BA (Hons) Film, TV & Theatre Production alumna Nic Sian, who graduated from our degree programme in 2021, came back to campus to speak to our students about life since graduating and working in the screen industries over the last five years as a camera assistant.

Nic Sian has had the exciting opportunity to work on a number of productions since her time at university, starting out as a camera trainee on the BBC’s The Dumping Ground, moving on to ITV‘s Transaction, and, as she recalls, “one of the only shoots where I couldn’t stop laughing when shooting” Teesside-based comedy Smoggie Queens, which released a second season earlier this year in May. Other projects include a Newcastle United x Sam Fender collaboration with Adidas, which she describes as a “dream to work on because I love Adidas”, and Netflix hit Brassic, “which was really funny because I was watching it on the TV just manifesting and then I worked on the final season.”

Nic Sian’s role is in the camera department, supporting productions by prepping gear and managing equipment. She explains, “Camera assistants work on location and help unload and set up the equipment, make sure camera batteries are charged, cards are ready and monitors are working, and other camera accessories like lenses or filters are ready for the camera operator. They are often required to help set up and provide basic camera maintenance.”

Speaking of how she got her first break working in the industry, she said, “At university, I was part of a mentor scheme. Basically, people came in and helped with FMP, and I ended up following one of them on Instagram. They posted a call-out for camera assistant crew, and I responded and got it.”

Along with sharing her experiences on location with the students, she also sat in on a group crit where she was able to view the students’ work and give feedback. Speaking of working with the students, she said, “The group crit and the students’ work was really good, it was like being transported back in time, being able to sit in the room and being told sh! again.”

Film student Connor Mazibuko-Curren said, “The session and crit with Nic was very insightful and encouraging. She was overall lovely and positive towards us. It was nice hearing from a past student, as well as someone who now works in the industry that I would like to pursue in the future. Hearing tips and tricks that she had used on how to get noticed and get work outside of university was very helpful, and are definitely things that I will apply going forward.”

When asked whether her time on the degree helped her in her career, she said it did, reflecting on the skills she learned during her time here, including working with 16mm celluloid cameras. “Learning how to use the 16mm celluloid camera is really valuable because not everyone is able to use one and it’s used for commercials,” she commented.

Lecturer Mike Boyle said, “It was really interesting that Nic validated our use of 16mm film shooting on part of the programme and pointed out that camera loaders that work on film are a scarce commodity and something that the students should definitely put on their CVs as well as their digital skills, as this is much needed in commercials still to this day!”

When asked what her advice was for students starting out, she said, “Honestly, I’d say sign up for North East Screen. They host networking events and essentially you need to get your face out there. Networking and word of mouth help you get on productions. Also, learning to drive will make your life easier. I didn’t drive when I started out, and so I would get trains and Ubers. If you want to work on the production enough, you will do it, but it’s just easier if you can drive.”

Film degree Lecturer Mike Boyle said, “It has been wonderful to invite Nic back to the campus to give a talk about her journey going from a student on our film degree to working in the industry! Indeed, Nic has gone full circle, starting off as a camera trainee on The Dumping Ground and working on various projects within the camera department, such as The Feud and Sam Fender’s Remember My Name music video, gaining knowledge and experience. Nic’s journey has taken her up and down the country, coming back home to us, where Nic is working at The Northern Studios on a new series as a camera assistant. Still only starting her career, it was wonderful she could give the students a real idea of what it’s like in the industry and, importantly, how to get into it.”

If you are interested in studying film at degree-level make sure you check out our BA (Hons) Film, TV & Theatre Production degree programme. This award-winning course immerses students in every phase of stage and screen production—from pre-production to post-production. Whether your passion is directing, producing, scriptwriting, cinematography, sound design, or editing, you’ll gain hands-on experience while collaborating with talented peers across the faculty.