Media students from Bedford College have taken up internships with Tailwind Media where they will gain valuable experience with the creative digital media production company.
As Producer at Tailwind Media, former Bedford College student Aaron Howard knows the value of gaining experience and what it means to work in the industry.
Aaron gained BA Hons in Film and Television at the University of Northampton and won the Northampton film festival 'best film' in 2006 and 2008. He directed a travel/food documentary in Kosovo for four months, unpaid, funding the trip by working part time before joining Tailwind Media.
He is keen to pass on his experience to current media students and said: “Tailwind Media interns get a full experience of day to day life within a busy production company. In return for their hard work, we offer them an insight into producing professional work.
“They assist us edit, animate and work in production on large projects for a range of our clients. Liaising with clients is something education, at any level, cannot offer.”
Aaron, who gained BTEC National Diploma in Moving Image at Bedford College added: “Studying at Bedford College was one of the best decisions I ever made. I remember taking the tour around the college with my mother when I was 16 and spotting the film and television department. I instantly knew looking at the studio that this was what I wanted to do.”
In his second year at Bedford College Aaron made an ambitious short film in the style of Sin City but, due to technical issues, it didn’t quite work out. Despite his disappointment, Aaron says the encouragement he received from staff about the quality of his work inspired him to work harder.
He said: “The dedication the staff paid to the students was unique to anything I had experienced at school or even University since. The guidance and encouragement they staff gave me to explore film was something that has shaped how I look at film production to this day. “
Sean Doyle, Media Lecturer, added: “Internships with Tailwind Media offer our students a unique opportunity to gain work experience whilst studying at Bedford College and give them a real insight into the competitive world of media production.”
To learn more about Bedford College go to http://www.bedford.ac.uk/
