Our Film and Media Production Arts learners enjoyed an interesting guest lecture with Gary Thompson, founder of Cables & Cameras – a leading platform for diverse film makers in the South West! He bridges the gap between student to professional making this a relevant guest lecture for students both at UCW and studying Creative and Digital Media at Weston College.
Gary shared his unique perspective on filmmaking, explaining how he built his creative career from scratch and his hands on approach. Gary highlighted his journey, from a mature student to being a producer featured in The Guardian as an example of an outsider breaking into an industry which can feel closed off.
The clear passion for including everyone in film making was evident, since one of the key themes of the guest lecture was diversifying the industry by platforming underrepresented voices and creating inclusive creative spaces.
One of the ways that Gary helps people access the film industry is through employability training in navigating the UK film ecosystem. These include organisations like the BFI Network and Film Hub South West. Gary has built up audiences over time running ‘guerrilla’ screenings to build viewership without a budget.
This guest speaker forms part of the Art, Film, Game and Graphic Design Careers Excellence Hub. UCW has ten sector-specific Career Excellence Hubs, which evidence our dedication to supporting both employers and learners in achieving their future goals. By creating a seamless connection between industry and education, we enable learners to acquire not only the essential skills and knowledge but also the professional networks necessary to excel in their chosen fields.
UCW turns ten years old this year! We are proud to empower our students to achieve success in their future careers! Thousands of our students have gone on to get fascinating and varied jobs across a wide range of industries and disciplines.
Want to attend interesting guest lectures like this one? Apply now to join our Film and Media Production Arts degree!
