Current SAE film degree student Lola Bauermeister recently went on a work experience with Blink Films, a BAFTA award-winning production company based in London and Ireland. Lola spoke to SAE about her experience with Blink Films and studying a videography course at SAE.
My name is Lola and I am from Cape Town, South Africa. I’m currently studying for a BA in my Film Production course and my hobbies include video editing, digital art, piano, and gaming!
My tasks when working with Blink were to assist the crew with setting up and moving equipment and preparing scenes for shooting. We asked questions, learned about equipment, and working as part of the team gave us experience within itself. Learning to help and keep up with one another. The team was super friendly and were nice enough to let me and Eva take some shots of our own to get some experience behind the camera. We were working on a docuseries called “Ten Steps to Disaster.”
My advice to people who are about to start work experience with a film studio would be that it’s totally normal to be nervous, everyone fears the new and the unknown. The sooner you expose yourself to it and embrace the new experience, the sooner you will be more confident and comfortable! You’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals who all know what it’s like to start for the first time, and all share the same/similar passion for film, so everyone understands. Be kind, and respectful, and help them fulfill their passion as much as they help you fulfill yours. Film is a team game and you will meet some amazing people, so be sure to stay in contact! Above all, enjoy the experience as much as possible and make the absolute most of it.
I decided to pursue a degree in film studies because there is just something about being able to create and tell stories that immerse and take people on an adventure that is really amazing to me. I started editing on Windows Movie Maker when I was 13, and the more I made my (very poorly edited) music videos and short stories, the more I became interested in how I could make them better. I started teaching myself by replicating scenes from films and watching way too many YouTube tutorials and then realized by the time I was 19 — and still doing the same thing — that this is where my passion really lies.
I started my studies with SAE in Cape Town, South Africa, and the reason I chose SAE over other universities was because of the people and the overall atmosphere. Between Cape Town’s campus and London’s campus, there is such a lovely team of staff that you can tell really have a passion for what they’re teaching and I found that really motivating and uplifting, which was exactly what I wanted out of my university experience.
I most enjoyed being on set, whether it be with my peers on our own films, or helping lecturers on theirs. I’ve formed some really close friendships along with on set experience, and those two things combined continue to remind me that I am doing the right degree!
I would tell them that SAE is a place where you can be sure that you’ll be surrounded and taught by people who have a passion for what their field is. Your peers are always welcoming, the staff is supportive and the lecturers care deeply about their students’ success in the course, and out on set. What you put in, you will get out!
