Film student gains invaluable experience working on film set with massive brand

In this interview, Elliot Foreman speaks to us about how he became involved with SEEDS, Ravensbourne's Self Employment Entrepreneurship Scheme, his experience with NextShoot Video Production Company and what it was like to work on set with a massive global brand like Bloomberg.

SEEDS is designed to support the natural skills of Ravensbourne's neurodivergent students and those from diverse backgrounds in setting up their own business or freelance careers. As part of the SEEDS programme, Elliot was mentored by Dominic Sutherland, the managing director of NextShoot. 

This was a perfect fit, as Elliot was keen to learn more about film production and how to operate a company. Elliot and Dominic forged a great connection over purposeful storytelling. He learned invaluable skills from his mentor and even had the opportunity to work on set at a large-scale shoot with corporate client, Bloomberg. These experiences equipped him with the confidence needed to take his next steps in his own career as a filmmaker.

We caught up with Elliot and Dominic to find out more about their experience.

Elliot, how did you get involved with Dominic Sutherland at NextShoot? 

Elliot: I heard about SEEDS after speaking with Yvonne Halloran, the project leader at SEEDS in the final year of my degree. At Ravensbourne I studied a BA (Hons) Digital Film Production and I had always wanted to start my own film production company.

While I loved the craft of filmmaking and my degree equipped me with all the practical skills, I wanted to learn more about the business side of things.

Dominic has his own corporate video production company, NextShoot, so I nominated for him to be my mentor. The SEEDS team reached out to him to see if he would be interested, and he agreed to be part of the programme.

Dominic, how did you feel when SEEDS initially reached out to you to become involved in the programme and mentor Elliot?   

Dominic: We were very interested, partly because we’re already in that mindset of mentoring the next generation. I’ve always been very tuned in to people doing work experience because I did it myself when I was in my teens.

I worked in newspapers, advertising and public relations agencies, so by the time I had my degree, I already had a sense of what I wanted to do. I always felt like if you had a good mentor at any of these internships, they could really help you decide whether or not this was something you wanted to do for a career. 

We were initially introduced to Elliot to see if it would be a good fit  and I was immediately impressed by him. In this business, I've interviewed thousands of people, and I could see that he was switched on and serious and really wanted to make the most of the mentor/mentee relationship.

Elliot, can you tell me about your experience over the six-month programme?  

Elliot: Every month I had one-on-one sessions with Dominic. I picked up valuable insights on budgeting for productions, the ins and outs of pre-production processes and crafting client proposals and rate cards.

I also learned about effective strategies for marketing a production company, financial management, and boosting productivity as well as how to maintain a healthy work-life balance as a business owner.

We also had discussions about the future of the film industry and how Artificial Intelligence (AI) might influence and reshape the way corporate videos are created.

Working on a film production set 

I spend two days working as a production assistant with Dominic and his team at one of his client’s shoots, Bloomberg in London. I really admire how Dominic always strives for innovation within his work. He loves filmmaking as well as storytelling. Him and his co-director Mike bring that enthusiasm into each project and deliver exceptional quality for their clients.

I witnessed how Dominic operated on set, which was different to some other sets I have been on. Even though he is directing and producing, he makes such an effort to ensure everyone is well looked after, follows the processes, takes lunch breaks and finishes on time, which created a really good vibe.

On set, I was particularly drawn to the camera department, which used an industry standard camera/lighting kit to produce beautiful-looking imagery. Everyone was incredibly friendly and open to answering any questions I had about the process. They really made me feel part of the team.

Dom, how did you see Elliot develop over the six-months you were mentoring him? 

Dominic: This mentoring period is a golden opportunity for the mentee to get a quick look behind the curtain and, frankly, decide if it’s for them or not. The commonality between us was that Elliot had already set up his own video production company. He wanted to run his own business, so there was a lot we could discuss around that in terms of making films, plus the day-to-day elements of operating a video production company.

We always try to line up significant work so it intersects with mentoring people. I felt it would be great to get Elliot on this shoot with one of our clients, Bloomberg, in the City of London, so he joined us for two days of filming. It was quite a big shoot as we were doing a live feed to New York so they could see the different camera angles and sign off on the content.

It was probably quite an eye opener for him to see a professional shoot of that size, where we had specialists on set and to see how all the individuals worked together. He was very proactive on set. I thought after it wrapped up that I could employ him, as he’s switched on and responsible. 

Elliot, would you recommend SEEDS to others?

Elliot: Yes, definitely. The SEEDS team genuinely care about your success and your goals for your career. They will champion you and work with you to help you move in the right direction. They also provided me with valuable resources and held different workshops.

The mentoring side has also been incredible. Having that time with my mentor where I was able to ask any questions was invaluable. The whole process gave me a lot of confidence in myself as a young business owner and made me feel ready to move forward and pursue a career in film production. A huge thanks to SEEDS for this unique opportunity and to Dominic for saying yes to be my mentor.

Dominic, would you recommend being a mentor for SEEDS to other industry leaders?

Dominic: I think if you have experience and you can pass that on to younger people, it’s hugely rewarding. But it’s also a two-way street. For someone like me who is still trying to be creative in an industry that’s always evolving, you recognise where young people have ideas and they will be the ones making adverts that will be going viral in the coming years, so it’s fun to tap into that youthful exuberance and their way of thinking.

Elliot, can you tell us a little bit about what you have done since graduating? 

Elliot: I am currently working as either a freelance cinematographer or developing my video production company Eloquent Visions. I am in the process of pitching for a public sector project, and I am in post-production for a short concepts trailer for an AI film. Every day always looks very different. For example, some days I will be on a shoot or in a studio filming. I also have days where I am at home working on projects, editing content, planning client shoots or working on some of my personal projects. I am working on putting in place some processes so I can build a strong foundation and gradually scale my company! 

Find out more about the BA (Hons) Digital Film Production course.