Amy on Filmmaking and the Into Film Awards

I heard about the Into Film Awards as I was on the Young Reporters programme and saw it featured in the newsletter. Still Life was made with a group of other young people through the Tyneside Cinema's Documentary Academy and took almost four months. We used professional equipment and were mentored by industry professionals.

Although professionally supported, we thought of and developed the idea ourselves and made all the artistic and technical decisions. Thatcher's rule greatly impacted our region in the 1980s and we were intrigued to see how much people's lives had been shaped by their suffering. Using documentary photographer Tish Murtha's iconic images of life in the North East of England as a starting point, we made the film to uncover the people behind the pictures and the world in which they were taken.

This film has been a huge learning curve for me and my team,and has taught me invaluable communication skills. Hearing people's raw and heartfelt stories and gaining their trust in such a short space of time was truly spectacular. To be entrusted with such harrowing stories teaches you to have the utmost respect for your subjects and how to remain professional during interviews.

It was brilliant coming to the BFI Southbank in London for the Into Film Awards ceremony and a surreal experience to see so many people I idolise in the flesh. I'm definitely going to continue to make films and I am looking forward to pursuing it as a career.

Still Life