I reached out to Alyson Agar, a lecturer at CCAD who taught me during Visual Culture. Alyson is a current MA student at Sunderland. She was the ideal person for me to aim my enquiries. I emailed Alyson asking for some help when it comes to my personal statement. I didn't know how long it should be, how it should be structured, what information it should contain etc. Alyson got back to me with some useful information as shown below, which allowed me to get to work right away.
This is my first draft of my MA statement:
My name is
Bradley Sampson, I’m a graduate of Cleveland College of Art & Design where
I studied BA (Hons) Creative Film and Moving Image Production. Prior to my
degree, I studied A-levels at Sunderland College. My three areas of study at
A-level were: Sociology, Film Studies and Media Studies. Going into my degree I
was very interested in becoming a screenwriter. From my study at undergraduate
level I had gained a well-rounded contextual knowledge of cinema, both foreign
and English speaking. Upon having an interview at CCAD I instinctively knew
that this was the institution where I would further my study. As an aspiring
writer, I went into the degree writing the scripts which would go into
production. I committed to plentiful research around the writing and formatting
process of scriptwriting. For one module, I found myself in the position of
director following a formal pitch of my own script. I took the opportunity and
began to excel in the area of Directing. I became naturally adept at
understanding the pre-production process through to post-production. I settled
into the role of Director within my degree, and quickly found myself exploiting
the technical and creative opportunities that presented themselves. Over the
course of my degree I have directed 7 productions, which has solidified my
desire in wanting to become an established director within the Film Industry.
My main interest
and passion is filmmaking. The process of taking a concept from an idea to a
finished piece of moving image is one of the most rewarding aspects of my life.
The process of writing the script is a solitary one, but is followed by the
often-sociable process of directing and working toward creative solutions with
likeminded people. My interest mainly lies in digital filmmaking; however, I
have frequently made use of celluloid film stock. I have experience shooting on
16mm film and Super 8mm, which, opposed to shooting digitally, is a
leisure-based process. My external hobbies outside of my interests formed
through academia vary significantly. I have been skateboarding for many years, alongside
playing football. In my everyday life, I aim to keep myself fit through running
and cycling, which offers me a great deal of creative headspace. In clear
relation to my degree and to my position of director, I am an avid cinephile. I
have an intellectual involvement with many different genres of cinema spanning
across the past century, back to the dawn of moving image. My years of study at
both A level undergraduate level have given me an all-encompassing knowledge
and appreciation of international cinema. My particular area of interest and
study has been on the cinema of East Asia. I am a huge admirer of the distinct and
unique voices of filmmakers that have emerged in China, Japan, South Korea and
Taiwan. In my dissertation, I looked at the cultural and socio-economic
similarities that exist between the East and West, in historical context and
within the context of cinema.
I have
excellent interpersonal skills honed by years of experience working with the
public. For five years I have worked part-time for Elior UK – one of the
largest hospitality contractors within the UK. My employment has given me the
platform to build rapport with customers, and to grow in confidence within
myself. The skills that have been nurtured working part-time outside of my
academic studies have effectively transitioned into my role as a director. The
role requires frequent communication between crew members, actors and even
general members of the public. The role of director also requires a level of
level-headedness, in which you are able to make the decisions that benefit the
production as a whole, whilst simultaneously utilising the creativity of the
crew around you. As a director, I have always been transparent by nature,
allowing those involved with the production creative input. Through directing and occasionally producing
either my own production or that of a client, I have gained an understanding of
each of the processes a film must go through to reach completion. I understand
the workload I must undertake during pre-production, production, and
post-production. I can manage each of these processes in a cost and time
effective manner, whilst maintaining artistic integrity. My degree has further
allowed me to gain practical experience in varying fields such as; editing,
sound operating (production & post) camerawork, lighting and public
speaking/pitching. From both my study at A-level and degree combined, I have
extensive experience in writing academically.
Upon a
recent visit to a Postgraduate Open Day at Newcastle University, I was
convinced that the Film Theory and Practice MA is the right option for me going
forward within my chosen field. My position as a Director and my interest as a
student of Film has always allowed me to form synergy between the contextual
study of cinema and the practical elements of filmmaking. The open day enabled
me to converse with current staff and students on the course, which gave me a
greater understanding of the structure and the content of the course. The
course conforms to my interests having a mixture of written and practical
study, which present themselves through the optional modules. As an aspiring director,
I believe that this course will offer me a platform for growth as a creative
and as a professional. In all areas of life, I aim to challenge myself, and
this course will provide me with a fresh challenge and the opportunity to
surpass myself.
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