Three of Media Trust’s alumni gave our Creativity Works group a talk on how they became successful. Jordaan Shelley (Assistant Producer), Fred Bhat (Digital Creative Producer) and Fayida Jailler (Freelance Journalist) told us how they found working in media, as well as the main things that helped them make a name for themselves in the industry. 

1) “Everyone is trying to go through the front door, so you need to go through the window!”

Jordaan used this quote to explain the importance of getting your first foot in the door. She says that you cannot be afraid of reaching out to people. Email, chat and call people to ask for opportunities. It’s about meeting the right people. If you do not ask, you will not receive! You never know what interaction could lead to work experience.  

2) Figure out what you DON’T want to do

It’s important to know what you don’t want to do, as much as what you do want to do. Fred told us that trial and error is key to figuring out what your future goals are. You may find out that your talents lie in a field that you have never considered before. It’s all about giving things a try, you never know what strengths you might uncover!

3) Imposter Syndrome is REAL

Fred told us that he still feels terrified and inexperienced well into his career. He told us to remember that everyone is learning, all the time. To combat imposter syndrome, Fred advised us to try and clue yourself up on as much as possible. Information is now at your fingertips; so you can learn anything to a decent level and build up confidence. Everyone feels like they are not good enough from time to time. Try and remember that if you are picked for a job, they have picked YOU for a reason.  

4) Media is NOT a 9-5 job

All three of our alumni agreed that they do not work during typical office hours. Fred says that in media, you have to expect to work outside of hours. The unpredictable nature of the industry means that anything could happen, so you have to be expected to be on call. Freelancers, this is the same for you! Fayida says she wakes up early, has a good breakfast and gets straight to work. You may be able to cover most of your assignments inside office hours, but there are always things that need changing and fixing, no matter what the time is.

5) It’s fine to work on the side!

Fayida also works as a receptionist with a zero hours contract, and emphasised that there is no shame in having a part time job. Financial stability is hard, especially right at the start of your career. No one wants the 7am shift in Starbucks, but you have to make sacrifices at the beginning to get to where you want to be. As long as you use your energy and deliver results at your media job, there is nothing wrong with having a side job as a means of income.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wham Weebs Release Podcast Across London

Three Bodybuilders Who Love Anime

WHO: Kwibs, Nate & Max. 

WHAT: Three bodybuilders talking about their love for anime and the gym.

WHERE: Recorded in Central London, released on Soundcloud.

WHEN: Saturday 16th May 2020, 21:00pm BST. 

Saturday 16th May 2020 - This Saturday at 9pm, Wham Weebs will release their podcast across all areas of London. They hope to reach 16-30 year olds and cross over interests from both the body building & anime community. 

Londoners will be entertained through this podcast as friends Kwibs, Max and Nate discuss various thoughts and opinions around anime and bodybuilding. Through this podcast, they hope to shatter conventions around these two interests and connect to a wider audience. 

Kwabena, aka Kwibs, decided to set up this podcast in the hopes of breaking stereotypes around the bodybuilding and anime communities. They are using their time away from the gym to share their views on the anime they have been watching before, and during lockdown. You can find these three discussing everything from bench pressing, to Naruto’s running technique. With Wham Weebs, there is no shortage of banter. 

This podcast challenges current beliefs and stigmas around bodybuilders and anime enthusiasts. People should be able to love fitness and anime without judgment. Many people turn away from these hobbies thinking that they will not fit in with these groups. Wham Weebs changes these assumptions, as listeners can submit their opinions through social media and hear these discussed on a safe, non judgemental platform. 

KWIBS said:

“As a bodybuilder and an anime lover, I say that anyone can be interested in both these hobbies. I myself got into bodybuilding having been inspired by the anime character Goku’s ‘WHAM’ physique!” 

“A lot of people think that bodybuilders and anime lovers are completely different. Anime lovers are seen as quiet and introverted, and the typical bodybuilder is seen as loud and vain. This is not true! Through Wham Weebs, we want to break down these assumptions, and show that people should not be labelled by their interests. We are bodybuilders who love anime; there is no shame in that.” 

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

Wham Weebs is a new podcast for 16-30 year old Londoners, which gives them the chance to listen to a new, unique perspective on the worlds of bodybuilding and anime. 

The terms Wham and Weeb are frequently used in the bodybuilding and anime community. Wham is a well known slang term used in bodybuilding to describe very muscular physiques. The term Weeb was initially used as an insult to those obsessed with the Japanese culture. Anime lovers have changed this, and reclaimed the term to describe their love for the culture in a positive manner.

Our aim is to give young people a safe space to listen and discuss their love for both interests. There is no judgment at Wham Weebs. Bodybuilders, anime lovers, and people who are just interested in us are all welcome here. 

Each podcast is filmed on Friday afternoon and released on Soundcloud every Saturday at 9pm. Listeners can share their opinions on social media, which will be discussed in every podcast. 

CONTACTS:

For further information about the podcast series or talent, please contact: 

Cheryl Bruce: Publicity Manager

Email: [email protected]  | Telephone: 02074635942

Amanda Skipper: Manager for Kwibs

Email: [email protected] | Telephone: 02065784938

Roshina Ilyas: Manager for Max

Email: [email protected] | Telephone: 02097675587

Orla McGroarty: Manager for Nate

Email: [email protected] | Telephone: 02058648392

#WhamWeebs - SOCIAL MEDIA 

Twitter: @WhamWeebs

Instagram: @whamweebs

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-256798855

COVID-19 has forced the world inside their homes, and we’re all sick of it. Social distancing rules and regulations have had a huge impact on the film and television industry. If there is one thing that we can rely on now, it’s watching our favourite films while sipping some tea, all cosy and snug in our living rooms. 

Entertainment is a huge industry that is enjoyed worldwide; we all love watching different stories unfold on the big and the small screen. However, as the business struggles to keep afloat during lockdown, the virus has raised questions about the future of entertainment. Here are some examples of how the virus has made it difficult for different aspects of the film industry.  

1) Producing Film Content

Filming itself has been a major issue at this time. The film production of blockbusters has been postponed due to the virus. Films such as Batman, James Bond: No Time to Die, and Marvel’s Doctor Strange sequel have all had their release dates pushed back to ensure production can be finished in time.

It’s likely that companies such as Disney see some difficulty, as they have an estimated 100 shows left in development due to the virus. Although the company is currently seeing success due to millions globally enjoying Disney+, it needs to be questioned whether Disney can keep their viewers engaged for long enough without uploading new productions. Personally, I think that Disney are one of the few companies that can hold onto their fanbase. Their older films are labelled as classics, which can definitely withstand the test of time. However, not many other institutions can say this about themselves, and it’s likely that companies like Warner Brothers will see a loss during this period. 

If you think about how many people are needed on a film set, it’s understandable why film production has to stop. Runners, assistants, producers, directors, animators, stunt doubles, actors, makeup artists… I could go on and on! A film set is a busy place where communication is key. You simply cannot employ the 2m distance rule when everyone needs to be in close contact. Trust me, I’d love to see Batman fight his enemies behind a 2m marker but it probably wouldn’t translate well on screen.  

2) The Future of Cinema Houses

Speaking of on screen; movie theatres are an industry that has already been struggling before the coronavirus hit. Social distancing rules have meant that all over the world, cinema houses have been forced to close down completely.

Illegal downloading usage has risen since the coronavirus hit. Piracy tracking franchise Muso revealed that there was a 60% increase in illegal streaming between February and March. Piracy has always hit movie theatres hard. If these statistics don’t decrease after lockdown ends, then the future of the movie theatre will be called into question.

Cinema houses are struggling even more now, but production houses have found ways around this. Universal and Disney released Trolls 2 and Onward digitally online and for purchase earlier due to the pandemic. This was a successful move for Universal, as they brought in $80m in the first three weeks, making more profit than the films predecessor. These profits convinced Jeff Shell, CEO of NBC Universal to state that Universal future films would be released in cinemas and home streaming sites at the same time. Cinema houses Odeon and Cineworld responded by banning Universal titles globally from their theatres for the foreseeable future.

This was definitely a dramatic move; however, I’m on the side of the movie theatres. It’s disheartening, but not surprising to see that profit is prioritised when such an integral part of the entertainment industry is on the rocks. The future of cinema is in turmoil. We all love going with our friends, partner, or our kids to the cinema. It’s a ritual in itself, choosing your popcorn, sitting down, turning your phone off, watching the trailers and then seeing an amazing story unfold on the big screen. Don’t get me wrong, I love my streaming services like anybody else, but do you really get the same feeling watching a new movie on a tiny laptop screen? Bigger cinema houses such as Odeon may recover, but the coronavirus may be the last thing to finish off smaller independent theatres.

3) Film Awards & Festivals

While streaming has affected the movie theatres, it has also made great changes to the awards and events circuit. For the first time ever, streamed films are going to be eligible for next years OSCAR nominations. Also earlier this year, we did see how some awards ceremonies were affected by the virus, and how they adhered to social distancing. The Japanese 43rd Academy Awards went ahead in March, but was a guest and media free event. Everyone’s favourite guilty pleasure, The Golden Razzberry Awards (The Razzies) was cancelled, and announced their ‘winners’ online instead.

Film festivals have been affected badly. Cannes Film Festival has been postponed for a while, but organisers have resisted announcing a full blown cancellation of the event. Similarly, Edinburgh Film Festival, originally set to go ahead in June, has been postponed with no date in sight. There has been no absolute cancellation of these festivals as of yet. It will be interesting to see if earlier awards ceremonies can be used as inspiration, to think of ways of delivering a successful event around the constrictions of the virus.

I put my hands up, I love looking at the fashion at these events! Cannes is always full of creative talent, and red carpet fashion is no exception. I can’t imagine that textures of chiffon, tulle and silk would resonate well through at home live streams. Film and fashion have long since been intertwined. It’s important to note that fashion designers depend on film industry events to showcase their creations. The coronavirus has definitely shown how creative industries all depend on each other, it would be a travesty to both the film and fashion industry if these festivals cannot go ahead in 2020.

4)  Financial Security for Freelancers

Finally, we come to the welfare of creative freelancers. According to Screen Skills, almost half the people working in the UK screen industries are self employed. These freelancers are creative, talented people across the whole nation, who are losing work and struggling at this time. Bectu is a union for the UK creative industries. They conducted a survey of their members and found that 46% of respondents had lost money.

It’s a hard time for creatives at the moment, and it can be demoralising when you don’t have the opportunity to exercise your talents. With less freelancers hired to do work, less content is created and therefore, less films are produced. Unless you’re well known, getting work at this time will be difficult. Many freelancers who are just starting out in their careers will feel the full force of this period compared to those with more experience on their hands. Self employed creatives will be facing financial uncertainty at this time, and there is no shame in asking for support. 

If you’re a creative freelancer in the UK finding lockdown difficult, I’ve included some links below with dedicated advice on how to get support during this time.   

https://thefreelancekit.com/7-ways-for-freelancers-to-weather-the-covid19-storm

https://filmbirmingham.co.uk/2020/03/covid-19-advice-for-freelancers-working-in-film-and-tv/

https://www.bbc.com/freelancers/Coronavirus

https://www.ipse.co.uk/ipse-news/news-listing/coronavirus-ipse-activity-and-advice-freelancers.html

Under normal circumstances, studies have shown that extroverts are generally happier than introverts. As COVID-19 forces us indoors, I want to find out if this fact has switched for some people, as extroverts attempt to adapt to an unfamiliar lifestyle. I interview an introvert and an extrovert to find out how different types of people have found lockdown.

#TheGoodInWhereILive 

I consider myself very lucky to live in an area of London in which there are a lot of greener areas. In my part of Barnet, you don’t have to walk far to find a lot of trees, flowers and bushes. At this time of year, I often see flowers like these pink camellias blossom from gardens around my local park.