I enjoyed everything about my placement in Glasgow. The people, the place, the college, the atmosphere, just everything. I learned how to use the programs -After Effects and Premier Pro, and also WordPress, which are all things I hadn’t even gone near before, and was too nervous to do so. My placement definitely improved my confidence greatly, and also my communications skills, working in teams and on my own, living away from home/ parents, managing my own money and getting around a strange and new and also very big city. I feel that my placement has benefited me a great deal as of right now and will do so in the future, especially for my CV and when looking for jobs in the area of film I want to work in, which are cinematography and editing. My placement overall was an incredible experience and I look forward to what it will help me to achieve in the near future.
Going to Glasgow was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I learned so much and made new friends. I also got to see how other colleges teach the same subjects I learn. While I was there they taught us how to use PremierPro, an editing software that we do not use at our college. It will now be something I can add to my C.V. and was very interesting to me. I was also taught how to use AfterEffects, a special effects software program that is widely used in the TV and film industry. This will come in handy when applying for work in the future.
I worked on location quite a bit, working in a team of people making a short film. My input was appreciated and I was made to feel like I belonged. I learned how to use different cameras and how to set up two camera shoots. I also filmed behind the scenes footage for their project. I feel much more confident working with strangers now because I was thrown into the deep end from day one. I also worked with another group on a documentary they were filming. I helped with interviews, vox pops and research. This was very interesting and should help when I film my own documentary later this year. The lectures we were given were very informative and the tutors were very friendly and made us feel right at home. There was very little awkwardness and I felt I had common interests and goals with my fellow students. I was very sad to leave. Glasgow is a wonderful city and I would recommend everyone should visit.
I worked on location quite a bit, working in a team of people making a short film. My input was appreciated and I was made to feel like I belonged. I learned how to use different cameras and how to set up two camera shoots. I also filmed behind the scenes footage for their project. I feel much more confident working with strangers now because I was thrown into the deep end from day one. I also worked with another group on a documentary they were filming. I helped with interviews, vox pops and research. This was very interesting and should help when I film my own documentary later this year. The lectures we were given were very informative and the tutors were very friendly and made us feel right at home. There was very little awkwardness and I felt I had common interests and goals with my fellow students. I was very sad to leave. Glasgow is a wonderful city and I would recommend everyone should visit.
I really enjoyed my experience in Finland. I always wanted to visit Finland and experience the country, the people and the Finnish culture, and thanks to Erasmus+ I was able to visit Finland and have a brilliant learning experience.The placement allowed me to see what Finland is like and to live among Finnish people for 3 weeks, being able to observe their culture and their way of life. Although shy at first, Finnish people are very kind and friendly once you get to know them, and they are some of the most helpful people I ever worked with. I made a lot of new friends and connections during my time there and I have definitely improved my communication skills. I have also greatly improved my filmmaking skills, especially from the technical point of view.
The host organisation I was working in - Villila Productions, have a very wide variety of equipment that we were taught how to use. I learnt how to use lights and lighting equipment, as well as working with multiple different cameras. It certainly helped me to develop my technical skills and made me more confident when working in the technical side of film, particularly in the lighting department. I was given a number of projects related to directing, such as directing a live multi-cam talk show and a music video for a local death metal band called Death Design. I also got the opportunity of directing my own short film that I wrote when I was in Finland. I learnt a lot from those experiences as I had to work with more equipment and a bigger crew than I’m normally used to. It taught me to be better at multitasking and at task delegating in order to keep the shoot organised. Those skills are very important for a director and will certainly benefit me in the future, particularly when I start working with a bigger crew.
The host organisation I was working in - Villila Productions, have a very wide variety of equipment that we were taught how to use. I learnt how to use lights and lighting equipment, as well as working with multiple different cameras. It certainly helped me to develop my technical skills and made me more confident when working in the technical side of film, particularly in the lighting department. I was given a number of projects related to directing, such as directing a live multi-cam talk show and a music video for a local death metal band called Death Design. I also got the opportunity of directing my own short film that I wrote when I was in Finland. I learnt a lot from those experiences as I had to work with more equipment and a bigger crew than I’m normally used to. It taught me to be better at multitasking and at task delegating in order to keep the shoot organised. Those skills are very important for a director and will certainly benefit me in the future, particularly when I start working with a bigger crew.
Going abroad was, overall, a really great experience. I learned a lot about myself as well as what I really would like to do in life. I learned a lot of skills, such as teamwork skills and also public speaking skills, as well as getting over a rather significant language barrier. Finland was great, in my opinion. I had a really, really great time there and would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Overall I enjoyed my Erasmus experience. It was certainly completely different to anything I could have ever imagined, and I enjoyed it immensely. I didn’t think I’d enjoy living abroad so much, and I enjoyed the culture that we were put into. I found that I act very like the local culture. With the work experience I learned that I definitely want to work in this industry and that without this trip I wouldn’t have learned a lot of the skills that I learned unless I had gone on this trip. We got to use expensive equipment such as RED cameras or ARRI lights, and there was no lack of this equipment available. We were kept busy with work during our designated hours, but to be honest it didn’t feel like work half the time. There was a good balance between how much work we had to do and the time we had to do it. I would definitely recommend someone else to do this Erasmus programme if they could, and I’m certainly overjoyed that I went on this trip and met the people I met and learnt the skills I did.
Overall my Erasmus+ placement was great in every aspect. The opportunity to work in another country was an amazing experience, the host organisation had amazing facilities, equipment and programmes. The teachers and students were very accommodating and friendly, though we were told they were very quiet and didn’t chat very much. Hopefully we will remain friends in the future.
Interacting with them helped build my confidence personally, and in a working environment, especially my communications skills. Though they all spoke English, it is obviously not their first language, though the majority of them have learned it for the majority of their life. I had to think more before I spoke in consideration for them, and their ability to understand, especially as part of a crew. My new found editing skills are greatly appreciated as well, I worked with a new editing software I hadn’t opportunity to use before, and I’m comfortable using it now which will improve my CV and heritability. The independence you get with the Erasmus+ programme was amazing, as someone who has never been out of Ireland for more than 5 days.
I was a bit apprehensive about the whole experience and expected to be quite homesick, but thankfully much to my surprise I settled very well immediately. I think the fact that I went on this placement with 6 other students from my course greatly helped in how comfortable I felt over there. Seeing familiar faces in a very unfamiliar place was very reassuring. We all stayed in our own areas of the hostel, which was separate from the rest of the rooms which was greatly appreciated as well, which was very comforting as we had a lot of privacy, and never too far from each other.
Interacting with them helped build my confidence personally, and in a working environment, especially my communications skills. Though they all spoke English, it is obviously not their first language, though the majority of them have learned it for the majority of their life. I had to think more before I spoke in consideration for them, and their ability to understand, especially as part of a crew. My new found editing skills are greatly appreciated as well, I worked with a new editing software I hadn’t opportunity to use before, and I’m comfortable using it now which will improve my CV and heritability. The independence you get with the Erasmus+ programme was amazing, as someone who has never been out of Ireland for more than 5 days.
I was a bit apprehensive about the whole experience and expected to be quite homesick, but thankfully much to my surprise I settled very well immediately. I think the fact that I went on this placement with 6 other students from my course greatly helped in how comfortable I felt over there. Seeing familiar faces in a very unfamiliar place was very reassuring. We all stayed in our own areas of the hostel, which was separate from the rest of the rooms which was greatly appreciated as well, which was very comforting as we had a lot of privacy, and never too far from each other.
I found this experience to be invaluable. I got to meet so many great people that I will be friends with for a long time. I now have connections over in Finland that I can ask for help and guidance. I got a chance to use equipment that I don't have access to back here and I was able to learn so many new skills that I couldn't have if I had not gone abroad. Even just living in a place that is covered in snow all the time was new and fun to experience.
The culture over in Finland is a bit different to here in Ireland, so learning the nuances a new culture was a new experience. I got to increase my confidence and communication skills by throwing myself into work that I probably wouldn't have attempted before. While we were over there the people brought us to a hockey game for there home team. This was so much fun and I got to see how the Finnish people were outside of work. The certificates that I have now from this experience and the projects I got to work on over in Finland will help me with my film reel and improve my chances in getting a job in the film industry.
The culture over in Finland is a bit different to here in Ireland, so learning the nuances a new culture was a new experience. I got to increase my confidence and communication skills by throwing myself into work that I probably wouldn't have attempted before. While we were over there the people brought us to a hockey game for there home team. This was so much fun and I got to see how the Finnish people were outside of work. The certificates that I have now from this experience and the projects I got to work on over in Finland will help me with my film reel and improve my chances in getting a job in the film industry.
I developed quite a few skills and experiences in Finland that I had not expected to learn or have, such as money management skills and basic life skills, some confidence and independence. I was pushed to do jobs in my placement that I had never done before or wasn’t very keen on doing but in the end I found that I benefited from being pushed out of my comfort zone. I improved my communication skills by having to communicate with people that had very little english or sometimes who would not understand what I was saying. I developed skills that I believe will help me in the future with jobs, acting and interviews. I experienced a new way of life by living in Finland due to being around people that were so different to the Irish. I definitely feel that Finland has prepared me for some challenges that I may face in the future.