TESTIMONIALS

Chris Weaver, Director of Photography, recently paid a visit to the students at City of Wolverhampton Collegem, and shared valuable information about the skills needed for success in the film and TV industry.

The hour long event was a taster session for the 2-Day High Definition Video Course run by Chris. Ian Baker, a marketing intern, went along and reported on the event:

Chris has true talent and his experience shows! All of the students hung on to his every word. We listened to Chris’s fascinating journey; he explained how he started out working in theatre, before moving onto the BBC then eventually becoming a successful freelancer who has worked with numerous big names like Samuel .L. Jackson, Michael Caine and Michael Jackson.

In the little time that Chris had with us, he was able to share a lot of information and the students enthusiastically lapped up all of the wisdom.

Nick Buttery, 19, a Commercial Video student, attended the talk and after hearing what Chris had to say, felt a new sense of inspiration.  Nick said: “I thought it was brilliant, he is the man! I thoroughly enjoyed it. He has inspired me to work harder. I look forward to talking to him again and I will be doing the one day course because of this.”

Chris offered encouraging words about how to cope with rejection and how people need to be prepared to start at the bottom and work their way up. Chris gave the students a down to earth view of the industry and opened their eyes to the reality of the industry.

Commercial Video student, Noah Kilworth, 24, said: “I thought it was really inspirational. Chris put so much information into one hour, it’s unbelievable! You can tell that he has been on a long journey. Hearing him talk about the places he has been and the sets that he has worked on made me jealous – in a good way!”

Chris definitely changed the outlook of students for the better. They came away from the talk with a greater insight into what they need to succeed and inspiration to reach their goals.

Nick said: “It is always good to know that there are people who are up at the top and willing to help us down here at the start of our careers. Film and TV can be a bit daunting; knowing that there is support available is nice.”

I found Chris to be a truly impressive man. He gives inspirational and significant advice. Hearing about his trials, tribulations and ultimate success made me feel motivated and ready to go out and achieve my career goal.

I’d like to thank Chris on behalf of the staff and students of City of Wolverhampton College. Thank you for your time Chris, it was highly appreciated.

Ian Baker