After graduating from Ravensbourne University, I had the amazing opportunity to be mentored by Dominic Sutherland, the Managing Director of NextShoot, a corporate video agency in London.
My goal was to delve into the world of creative corporate films and learn from Dominic about running a corporate video production agency. For six months, I had monthly one-on-one calls with Dom and even got to work alongside the NextShoot team as a production assistant on a corporate film project for Bloomberg.
Working with NextShoot was a fantastic experience. Their approach was both relaxed and effective, making the shoot days run smoothly. I was impressed by the pool of crew members that had been hand-picked for the project and how Dom and Mike (Co-Director) led their team, enabling each specialist to deliver excellent results. I also found it fascinating to observe the director’s skill in bringing out the best in talent who weren’t so confident on camera and how the producers liaised & communicated with the clients.
On set, I was particularly drawn to the camera department, which used industry standard camera/lighting kit to produce beautiful-looking imagery. I was also interested in the jib operators who were tasked with executing dynamic crane shots. Everyone was incredibly friendly and was very open to answering any questions I had about the process. They really made me feel part of the team! NextShoot stands out from other corporate video production agencies in London because they genuinely care about innovating their corporate videos and they really do deliver exceptional quality to their clients.
During my one-on-one sessions with Dominic, I picked up valuable insights on budgeting for productions, the ins and outs of pre-production processes, crafting client proposals and rate cards, effective strategies for marketing a production company, financial management, and boosting productivity and efficiency as a business owner/tips on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. We also had a discussion about the future of the film industry and how AI might influence and reshape the way corporate videos are created.
Thanks to NextShoot’s mentorship, I now feel much more confident and equipped to pursue a career in video production. Huge thanks to Dominic for this invaluable opportunity and his wisdom. My only gripe during the whole process was Dominic and co-founder, Mike’s hatred of the ‘Avatar’ franchise. I mean, really? ????
Elliot Foreman
