The Perks Of A “Fake” Degree: How My Short Film Ended Up On Channel 4
As we rapidly approach the end of 2024, this slower season has given me the opportunity to reflect on just how jam-packed this year has been. In these last few months alone I have moved cities, graduated from university, started a new job, and most unexpectedly, the short film that I wrote for my graduate project is currently available for the whole nation to watch on Channel 4’s streaming service.
The last four years have been an extremely rewarding journey, though certainly not without its challenges. In today’s economy, studying an arts degree with the endeavour to make a living in a creative industry is often viewed as a frivolous waste of money just to end up unemployed. I have been discouraged by several people from pursuing a career in the film and television industry—in fact, one ex-classmate boldly informed me that my Film Production degree wasn’t even a “real” subject.
Admittedly, it is hard to argue with them sometimes, what with the present climate in that industry being one of scarcity and fear. According to Bectu, 68% of freelancers in the sector were out of work at the beginning of the year. Then there are those who are writing off degrees altogether, claiming higher education is an outdated route and valuing the ever-elusive idea of “experience” instead. However, I put to the naysayers that a degree, particularly a vocational one like mine, can be so much more than just a qualification. Actually, the qualification is one of the least important aspects of the course I chose, and I consider it to be the best investment into my future that I could have made so far.
The simple truth is that going to university opens doors, but I think now in a much different way from before. Taking my alma mater as an example, the University of Portsmouth is growing its reputation as an institution that focuses its creative courses around employability. We didn’t just learn about cinematography and storytelling, we had entire modules that taught us how to network with professionals and build our personal brand. Our lecturers, as well as the university itself, have long-standing relationships with companies that offer the placement schemes and internship programmes that are so essential to gaining the all-important work experience employers want to see on our CVs.
I had the incredible privilege of spending my placement year in London working as a Production Management Intern for Disney+, which provided me with a baseline of industry knowledge and a host of transferable skills. Yet, without the support and education I received from the university, that is an opportunity I might never have had. If you talk to someone who has found success in the entertainment industry, they will often tell you that the best way to get started is to simply make films. Well, the university provides you with everything you need to do that. It has professional equipment that is free for you to use, you are gathered in a lecture hall with like-minded people with which to form your production crew, and most importantly, it gives you the space to fail and teachers who can tell you exactly how to do it better next time.
The first short film I made at uni was a complete disaster. The people I worked with were great classmates and we tried really hard - but we didn’t know what we were doing. So we learned from that failure, and we all went on to work on hugely exciting projects the following year. I ended up returning to a new cohort of students after my year in industry, and I was super nervous that no one was going to trust me to write the graduate film that could be the key to getting their talents noticed as we neared our debut into the working world.
I needn’t have feared. I fell into a crew of some of the most dedicated and skilled creatives I have ever met, and together we created a film we are immensely proud of. Our regency inspired period drama “Until Today” has gone on to be shortlisted for three film festivals, including the Iris Prize “Best British Short” 2024, whose affiliation with Film4 has landed our work on the streaming platform for an entire year. It might not have led to a multi-season writing deal for a hit series with Netflix, but it certainly feels good!
All this to say that while a degree isn’t necessarily a requirement for success these days, it remains a personal choice that has the potential to steer you into surprising opportunities, and with the right measure of passion, it can force you to do things you never thought yourself capable of. The many hours I spent at my desk willing words to appear on the page, afraid that my amateur writing skills would never improve all proved worth it to see it come together, thanks to the efforts of the film’s brilliant crew.
However long it takes to work my way into a career in editorial, I will always be grateful for my university experience.
If you love all things “Pride & Prejudice” and “Bridgerton”, why not check out my film?
Click on the links below to watch “Until Today” on Channel 4, or to visit the film’s website where you can find out more about the crew and look at behind-the-scenes content.
