Local Northern Rivers video production company, Value Imagery have been nurturing film students through a partnership with SAE Creative Media Institute. Creative Director, Alexander Sharkey discussed how he supports students, and SAE film graduate Charlotte Morrow-Smith, who now works at the Channel 7 Network in Sydney, explained the importance of industry experience and outlined the skills she learnt at the production company.
Following an international career in creative media, Alexander Sharkey founded Value Imagery on the north coast of NSW in 2015, after seeing an intrinsic need for affordable film production for small businesses in the region. ‘Having had a background in film production, I soon realised there was a gap in the market, where a lot of production companies were based in the major cities, or weren’t geared towards helping small or medium sized businesses with limited budgets,’ says Sharkey.
Value Imagery offers a range of services, including video production for television and social media, corporate photography, and online marketing. Some of their clients include Seven Mile Brewery, Kimberley Kampers, Nimbin Valley Dairy, Ampfibian, Oz Grom Open, plus Byron and Tweed Shire Councils.
As an industry partner of SAE Byron Bay, Alexander Sharkey has nurtured and supported students on real life client projects as part of the work placement unit for the Bachelor of Film.
‘Students work on all aspects of pre- and post-production, and in some instances this has led to paid work after their placement has finished,’ he says. ‘I’ve had SAE students who have done paid work as assistants, camera operators, and editors on a variety of video production projects from advertisements to documentaries.’
Sharkey says SAE’s students have brought a wealth of new ideas to his business and clients – something that he has welcomed; ‘With most students being in their late teens and early 20s, it really does give a fresh perspective on creative ways to achieve projects. I always like to hear ideas from younger people, while keeping them involved and hands-on in the creative process.’
One of Sharkey’s former editors was SAE graduate, Charlotte Morrow-Smith. Charlotte was a paid editor at Value Imagery for six months, where she got the chance to sharpen her skills cutting commercials and documentaries.
‘SAE gave me the tools and knowledge I needed in the industry, and Alexander helped me to evolve and master that knowledge,’ says Morrow-Smith, who says the key attributes she learnt during her studies have given her the confidence to excel in the high pressure environment of live commercial television.
‘Being fast, accurate, organised and communicating clearly within a team environment are the skills I use every day in my career. Working in broadcast television, I’m required to provide edits within minutes of them being written – SAE and Value Imagery helped prepare me for that.’
SAE Creative Media Institute provides students with the experience, skills, equipment and connections to succeed in the industry.
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