My Student Awards Journey
Where are they now? Past winners share their top tips for winning at the Student Awards and reveal how their success helped launch their careers.
Former student of London’s Central Saint Martins Moving Image course, Sam Pilling, won two Student Awards with his music videos in 2008 and 2009. Not a small achievement. No wonder then that today he’s directing music videos for the likes of XL Records, EMI and Island Records. We asked him to share some tips on entering the Student Awards and to describe a day in the life of a director.
Read more success stories here.
Sam's winning contribution to the Student Awards in 2009
Why did you choose to enter the D&AD Students Awards?
I felt it was a great opportunity to make work that was going to be seen and judged by professionals.
What did you use for inspiration for making your Student Award entry?
I sought inspiration from libraries, exhibitions, films, books and the internet.
What advice would you give to students entering this year?
Keep it simple.
How did winning help you get into the industry?
It gave me the self-confidence to approach some of the best production companies when looking for work after graduation. Being able to put the prestigious letters ”D&AD” on your CV really does help.
What happened next?
I started out working as a researcher at Pulse Films, before being taken onboard as a music video director. My year working at Pulse gave me a great insight in to how a production company actually works. It also gave me great training for writing my own treatments once I was signed as a director.
Describe a typical day as a music video director.
I try to think of ideas for videos that fit the band in question, whilst also retaining my own integrity.
However, if I win a pitch, then the real fun begins – I draw up a (very) rough storyboard, work with a producer, looking for locations, cast, crew, props etc. Then sit down with my DoP (Director of Photography) & 1st A.D (arguably the second most important people on set) and work out the schedule for the shoot day. We then shoot the video – which never goes quite as planned (despite the weeks of prep!).
Then working with an editor we cut the video together, sending edits to the band for them to supply feedback on. Then once the edit has been ’signed off’ we take the video to an edit house and ’grade’ the footage with a colourist. Watching the colourist take your very ordinary looking ’flat’ footage and transforming it in to rich colourful imagery is always amazing to watch!
What have you learnt since you started?
That you never stop learning! And that if you don’t like the song, don’t make a video for it – it will be rubbish!
What are your top tips to someone who wants to get into directing music videos?
Get out there and make videos. Find new bands, your friends etc etc… and start making stuff and putting it online. Contact companies and don’t be put off if they don’t email back – email again and again and again – until they HAVE to reply!
Sam’s latest video for the secretive rockers, WU LYF, is just one in the line of beautifully directed videos that secured him a nomination for Best New Music Director at the UKMVA's.
