Meet the Team at Sparks Film School
We sat down for a chat with Claire, one of our fabulous filmmaking instructors from Sparks Film School Hampstead. Claire shares her knowledge and passion for filmmaking with students in Studios 2-4 (ages 7-14).
Find out all about Claire’s passion for filmmaking, her experience in the industry and why she loves inspiring young filmmakers at Sparks Film School.
Claire, tell us a bit about your background in film and TV…
My work has mainly been in the performance sector as a filmmaker, working across Theatre, Performance Art, Live Art and Community Arts. I make bespoke pieces with artists within a broad range of projects, it could be promotional video or video design for live performance, documentation of process or stand alone short films.
For the past seven years I’ve also been making my first feature documentary that is currently being entered into film festivals worldwide.
What was your journey into the world of filmmaking?
I went to university and did a combined undergraduate degree of film and theatre, several of the faculty there were practising artists who mentored me and introduced me to the art world.
You work with our film students at Sparks Film School in Hampstead. What do you find inspirational about youth filmmaking?
Nurturing young creatives is so important, especially right now. We need new voices and ideas more than ever.
What skills do you think will be important for young people coming in who may be interested in a career in TV and Film?
I’m a self-taught film maker and I’ve learnt on the job and through making mistakes. Skills come from experience and doing, so I’d say young people should experiment with as many different aspects of making as possible.
People skills are also just as important as technical skills, whether working with crew or with subjects or performers. Collaboration is at the heart of video making for me so being a great team member is vital.
What advice might you have for young filmmakers interested in pursuing a career in filmmaking?
Throw yourself into as much as possible to find what you love and what you’re good at, experiment, play and don’t be afraid of getting things wrong.
Claire is part of the team at Sparks Film School Hampstead. You can find out more about youth film and media courses close to you by finding your nearest film school >>
