This is a guest blog written by Joyce, a 2nd year BA (Hons) Media Production student. Joyce recently attended a talk with BU graduate Will Stone. Here’s what she had to say about her experience. 

On Friday 31 March, BU graduate Will Stone was invited to come in to deliver a talk on Talbot Campus. Will studied BA (Hons) Film Production and Cinematography, this degree is taught at Wiltshire College and accredited by Bournemouth University. Will and some friends created their short film “The Fence” as part of his grad project. To his success, the film received millions of views and has been made into a feature film. Since graduating, he has directed and written a range of different films.

Will’s main focus of his talk was talking us through each stage of production, explaining his approaches through his past experiences and giving us tips on how to make great and meaningful projects. From what I could see, Will is a very fearless and experimentally creative, and an expert in going above and beyond to unleash the creative potential of all his stories. For example, one of his tips regarding locations was to explore our surroundings more, “find those great locations, and don’t be afraid to ask to see if you can use them.” As a university student, I know the strong feeling of sticking to my comfort zones and filming on campus or in a student house because it’s familiar, but seeing how beautiful and aesthetically pleasing The Fence was helped me to crave that beauty in my own projects!

Currently, I am aspiring to become a producer, leaving me in charge of the planning, budgeting and surveillance of a project. From advice on gathering cast and crew to tips on bringing a script to life, Will’s talk definitely opened a door of excitement in me, and I feel ready to take all my ideas to the next level. In my final year, the creation of my grad project shall commence, but seeing how Will spent almost his whole university time planning for it, I don’t see any harm in me starting now!

One of the biggest takeaways from Will for prospective students wanting to study anything within Media would be to try not to overscale with your narratives! Find interesting stories from those around you that spike your interest, and experiment! Many big filmmakers started off making small productions, so don’t be worried. Just keep trying, keep experimenting and keep making!

A massive thank you to Will for returning to give us this talk!! Be sure to check out the short film “The Fence”.

And check out the trailer for the feature film!

I’m learning about the making of different forms of media and the various careers within the industry on this course.

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Media degrees at BU