20 Aug 2022
When we take on new trainees on our Production Trainee Scheme we always hope they will learn the skills, creativity and confidence to really flourish. Tallulah Self was our first Production Trainee and she certainly did that! Here’s more about her story.
When did you work with Inside Job Productions?
I started working for Inside Job Productions in September 2017, as their first Production Trainee on their trainee scheme in partnership with the youth mental health charity, Young Minds. The scheme was six months long initially, and at the end of that time, I became a Junior Filmmaker at Inside Job Productions, which I was over the moon about!
Why did you?
Since my early teens I’d always wanted to work in the media industry and filmmaking was my passion. At the time I applied for the Production Trainee Scheme, I was struggling a lot with my mental health. Earlier in the year I’d spent some time in a psychiatric hospital recovering from an eating disorder which meant I was unable to attend college, where I’d been studying media production. When I turned 18, I felt that university wasn’t for me, so when I came across the opportunity to join Inside Job Productions on their trainee scheme, I was really excited. I was particularly interested in the work they do around mental health, and the supportive and nurturing environment made the opportunity the perfect fit for where I was on my journey, so I applied, had an interview and was chosen for the job!
What did you do and what did you learn?
In my three years at Inside Job Productions I did so much! I got involved lots of exciting projects for so many different clients. Spending a lot of time out on shoots with Inside Job Productions’ talented freelancers, learning how to do film production and editing was great. Coming up with ideas for charity film content, helped pitch these to clients, organised shoots and helped with the media training for the trainees who came on the scheme after me. I also had the opportunity to develop and carry out a project in schools teaching animation to children, as part of Inside Job Productions’ social impact mission, as they are a social enterprise. I learnt so much about both the creative and technical side to filmmaking, as well as skills like project management, business development, charity communications, and how to effectively work as a team.
How did it improve confidence?
Having someone believe in me at a time when I had so little belief in myself was life-changing. When I first joined Inside Job Productions my confidence was incredibly low, and through the support and encouragement of the team throughout my time at Inside Job Productions, my confidence grew enormously. At the very beginning, I never thought I’d be able to get a train into work by myself, meet new people or even speak on the phone to other members of the team – let alone lead meetings with new clients, direct shoots for well-known organisations, oh and speak in front of hundreds of people at Janssen’s annual conference about my journey with Inside Job Productions! If I could go back to 18 year old me, I don’t think she’d recognise me now.
What do you do now?
After almost three years at Inside Job Productions, I felt ready to take the next step in my career (which I’d never have thought possible before the trainee scheme!). I now have been working in TV for three years, as a video production editor, working on factual and educational content for the BBC and other broadcasters.
What’s the common thread with Inside Job Productions and your work now?
Every day in my job now I use the invaluable skills Inside Job Productions taught me – how I show up at work and the attitude and confidence I bring to my role. Creating content with purpose is absolutely what lights me up and this is something that my time at Inside Job Productions taught me. It feels really fulfilling to know that my work can be of help to someone in some way and can have a positive impact on the world, and that’s what inspires me to do what I do!
