Two films edited by Ravensbourne alumni win awards

Dominic Phipps and Beth Roberts are among the first ever winners of the Young Arrows awards, as the ceremony – which recognises emerging talent – was launched this year.

The pair fought off tough competition to be awarded the top prizes by a panel of industry experts at the competition, which is run by the British Arrows, a body that celebrates excellence in moving image advertising.

Awards were presented by the writer, director, and presenter, Reggie Yates!

Dominic, who graduated from BA (Hons) Editing and Post Production in 2017, won Best Colourist for a video he worked on with Wrangler Jeans called ‘Long Live Cowgirls’.

The unique advert aired on US television to coincide with International Women’s Day. Set to a country soundtrack, the atmospheric film shows the perseverance of a young cowgirl as she bonds with her horse and learns to perform a daring stunt in the saddle.

He told us how it was created with a small crew. “This gave us such a great flexibility to be creative with the grade, as there wasn’t a large chain of command who had input,” he said. “The final grade is a pretty clean amalgamation of a few potential directions we could have gone, and it’s taking the best parts from each.”

On winning, Dominic said: “Winning was surreal. I was really excited to get the nomination, and after seeing what the piece was up against in the Colour Grading category, I had really tempered my expectations of the win.

"I’m extremely proud to pick up the colour award, but to see my classmate Beth onstage winning the Editing category too made it even better!”

Beth, who graduated the same year, won Best Editor for ‘Neonatal’, an emotive film created for the NHS as part of a recruitment drive for neonatal nurses.

The film features a powerful voiceover and integrates a lot of still images, deftly edited together by Beth. “Working solely with stills can be inherently difficult in comparison to live action,” she told us, “as it’s difficult to convey the same emotion through a series of images versus moving images. 

“It was incredibly important for me to come at this project from a place of empathy. This all starts with researching the topic, trying to understand the subject matter and truly create a piece that speaks from a place of honesty.”

Reacting to her win, she added: “Winning was honestly completely unexpected for me. The other nominees in my category created some incredibly beautiful pieces of work. 

“I had friends and peers nominated in all categories that night, which made the evening even more special. Getting to enjoy my success and my friends' successes at the same time was emotional.

"Dom, especially being one of those people, who I have been friends with from the beginning. We have shared the pleasure of seeing each other grow and succeed over the past few years since leaving Ravensbourne.”

Dominic: “Since graduating in 2017 it’s been non-stop! I was at ‘Framestore’ until the end of last year, which is where I started working as a part time runner during my second year at uni.

“Over my five years there I went through the roles of runner, data-services technician (QC), colour assistant, and finally junior colourist. I then joined ‘Company 3’ as a colourist in January 2022.”

Beth: “Whilst studying at Ravensbourne, I began working as a runner at a post-production facility named ‘Clear Cut’, which was my first foray into the world of editing. Following this, I was a junior editor at ‘Kode Media’.

“During my final year I began working at ‘Vice’ as an assistant editor and post-production coordinator, which continued after I graduated. Following this, I spent 18 months assisting at ‘Marshall Street Editors’ and then became an in-house editor at ‘Agile Films’.

“I am currently signed as an editor at ‘Nomad Editing Company’, where I have been for almost a year and a half.”

Dominic: “My advice would be to keep in touch with each other after graduation. The students you just graduated with will be your future clients!

“I work with many directors, cinematographers and editors who are all Ravensbourne alumni, whether they’re from my year, the years above or years below. Right now is the perfect time to start building the foundations with other graduates, and you’ll grow together into the industry.”

Beth: “My advice to recent graduates is to keep learning, keep pulling yourself out of your comfort zone, and reach out for any and all opportunities to get yourself on the radar. Some of the people I worked with at the beginning of my career have continued to support me throughout my journey – whether this be through mentorship or just their unwavering support.

“It’s more important than you think to stay in touch with your peers, as you’ll be working with them more than you think as you progress in the years post university! It’s also just nice to share advice and support with those who are in the same position as you.”