Attending industry-driven events is a vital and key part of keeping in the loop of the creative workspace. I made it my aim during my final year of university to attend as many as possible, provided they would be beneficial to both my education and career.
After joining AMPS (Association for Motion Picture Sound), the membership has enabled me to participate in frequent industry events and screenings. Their monthly socials allow me to connect and curate relationships with professionals within the industry, where I can learn and reflect from more advanced individuals. Alongside this, during film awards season, AMPS provides regular invitations to private industry screenings with additional Q&As. These screenings give me a first-hand insight into successful filmmaking from the eyes of actors, directors and crew. A recent screening of Conclave with Ralph Fiennes alongside the crew taught me the value of capturing location in both production and post. Finally, these screenings are a chance to be placed in a room with several working professionals. I can use these opportunities to network and grow my connections within the industry.
Moving on, despite my eagerness to grow a career within post-production, I do believe that my time within the sound arts scene is not entirely over. During Steve Taylor’s recent lecture, he provided us with a helpful list of funding schemes for individual artists. Art Rabbit, Art Quest and curator space were just a few examples of leads towards gaining financial support when creating art projects. In the next year, I hope to reach out and approach these opportunity sources in the hope of supporting my work within the sound arts realm.
Film Festivals are a crucial environment for networking within the film and television circles. I recently attended the London British Film Festival, where I was able to view up-and-coming movies, alongside chatting to individuals within the creative world. This was a perfect platform to advertise my skills and grow my connections within film. Finally, it provided me with the chance to view new work and gain inspiration for my own.
Finally, award seasons have become a beneficial environment to meet and connect with individuals. After recently attending the AMPS Film Awards, I was able to talk and discuss with professional creatives who have been awarded for their work. This inspired me greatly and gave me the chance to ask the right questions with the aspiration of achieving the same level of success.
Overall, I feel it necessary to attend meetings, Q&As and industry events frequently to keep myself in the loop of the industry cycle and keep familiarity with other working professionals.