6 months in, my experience so far...
Hi, my name is Freya Morris and I’m the Junior Editor and Production Assistant at Dead Pixel Films.
It’s now officially been six months since I began my role at Dead Pixel Films so I thought it would be great to go over what’s happened so far…
Since starting at Dead Pixel, I’ve worked across numerous projects, ranging from food, sport to animals and super slow motion. It’s great to learn so much about the process from start to finish and what goes in to creating video content and commercials. I’ve learnt, and am still learning, the process of production, how to cast talent, book locations and write shot lists, as well as improve my editing skills with every new project that lands on my desk. I’ve learnt and experienced an unbelievable amount. I’ve slotted in the team perfectly and love getting to work with such creative people on some really cool projects.
Well, let’s get the best thing out of the way...
My morning routine
…begins with a cup of proper coffee (Kieran and Cal did good on their promise!), a cuddle from Chester, as well as a body slam from my other doggo colleague, Freddie.
Obviously greeting the most important first…
Shoots, shoots and more shoots…
Anyways, back to the work side of things…
I mentioned shoots earlier and Dead Pixel threw me straight into the beautiful chaos that is a shoot day from day 2.
On my second day I visited THG’s studio kitchen to shoot a new food product ad for Arla Pro and my mind was blown, like a little kid in a candy shop, I couldn’t believe this was actually my job.
I started on that day and felt way out of my depth, I had no idea how to set up a lot of the equipment, where to place myself and how to keep busy when I had no idea what was going on. It’s crazy how different things are now. Cal and Kieran have really taught me so much and now I feel confident going into a shoot because I know exactly why I’m there.
Since then I’ve been on numerous shoots such as MyProtein International Women’s Day #BreakTheBias campaign, which I was so proud to be a part of. I have a background in feminism in film and media and have focused a lot of my past projects to the cause, so being able to be a part of this shoot and meet some really influential, strong women was something I really resonated with.
Talking of varied projects, we also created a TVC for The Pizza Company featuring Love Island Winner Jack Fincham, which was my first taste into a bigger shoot with multiple departments working closely together. We shot at three separate locations all within one day. This meant a lot of precision, organisational skills and team effort. I helped with numerous tasks, including running, props, clean up (there was a lot of confetti) and ensuring the talent and client were happy. I drove back and forth with pizza, desserts and props to each location and helped set up and pack down at record time. My favourite responsibility however, was throwing a football at Jack’s head in time with script. This was a lot harder than it looked!
I loved the busyness of this shoot, working with so many creatives and working with celebrity talent. I was in my element and I can’t wait to see it in cinemas soon…
If I’m talking shoots, I need to include my favourite so far, a new TVC for Pets & Friends (yes this involved lots of doggos). This was the first shoot that I felt really confident in and could apply all the things I’ve learnt so far. I took more responsibility on this shoot and it felt great. I took on catering for the production including crew and clients which was probably the biggest task I’ve been handed to date. In addition to this, I took on other responsibilities such as taking care of clients and pet owners, looking after animal welfare, helping with props, scene set up and even as a stand in! I took on the production schedule and reminded crew if we were running over or if we were on time to ensure we kept to schedule, didn’t miss any planned shots and didn’t run into overtime.
My favourite stories so far…
In the first six months of my career here, I’ve experienced lots of varied and exciting things. I travelled abroad with work for the first time which was insane! (It was an empty theme park outside Hamburg, Germany) I got to work with crew members from different countries, learn the process of flying with kit and customs papers, and really throw myself all in to the project. I’ve also really enjoyed meeting freelancers and feeling a part of the creative community more than ever. However, my favourite story to tell is how a rhino took a fancy to the backlight of my car and now is currently being replaced at my local garage.
Lastly
I’m so excited for all the upcoming experiences and shoots I will get to be a part of, as well as to continue working with Chester and Freddie, oh and the lovely Dead Pixel guys!
