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Louise Sedgewick is an Into Film Education Ambassador, teaching 11-18-year-olds English and media at St Margaret's Academy in Livingston, Scotland. She reveals why encouraging young people into screen careers is so important and tells us about the film career she always wanted.
St Margaret's is a state school in West Lothian and welcomes students from every background. When Louise discovered that there were screen careers literally on their doorstep, which the school's young people could access, it made her realise they could get into those industries.
Her motto is: ‘If you can see it, you can be it', so she became determined to help young people open those doors. Now, she runs careers lessons and events for students to get a better understanding of the value and availability of screen careers.
There's definitely still a perception that it's not for them, that you need private school connections or family wealth to get into the industry. There's also a myth that you need to move to London or America to follow a screen career, but there are now so many different opportunities out there.
Louise Sedgewick is an Into Film Education Ambassador, and English and media teacher at St Margaret’s Academy in Livingston
One of our main goals at Into Film is to help educators support young people to explore careers in the screen industries. However, navigating this wide-ranging and constantly evolving field can be daunting - both for educators and young people. That's why we've created a Go-to Guide for Screen Industry Careers.
Into Film offers comprehensive information, guidance and support on careers in the screen industries for 11-18 year-olds. This included our Careers and Progression programme - supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) awarding National Lottery good cause funding - which provided Continuing Professional Development (CPD), classroom resources and online content for careers professionals, educators and young people.
The Into Film Screen Careers strand also offers work experience and mentoring opportunities through our ScreenWorks and Trailblaze programmes in Northern Ireland, funded by our regional partner Northern Ireland Screen.
Louise explains that recently they had director John McPhail in her classroom. He's from Glasgow, and talked about how he got into the industry. He's also dyslexic so it was great for the young people to hear more about how you don't need to be a perfect writer or have a huge range of qualifications to work in film. Hearing others talk about how they got into the industry is helpful to students and staff.
She adds that "there's also a misconception that the only jobs you can have in screen industries is an actor or director. But there's a role for everyone as the industry needs electricians on a film set, drivers, caterers, lawyers, set designers, concept artists, carpenters and more. That always surprises young people; it's great to see the lights go on behind their eyes when they realise these roles are all something they could do."
In our Supporting Screen Careers Conversations video, Into Film's Careers Lead, Cerys Evans, shares up-to-date information that educators and careers advisers can use in school to support young people as they explore roles in the screen industries.
In addition, in our Supporting Screen Careers Conversations online course you can discover the essential facts and latest trends to help young people aged 11-18 make informed decisions about pursuing a role in the screen industries.
Film is so equitable; it's a great leveller and so multidisciplinary. And all the skills you need to work in the screen industries are transferable good communication, being punctual, working in a team or using your own initiative, for example. If they can do all those things, they can use them to follow a screen career. You don't have to have a film qualification or have studied it at university to get started.
Louise Sedgewick
Introducing young people to all these friendly, engaging and inspiring people who genuinely want to help them get into film is now the best part of my job.
Louise Sedgewick
And as for Louise's dream career in film. She would have been a foley artist [the person who creates background noises such as footsteps, raindrops or a letter opening]. Why? "It looks like so much fun!" she says and adds "But I didn't get the chance to study film or media at school. If I had the opportunities my students do now, it might have taken me down a very different path." Now is your chance to open the pathways to young people to explore their potential as an educator or careers lead.
Why not explore and download our careers-focused classroom resources to help you get started or discover more?
Sources of support
- Online Careers Hub a one stop shop for careers professionals and educators to inform and support young people interested in the screen industries including lessons and assembly resources, handouts and maps, activity sheets and virtual broadcasts.
- CPD for careers professionals and educators on getting into the screen industries, supporting screen industry career conversations, finding the right fit in screen industry job roles and more
- Media Careers Podcast where young people and professionals can hear from industry professionals about their careers in the screen industries
- Annual roundtable events that bring together the screen industries and educators and careers professionals to discuss career opportunities and support for young people
- ScreenWorks, funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen, supports young people in Northern Ireland aged 14-19 to learn about screen industry careers through hands-on work experience opportunities
Into Film is proud to play our part in supporting young people to get into film and building strong relationships between screen industry professionals and careers leads.
All our resources including podcasts, virtual broadcasts, lessons and assemblies enable young people to hear from industry voices and benefit from industry encounters, discovering the broad range of careers on offer.
If you want to support and empower the young people you work with to explore screen industry careers for themselves, point them towards our Get Into Film page, which features all the latest opportunities.
As well as our Media Careers Podcast, the Get Into Film page also includes a whole host of information on opportunities, events, courses, competitions and more. Plus, young people can follow our Get Into Film channels on TikTok and Instagram.
Find out more information about our careers programme below:
