Personal Statement

Alexander Ioannou 

An alien changed my life. It feels good to admit it openly and hopefully to other like-minded, left-field thinkers who can relate to how an extra-terrestrial gave me extra. While other kids were spellbound by the Spielberg spectacular, I was also enthralled, but the added value was how it kickstarted a film career in front and behind the camera. I was so fascinated by the story telling and how the film used camera shots, effects and great actors to tell this amazing story created by the famous director. All of this soon inspired me to make my own version of E.T. So I borrowed my Dad's handy cam, taped over some memorable family moments to devise my own version of ET, complete with homemade special effects.

As I made more and more of my own films I started to gain a lot of interest in editing. I enjoyed experimenting with a range of software, from Windows Movie Maker to iMovie to Filmora to Adobe softwares like Premiere Pro, After Affects and Photoshop.
I felt I needed to find a course at a college that would allow me to develop my creative and technical abilities. I obtained a place at The Brit School studying a two year course in Film and Media Production.
I am gaining a vast amount of training in script writing, editing, camera operation, presenting and post production techniques. The projects where I have used all of these techniques are: writing my own script about a horror film which I pitched to the class and teachers and my script was selected to be produced and screened at the David Lean Cinema.
I was commissioned to make a music video for an up and coming musician, produce a promotional video for a watch shop in Old Bond Street, London called The Watch Club, devised a world cinema film and compile a documentary.
Visual production is also incorporated into my academic work, whereby I make animation and video essays to outline my work.
I have also gained broadcasting experience as I was selected to present BRIT Live, an in-house Live studio show; I also collaborated with another student to make our own show called Footzola where we had a special guest who was a Crystal Palace academy footballer, which reinforced my interest in being a Producer, Director and Director. Live TV broadcasts are interesting as I appreciate how everyone comes together to make sure everything runs smoothly and how there's no room for mistakes as it can't just easily be taken out.
This lead us to present the Film and Media Brit awards at the BFI cinema and present our own behind the scenes show of a film made by the class called I Don't.
I have completed work experience at The Farm, a production company which is the biggest and most technically advanced long-form picture and sound post facility in the UK. The Farm has worked for award winning programmes in London, Bristol, Salford and Manchester. I spent a week there and gained first hand experience of the editing suites, the visual effects department and the sound department.
I also had the most amazing opportunity offered to me to co present Brit Live with one other student. Which was extremally fun as I got to experience what it's like presenting your own show. 

I also have a part time job at a leisure centre called Weir Archer centre where I welcome people into the gym, answer phone calls and clean around the leisure centre. Some of the skills I have used at The Brit School I also use at my job, such as being sociable with a large variety of people and politely welcoming people into the leisure centre, being confident in every situation and remaining calm whenever something goes wrong and just try and resolve the problem. 

These skills are very important when it comes to film and media and TV Broadcasting as you have to be confident and keep calm when being involved in creative projects in film, television and live broadcasts and whenever a mistake is made you just have to brush it off quickly and carry on.
In conclusion, I hope to be involved in the creative film and TV industry whether it's in television, in front of the camera presenting or behind the scenes in Post Production and working with companies such as ITV, Sky, BBC, Netflix, Channel 4 or with the big production companies working in the film industry.

I am currently at a creative arts university located in Farnham called "University For the Creative Arts" where I study TV and Media Production. This has gained me more interests as I learn about live news broadcasting, as well as finding and writing real life stories to put in the news, whether it's an online article, or a cue to be read out by a presenter on live radio or TV.