Students get Channel 4 credit for camerawork at Bestival

Third-year television and production student, Faye Kelly, was one of a group of Solent students to get their first credit on national TV for camera work done at this year’s Bestival, broadcast on Channel 4.

We caught up with Faye to find out more about the work, the acts and the weather at Bestival; her other work experiences on The X-Factor and Goodwood; and the best bits of her course.

What did you do at Bestival?

As part of the University’s Solent Productions team, I worked as a camera operator. We were filming the main stage at Bestival so there were some pretty big names - Pet Shop Boys, Dizzie Rascal, The XX and The Rag and Bone man.

We filmed the acts who were performing on the main stage for the whole three days of the festival. We also had to rig all the cables and equipment and then de-rig at the end of the weekend. It was a great experience as we would rotate on a variety of cameras - roaming, track and dolly, stage left, stage right and front of house. This enabled us all to capture some brilliant shots.

What did you enjoy the most?

My two favourite acts to film were probably Little Dragon and The Pet Shop Boys as they had some really cool graphics and great stage presence. It was particularly fun to film The Pet Shop Boys as I had to capture the crowd, who were loving the show.

It was really great being on different cameras as you could experiment with a variety of shots. I also enjoyed being grip for the person who was on the dolly camera, as this allowed me to have a great view of the artists performing on stage!

What was your biggest challenge?

The weather! At one point we had to stop filming as there was an ‘amber’ weather warning and it was too dangerous for us to be operating. It was pretty scary as I was up the tower at front of house and the tripod actually rocked from the wind; we were evacuated to the VIP bar area which had its benefits!

How has it helped to prepare you for a career after uni?

Bestival topped of my summer of work experience. I worked on a few different things throughout the summer - such as The X Factor, GoodWood Festival of Speed and filming a music video at Abbey Road  - so this was a great experience to end on.

It was good to work in a professional environment with other professionals. And it also allowed me to network with people studying similar subjects at Solent - some that I may be able to collaborate with in the future. It’s also a great thing to have on my CV, especially as it has being shown on Channel 4!

Best bit of the course so far?  

I’ve worked on some great projects while studying at Solent … I don't think I can pick a favourite as there have been so many. However, the course has been great, and I can't wait to see what it leads on to.

Finish this sentence – this course is for you if…

…you are passionate about television and are keen to create a variety of media content - and not just for TV but also online content, as the world of television is changing.