Robin Hughes

• Wrote, directed, edited and produced several independent short films during the time of my study at university, experimenting with different techniques and styles to enhance a diverse skillset. Creating my own work plan, deadlines and being able to adapt to limited resources and challenging circumstances were the skills I developed with this work and are skills I hope to take forward into all professional environments within the industry.
• Co-created a documentary surrounding neurodivergent experiences at the university. This included organising meetings with administration, support department staff and contact with other organisations that support the community. After difficult circumstances the documentary was forced to change and we heavily pivoted the content while sticking to our original goal, despite the speed and improvised nature of the final product it was received well.

• Worked on an independent short film, Heaven Till Seven, as a screenwriter. The director and producer presented several pitches to the already selected crew and when the pitch was chosen it was suggested that I join also as a screenwriter due to my knowledge of the genre and skill in writing for the type of narrative and dialogue intended.
• Over several months I had regular pre-production meetings with the director and we developed the initial pitch into a final brief which was then given multiple drafts of scripts before the final shooting script was finalised. Writing for someone else's idea and production was a new job that I had never undertaken but I welcomed the creative and professional challenge as I knew it was a necessary part of industry level screenwriting.

On 3 seperate independent short film productions over the past 2 years I have acted as a crew member in several roles but most consistently co-Sound Tech/Boom Operator.

After receiving basic training in Zoom H5 sound recorder and boom pole operating I joined a film production in this role and over the weeks filming became comfortable with the use of the equipment, having to adapt to limited resources and use creative problem solving as one of the two people who had real skill and knowledge surrounding the job. I furthered this training and moved on to the Pre 3 recorder and continued the role with my colleague. The role requires constant quick thinking and creative problem solving and a clear voice when advocating for changes due to sound design choices.

I have also acted as Prop-Master for a short horror film which required a lot of medical props and set dressing to make two very plain rooms appear completely different and create an authentic mise-en-scene with limited budget.

Before the beginning of my third year at University I worked as a Moving Helper for new students and families. The work day began early and was long with little downtime, consisting mostly of physical labour and assisting the students and families anyway we could. The first half of the job I was driving alongside a senior member of staff in a buggy, collecting families, loading luggage and taking them to the accommodation buildings. Customer Service and physical labour were the two core aspects of the job and elements I thrived in. The second half of the job I worked individual buildings and moved the luggage into top floor rooms for the whole work day. The students and other workers were on a strict schedule so no matter the type of load I needed to keep a consistent pace and determination.

This experience and previous experience with manual labour work has assisted me on film sets which often consist of long work days, challenging environments and physical work with equipment. While other people are learning to adapt to that type of work day I am already well equipped and prepared for it, able to handle the challenges without losing productivity, creativity and an upbeat attitude.