“The workshop element was great as we got to write our own scripts for videos and do our own story boards, which then had to be passed between students assuming different roles like editors, producers and the product and marketing team. I personally like how Kevin didn’t gloss over anything, he didn’t shy away from any negatives, it helped to give a balanced view, and a fresh and better insight in general.” – Robert Platt, BTEC Level 3 Esports Production, 1st Year
William Orbit – Musician, Composer & Producer
This session was a deep dive into the life and career of one of the most influential figures in the music industry William Orbit interviewed by another industry stalwart, Nick Halkes, Co-founder of XL Records. A queue formed early with students eager to hear from not one, but two industry legends. For William Orbit it was a career first – his first time speaking at a university and what a privilege it was to see him in action and pick his brain. His career spans over 40 years and reads like a who’s who of the music business. From inauspicious origins busking in Paris to producing smash hit songs for Madonna, All Saints, and Blur – he has remained current and netted an impressive awards-haul of Grammys and Ivor Novellos along the way.
Nick led us on a chronological journey through Orbit’s career with discussions ranging from the quality of the humble cassette and why vinyl is best – to tips and tricks for managing band dynamics and how to use your technical expertise and digital workstations to get the most from a performance.
“I enjoyed how relatable the session was, like how William Orbit addressed the self doubt that comes when you play your song to somebody openly, you’d pick every flaw out of it… its nice to know that that happens to big artists too, it’s not just a me thing!” – Kelsey Hind, Level 3 Music Performance and Songwriting, 1st Year
Don Letts – Director, DJ & Musician
Wrapping up the day we had the incredibly dynamic performer that is Don Letts capturing students attention like no other. Honest, down to earth and real are just some of the words used to describe his talk, which did away with the traditional interview format. Instead, free spirited Don was up on his feet for most of the session taking lots of student questions, speaking his truth on everything from music, to culture, race and his DIY punk rock attitude to creating content, be it music, filmmaking or any other art form:
“All you need is a good idea and the motivation to go and do it. The understanding of the technical element will make the idea stronger but you’ve got to network and collaborate, technology is not a substitute for in-person interaction.” – Don Letts
Don’s masterclass really resonated with the packed venue at Metronome, with students eager to make the most of the opportunity:
“I love the way he tells it how it is, he’s entertaining, he doesn’t beat around the bush. I respect him for it, and that’s what’s going to help us understand what it’s really like starting out.” – Xander Visser, Level 3 Music and Audio Technology, 1st Year
He’s the most engaging speaker I’ve heard yet, I just loved his energy, the way he moved around the stage and made it really interactive. And he talked to us like we were his peers, I appreciated that.” – Ruby Ayers, Music Performance FDA, 1st Year.
Are you interested in attending events like Industry Week as part of your studies? Book onto an open day to find out more about our offer at Confetti.
