It’s coming up to a year since I got the job at Videojug Networks and flocked South to London. I started working there as a production and office assistant and got heavily involved in all aspects of the company from the start. Most notably, I was a camera op for a couple of Russell Hobbs and John Lewis shoots as well as filming (and tail operating) for the most famous fox in the world, Basil. When my 6 month contract ended, I was promoted to production secretary which is my current job role.  It’s now my job to schedule the shoots and edits for all original Videojug productions and help across brand shoots when required.   It was a couple of months ago when I realised that I need to start thinking about my next steps. I love working at Videojug and don’t intend on leaving for a while but I now appreciate the importance of having to constantly think ahead to what comes next. Especially in London.

I’ve always loved cooking and frequently joked about needing to find a job that combines film and food but I recognised how difficult it is to find such a niche job. So I decided to take matters in to my own hands with Alexander Whitcombe for our joint project called How To Kitchen.  It aims to be an entertaining channel for everyone, not just food lovers. This is episode 3: House of Cards – Patriotic Cake.

We wanted to create something with a higher production value than your average channel, taking inspiration from Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube (since Fresh One is where I’m aspiring to work). The current series also appeals hugely to Netflix fans as I’ve been creating recipes and working scripts around some of the highest rated TV series for the past year or so.

The response so far has been amazing thanks to all the help I’ve received from the How To Kitchen team in particular: co-founder Alexander Whitcombe is also editor, sound designer, animator and cinematographer, Brooke Streatfield and Ed Neely are camera operators.  It’s cost me a LOT of money (£400+) and all my free time since I’ve been forced to edit on the way to and from work, every weekend and most evenings along with Alexander, who’s done all the fantastic animation and sound design.  Despite the pain, the feedback and statistics I’m getting from YouTube suggest it’s going alright! And if it gets me my dream job then it’s 100% worth it.