Roxanne Forward
Graduate - Certificate IV Screen and Media, St Leonards Campus
Works at Fox Sports
I had heard good things about the Northern Sydney Institute, but I was out of the country and missed the deadline for enrolments. I emailed one of the teachers explaining what had happened and he agreed to meet me for an interview. Not long after, there was a last minute drop out from the course, making a spot available for me. It was fate!
2/ What did you enjoy most?
All the teachers I had during my year at the Institute were amazing, they all had industry knowledge and were very open about sharing their experiences and knowledge. My studies prepared me by giving me a taste of what to expect in the industry and allowed me to try out roles I never knew existed. The equipment was modern and up-to-date, with a massive studio, separate control room, audio and tapes room. Of course all technology is forever updating but we learnt on AVID for editing which is the Industry standard.
3/ How did you get into the industry?
I graduated in 2013. During my studies, I was an unpaid intern at Essential Media and Entertainment, acting as an assistant for a producer. After completing my Certificate I worked at Channel 10 as a freelancer in tapes during the 2014 Winter Olympics. I have also worked for Shine on “So You Think You Can Dance”, “The Voice” and “Voice Kids”. All of these jobs however low in the ranks have built up my experience, confidence and contacts in the industry. I now work full-time at Fox Sports.
4/ What does a typical day look like in your job?
At Fox Sports, on a typical day, I can have one of three different tasks:
1. Looking after all the live news feeds, and any crosses that happen from outside broadcasts.
2. Looking after the tapes and any media clips that come in, as well as monitoring all feeds.
3. PREP which involves inputting data for programs going live that night or in a couple of days.
5/ What advice would you give to other students wanting to work in your industry?
If you are considering doing the Certificate IV in Screen and Media at the Northern Sydney Institute – DO IT!If you want to get into the film and television industry my advice is:
· have self-confidence and believe in what you can do
· don’t be intimidated if at first you don’t understand – don’t be afraid to ask questions and practice
· get your “foot in the door” and be prepared to start at the bottom
· connections are everything. Never burn a bridge, no matter what!
I’d like to be a Director Assistant. It’ll be a hard task but I am pretty determined. I would love to on reality programs or talk shows in the future, although I am open to anything really, everything is different in their own way and would be fun and interesting to work on. I would love to meet Chris Brown, Bondi Vet.
To find out how The Northern Sydney Institute, part of TAFE NSW can help progress your career in fim and TV, please visit nsi.edu.au or call 131 674.