I have always had a passion for television, film, and drama and pursued this to degree level. I studied Film and Screenwriting at Sheffield Hallam University where I graduated with a 2:1. During my time at university, I did modules on documentaries, the horror genre, and American television. During my degree we wrote numerous precis, summaries, and...
Read MoreI have always had a passion for television, film, and drama and pursued this to degree level. I studied Film and Screenwriting at Sheffield Hallam University where I graduated with a 2:1. During my time at university, I did modules on documentaries, the horror genre, and American television. During my degree we wrote numerous precis, summaries, and critiques on a wide variety of films and scripts.
My favourite assignments at university revolved around screenwriting. In my second-year of university, I wrote a 30-page pilot script for a comedy sit-com set in an upmarket pub and hotel, and was based on my own experiences working in the hospitality industry. Another of my second-year modules involved adapting a short story into a film or television series, and write a four-page treatment. I chose to adapt a short story Will Self’s anthology The Quantity Theory of Insanity, which I envisaged as a dystopian anthology series. This provided a challenging subject matter, not least because of self’s idiosyncrasies, and the stories complex psychological and philosophical themes. Nevertheless, I wrote a successful treatment and achieved a good mark for the assignment.
My most substantial piece of work whilst at university was my dissertation. This involved writing a 60-page feature length script. I chose to set mine at the coda of the Industrial Revolution and follow the short and tragic life of young scuttler from the slums of Ancoats as he struggled through a life of crime, poverty, and deprivation. Being a historical piece, this of course required extensive historical research, as I wanted the story to be compelling, yet historically accurate and realistic. Primarily this involved reading various books on the topic of scuttling, with Andrew Davies’ Gangs of Manchester, being particularly useful. It also involved reading newspapers that were written at the time. Fortunately, there were extensive archives available for the public to read that could be found online. Whilst challenging, I found it immensely enjoyable. I am proud to say that I received a first for my dissertation.
Upon graduating, I begun working for iTutorGroup, a Hong Kong-based online teaching platform dedicated to teaching English to thousands of students across Asia. During my time working for iTutorGroup, I have taught over 1300 students, ranging from infants to business professionals. Many of the students have gone on to achieve great things, such as passing their very important gaokao exams, allowing them to progress on to university. I have also developed a strong rapport with many of my students, something which is reflected in the positive feedback they have continually left me. Whilst fulfilling my role as a tutor, I have also been writing articles on politics, cultural events, as well as film and TV reviews. I have also been writing scripts of my own, and am currently in the process of submitting one into the upcoming PAGE Awards contest.
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