Category Archives: Advice

Many of our graduates offer advice for students here, based on their experience of finding and staying in work after graduation. Sometimes you will find their advice set out under the title “Advice”, or you may need to read the entire post to dig it out. Either way, it’s always well worth the effort.

LSFM Industry Mentoring (2018-19) | Student Opportunity is OPEN

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Mentoring-JoAshmanLincoln School of Film & Media 1st & 2nd Year students can APPLY for LSFM Industry Mentoring to start in the next academic year (2018-19). Our superb School-Industry opportunity is for 20 selected undergraduates to be mentored by a professional who volunteer their time from the working world. Currently mentors are working in audio production, TV, radio, film, design at Hello! magazine, in photography and in multimedia jobs from social media to scriptwriting. This call-out is for LSFM Level 1 and 2 students from animation, audio production, film & television, media production and photography to register their interest. Please download and complete this  LSFM_MENTORING-2018:19-StudentForm by Friday 13th April 2018.  Please return your form to Louise Lawlor via email: llawlor@lincoln.ac.uk.

Please note: Successful applicants will be informed before your student Summer break. If you’re selected as a student-mentee you must be available to attend the 1-hour induction on-campus. It’ll be on a Wednesday afternoon from 4pm to 5pm (likely to be between Week 5 and Week 8) in Semester A, 2018-19. Continue reading →

Alumni Network | Uni of Lincoln Graduate Reunion in London

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UoL-AlumniNetworkWe love to connect with our graduates via our alumni networks. Today University of Lincoln (UK) Alumni will hold a graduates’ reunion in London (13th Dec 2017). There’ll be around 20 LSFM alumni attending from BA (Hons) Animation, BA (Hons) CLM/ Photography and BA (Hons) Media Production like YouTuber TomSka – Thomas Ridgewell, Class of 2011; Associate Producer at Nickelodeon Aimee Cleaver, Class of 2014; Freelance Assistant Producer Phil Krstic, Class of 2012; Content Producer for CBeebies Rosie Turner, Class of 2015; and Senior BBC TV Director James Waddell, Class of 2000 who said he was offered two jobs when he graduated:

James WaddellThe first offer came during a meeting with the head of CITV in London. I had interviewed him for my dissertation and wanted to let him know that I had received a first and to also thank him for his involvement. In an email he had mentioned “if you are ever in London…” well I took that literally and went to see him! At the end our our chat he offered me a role as an assistant cameraman on a new series.  I actually turned this job down and took a job at Sky as I thought this role would give me more experience during the long term. Within 6 months I was trained to be a vision mixer, a route I knew to being a director.  Continue reading →

Meet the Graduates 2017 | Vox Pop on Job-hunting

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Thanks to our alumni who shared their experiences of the working world with Lincoln School of Film & Media’s students at our networking event Meet the Graduates (8th Nov). Head of LSFM Professor Steven Peacock said: There was a real buzz about the place. It was fantastic to see so many of our past and present students coming together to share news of such wide-ranging professional achievement.

On this vox pop our graduates give their job-hunting tips.

Thank you to LSFM’s New Media Lincs crew for this vox pop – on the shoot were James Foster (Class of 2017) & student Jake Hatton and the post production editor was student Jack Jolly.  Continue reading →

Aleysha Minns, Class of 2013 | Film, Key Locations Assistant

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Aleysha Minns, Class of 2013 Intern at Warp Films

I genuinely cannot believe it has been over 4 years since I graduated from Lincoln, time has definitely flown by. As always, it’s been another eventful year for me in the world of feature films. In just over a year, I have gone from being a Locations Trainee to Key Locations Assistant on some of the biggest films currently being made in the UK. My involvement in these are still under wraps and I can’t wait for them to hit cinema (one is due in just over a month!)

In other news, LSFM Mentoring: my 4th mentee finished her final year and did incredibly well! I’m very proud of Hannah Darby and she is definitely going to go far. I shall hopefully be meeting my 5th mentee very soon. I have also been selected as one of 50 people to join the HETV Connect scheme based around High-End Drama recruitment, sponsored by thecallsheet.co.uk and Creative Skillset. Continue reading →

Meet the Graduates | 2017 Welcome

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Meet-the-Graduates-logo-1024x435Head of LSFM Professor Steven Peacock gave a warm welcome to current and former students at the School’s alumni industry networking event Meet the Graduates. Thanks to all for participating. Our Grad Question Time was hosted by Steve Smailes (Class of 2012) with alumni from 2002 to 2017 who shared their experiences, tips and advice about the world of work – at home and abroad. We loved the live link-up with video editor Philip Roberts (Class of 2006) from Crytek in Frankfurt.  

HoS-wide-MtG2017

Just one moment to share from our MtG 2017. More capture to come soon from 2017 Grad James Foster and student Jake Hatton, so watch this space!  Continue reading →

Meet the Graduates | Industry Profiles on 8th Nov 2017

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See who is planning to come for LSFM’s free industry network event Meet the Graduates. Former students have posted a profile on their experiences since graduating. Our Grads (their work permitting) have spared time to be on-campus with LSFM students on 8th Nov. THIS Wednesday MtG 2017 is your on-campus opportunity to connect with like-minded creatives, make industry links, share tips on job-hunting and collaborate on projects. 

LSFM STUDENTS are invited to take their theatre seat for 2pm in the Stephen Langton Building (SLB) for the Graduate Question Time panel. Ask questions to our alumni who work – on staff and freelance contracts – across the media industry from big corporates (BBC TV) to indies (Epix Media).  Please note: Lisa Rustage has just got work on a feature film –  at short notice as things tend to be in her job – so she said: “Truly disappointed I cannot make it!”

Steve Smailes, Class of 2012 | Freelance Photographer

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Steve Smailes PhotographyWhen you’re finishing university you often get asked “Where do you want to be in 5 years?” and let’s be honest, it’s a very difficult question. But 5 years on I’m here to say how it stacks up to what I was thinking when I graduated from the Uni of Lincoln in 2012. 

When I left I wanted to be able to set up my own photography business and be working for myself. It was a risky and in some ways optimistic thing as I was unsure how I was going to achieve this as I had limited resources in terms of money and equipment (I had a camera I’d used my student loan and money from some work experience jobs to buy) but had to keep paying rent and other expenses while building the business.

I was given a great head start by getting work with The Lincolnite which gave me a steady income and also the time to grow my business as I work for them on an on call basis and I still work with them today.  Continue reading →

Meet the Graduates | 8 Nov 2017 Industry Network Event at LSFM

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Our current and former students are invited to the Uni of Lincoln School of Film & Media’s free networking event Meet the Graduates. On Wednesday 8th November join this gathering between our alumni and students – staff too! MtG 2017 is your on-campus opportunity to connect with like-minded creatives and make industry links. STUDENTS please take your theatre seat for 2pm in the Stephen Langton Building and ask anything you’d like to know from our alumni who work – on staff and freelance contracts – across the media industry from big corporates (BBC TV) to independents (Epix Media).

So far on the grad list we’re expecting – their work permitting: Jo Ashman (Class of 2002), TV Producer and Director | Sean Strange (Class of 2013), 360 Film Production & Delivery Specialist | Joel Murray (Class of 2011), Digital Marketer | Rosie Turner (Class of 2015), Online Content Producer | Tom Cass (Class of 2015), Camera Operator & Editor | Gemma Lowe (Class of 2012), PR & Communications Manager  | Charlotte Fisher (Class of 2017), Radio Multimedia Journalist | Steve Smailes (Class of 2012), Freelance Photographer | Ayodele Ogunshakin (Class of 2015), Office Runner | Lisa Rustage (Class of 2013), Film 2nd Assistant Editor | Steph Marshall (Class of 2015), PR Account Manager on creative campaigns | Philip Roberts (Class of 2006), Lead Digital Video Artist | et al! SEE profiles of LSFM alumni attending HERE.

Graduates RSVP: alumni@lincoln.ac.uk | LSFM students no booking required, come!
Continue reading →

Mentoring | Industry and LSFM, Lincoln School of Film & Media

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LSFM Mentoring is a unique way to link industry with selected undergraduates. Thanks very much to volunteer mentors from the world of work who make time to support our final year or level 2 students in an academic year.  Each mentor brings their experience of the job market to help our students, during their course, as they plan goals and pursue passions for a career. In the past our mentors and mentees have explored everything from work opportunities to discussing dissertations. Pairs are in contact at least 6 times across semesters, so may be around 6-12 hours during the academic year. Contact time is flexible and pairs choose how to meet: face-to-face, talking on the phone, having a web chat or using other online platforms.

Mentors are offered an induction to mentoring, written guidelines and thereafter student-mentee liaises with mentor. Interested in being a media mentor? Then read the introduction and you can download the form to register your interest anytime: LSFM Mentoring_Introduction  |  LSFM_MENTOR_Registration-Form

Our industry mentors are freelancers to company directors and work across the media sector in animation; audio; communications; design; digital marketing; filmmaking; photography; radio; social media; teaching; technology; and TV. Continue reading →

Lewis Coates, Class of 2014 | Ch4 Random Acts: When Voices Unite

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Random_Acts_logo_RGBHi all – hope you had a great summer! I regularly enjoy reading what fellow Lincoln grads are up to in the media world, so thought I’d discuss my most recent project. In February I was commissioned to write and direct a short film about social media for Channel 4’s ‘Random Acts’. When Voices Unite (2017) has been broadcast by them on their online platforms it has recently been shortlisted for an award at Danny Boyle’s Shuffle Film Festival in London and Cinemagic in Belfast!

Since graduating, I’ve been working for a creative video production agency in Lincoln, filming and editing adverts and web videos for clients such as Mercedes-Benz, smart and Volkswagen. After 2 and a bit years, I’m now Lead Video Production Continue reading →