Freddie Hutton-Mills

Writer and Director of Feature Films and TV Programmes

Hi, I'm Freddie Hutton-Mills and I studied within History at the University of Southampton.

There are lots of different elements that make a film: from actors, art department, cinematography, sound, visual effects and so on. To be able to put all these areas together in a way which makes sense, is a similar skill to looking at a number of different sources to make an essay. So, regardless of the problems I might encounter with making a film, I never feel like I don’t have the core skills to tackle the problem.

What did you enjoy about your course?

For me, the most interesting aspect of my history degree was also its most challenging. The idea of tackling a subject which many historians had tackled before, and then trying to realise a new interpretation that rang true was always exciting. Whether one achieved that or not is clearly open to question, but the discipline of researching and analyzing a number of sources (which the Library at Southampton was rich with) never failed to make one feel that something exciting was just round the corner.

What is Southampton like as a place to study?

Coming from London, I was used to the hustle and bustle of a big and busy city – and in actual fact I find it difficult to exist without it. The beauty of Southampton is that it has both same hustle and bustle of a city like London, as well as the peaceful areas of both the harbour and the common. So, there’s something for everyone there, and being within spitting distance of other lovely areas like the New Forest and Winchester, always made one feel like you were never short of options. Oddly, this actually makes studying easier, because having options means you’re not really wanting of anything and so you can just focus if you want to.

What is your current role?

I am a writer and director of feature films and TV programmes.

How did your course help you in your current role?

The job of a screenwriter is to tell a story, as well as to create some interesting and believable characters. When you do a history degree, and you trawl through the endless areas of study you come across stories and characters that almost couldn’t be made up. It makes the job of creating something within the parameters of believability much easier because you realise someone has already been there and done it - so it gives credibility to what you create.

Filmmaking is also very much like a puzzle. There are lots of different elements that make a film: from actors, art department, cinematography, sound, visual effects and so on. To be able to put all these areas together in a way which makes sense, is a similar skill to looking at a number of different sources to make an essay. So, regardless of the problems I might encounter with making a film, I never feel like I don’t have the core skills to tackle the problem.

What advice would you give to a student starting their degree at Southampton?

University is such a short but special time in your life. Not everyone has the opportunity and privilege to go, so you should do what you can to get the most out of it. That means throwing yourself at everything you do 100% (including the social side) and not being afraid to fail. In fact, one of my favourite quotes comes from Samuel Becket, when he says: “Ever tried? Ever failed? Try again. Fail again. Fail better”.... If you don’t try you won’t know what you got out of your degree and your time at Uni, and that is much worse than knowing you should have tried more.