For a worthy cause

Jemma Fox, who graduated in BA (Hons) Film, is the assistant editor on a new promotional film for  the Teenage Cancer Trust, which recently premiered at The Royal Albert hall.

Since graduating from Solent, Jemma has been working in the postproduction industry in London, most recently as an Assistant Editor with the prestigious editing house KREAM.

We caught up with Jemma to ask her about her fabulous night at The Royal Albert Hall;  her career in postproduction and editing; and find out how her studies gave her the skills and experience she needed to get started in this highly competitive industry.

 Tell us about your big night at The Royal Albert hall

We had a fantastic night. A great deal of money was raised for Teenage Cancer Trust and our film played a significant role in helping people understand what teenagers with cancer go through during their treatment.

It’s a very worthy cause and I was really thrilled to be able to play a part in completing this film.

What’s it like to work for KREAM?

I love my job! It has been a fantastic experience with great colleagues. I learn a great deal every day. The postproduction industry for film is really exploding in London at the moment -it is a fantastic time to be part of this high-end and highly skilled industry, which spans film and video editing, special effects, animation and sound design. 

How did Solent prepare you for your career?

It provided me with all the skills I needed for the film industry - across the full range of production areas: screenwriting, camera, lights and sound, and digital video editing. Most importantly, we learnt how to structure a film, build characters and create visual narrative. 

My final major project at Solent was a 20-minute documentary about young people with learning disabilities. We focused on parent-led organisations that help to improve the lives of vulnerable adults. It was a really inspirational project which we completed for a real client through the University’s creative agency, Solent Creatives.

 What post-production projects have you been involved with?

I’ve been involved in a wide variety of jobs for organisations like Nintendo, Honda, Plusnet, Costa Coffee, Unibe and Pilgrims Choice. I have also worked on a docuseries called the The Rock N Roll Chef' and a documentary on disaster relief on Fiji for an independent charity, entitled Voices of Fiji.

 So what does an assistant editor do?

You are responsible for logging, ingesting, digitising, editing and colour grading preparation. You are also responsible for quality control checks for colour and sound prior to outputting to Adstream or Honeycomb transfer networks, playing out TV ads for broadcast, rough-cutting of footage, basic colour grading and sound editing, conforming offline rough cuts for colour grade, and re-conforming the online cut.  

At Solent, you are taught broadcast-related material, including work-flow in a commercial industrial environment, and media management in a commercial postproduction house. Those were the skills that got me through the door and into this job.

What next?

I am currently training to become an online editor and advanced colour grader.

 Anything else to add?

Each week there are new skills and processes to learn; new creative challenges to meet; and new mountains to climb. I love it all - every step of the process, every day, every hour of every day!  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get started at a university where the equipment and facilities are just like you’d find in the industry.  And where the lecturers really care about you and do their very best to launch you into a successful career.

Proud of Jemma's achievements, Stephen Desmond, Senior Lecturer in Film & Television at Southampton Solent University says: “She was a talented and dedicated student who developed strong technical and creative skills, and who had a burning desire to work on material in the spirit of public service that benefitted vulnerable people, the wider community and society as a whole. I  believe it is important to produce film graduates who not only have strong production skills but who also have a sense of personal empowerment, who want to make a positive contribution to society and improve the world, who can research, who can shape a compelling story, and who can shine a light in dark places."