Student spotlight on BA (Hons) Production Design for Stage & Screen student Jemima Worrall who has recently wrapped on two productions working with CBeebies and Lonesome Pine productions and is worked with North East-based band Lurcher on the final major project (FMP) for her degree. We asked her about her experience working on set whilst studying, her time on her degree course and her advice for students starting in September.

Tell us about your work with Lonesome Pine on Channel 5 show The Fortune! 

The opportunity to work with Lonesome Pine weirdly came about through chatting in the pub! I work part-time at The Owl in Hartlepool and got chatting to some customers who turned out to be the line producer and production co-ordinator working at the Northern Studios. They put me in contact with the production designer, and I was given the opportunity to have a week’s work experience with them. Whilst working on this set I was primarily in the art office, helping to make graphics and small props/set dressing for the show. I also spent an afternoon on set on location with the standby art team, and a few days assisting dressing a different location. This was a wonderful experience, and all the team were lovely. Hopefully the networking I did here and the contacts I gained will help me to get more work experience or a job with this team in the future.

You finished some work experience with CBeebies, tell us about the experience! 

I have been doing work experience on set a few times a year with the same art department team in Leeds since summer of first year. This opportunity originally came about through a family friend who is a location manager and put me in contact with production designer of children’s show Jamie Johnson’s Football Club. This team also work on another children’s show called Football Fantastics, and I have done work experience with them on both shows. Whilst working with them I have always assumed the role as a secondary art department assistant, and helped with many jobs such as set dressing, painting, small prop makes and striking sets. Completing this work experience has been so valuable for me and my career, as the connections I’ve made and skills I’ve learnt will help me to get an art department job in the future.

Tell us about your FMP project with Lurcher! (@lurcher.hpool)

For my FMP, I made a stop-motion music video (watch here) for local Hartlepool band Lurcher. I knew I wanted to make a stop-motion video for my FMP back in summer last year, after being inspired by behind-the-scenes videos on the process of designing and building stop-motion sets. The opportunity to work with Lurcher also came about from my part-time pub job and The Owl, as three members of the band work in the kitchen there. We got chatting about a collaboration on a music video casually, but this quickly turned into a reality as I began working on this project, and I realised if we did this it would mean my work would be out there for all to see! I designed and built the set and puppets, and lead singer from Lurcher – Spencer White – helped me to film the video. The video is for song ‘Quad Biking’ off Lurcher’s new EP ‘Bag Gag’, which was released on May 15th alongside the music video. The video is a stop-motion animated scene set inside a surrealist engine of a quad bike featuring the members of the band as little wooden puppets inside.

How did you prepare for your degree show?

Collectively as a course, we were all super excited for this year’s degree show! Planning got underway a few months before the event, and as walls were painted and brochures produced it all pulled together well. In the Scott Building this year we displayed a whole range of different pieces of work, including full-scale sets, models, puppets, videos, a mini golf hole and a liquid light show. For my installation I displayed the set and puppets which were used to film the video on, alongside the video playing for all to watch and listen.

Reflecting on the last three years what have you enjoyed most and what has been your biggest take away from studying on the degree programme?

The last three years have been a joy to spend studying here. My course in particular – and the rest of the School – provides the best opportunities, guidance and equipment to complete our studies. What I love about studying here is how small the class sizes are, meaning we get so much one-on-one time with our lecturers where they provide excellent guidance and support for us and our work. For production design and model-making in particular, the resources we have access to throughout the course are excellent, and this has helped us to achieve our highest standards of work over the last three years.

One of the greatest opportunities throughout studying has been collaboration with the other Stage and Screen faculty courses, particularly the film students who often assist with their short films. A few examples of this include our second-year big build project, where we built a full scale set which was used as the set for a short film, and in third year a few of my peers have designed sets and props for the film students’ FMPs.

Do you have any favourite moments from the School you can share?

My time here has been brilliant, through our studies and outside of them we’ve had loads of fun. During third year we have continuously fundraised through different events to fund our degree show, from craft markets to pub quizzes, organising and hosting these events has been great. It’s given us a chance to bond as a course outside of studying and make some money in the process.

Do you feel that your degree programme has prepared you for your industry?

Yes! Absolutely! Our course has been written by people who work in the industry, so they know exactly what we need to know, and the necessary skills to have. This has been expanded upon through guest speakers coming in to talk to us and discuss their own professional journeys and offer advice on how to get into the industry. Throughout our third year we have also had the privilege to be a part of North East Screen’s new undergraduate course Connected Campus, which has also taught us necessary skills for working in the industry. Through all of this, and my own work experience, I feel prepared to enter the working world.

What is your advice for students starting in September?

For all students starting on Stage and Screen courses in September, the biggest piece of advice I can give to them is to get as much work experience as they can. This industry is one where there’s only so much you can learn about it in a classroom, and gaining real life experience on set is of utmost importance. The time I’ve spent on work experience over the last three years has been the most fun, and I’ve gained invaluable skills and advice from doing so. Another piece of advice I’d give is to learn every skill you can whilst on your degree, and take advantage of the equipment provided here.

Keep up to date with Jemima’s work on her Instagram @jemimajodesign

Find out more about our BA (Hons) Set Design for Stage & Screen degree here.