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The University of Southampton
Languages, Cultures and LinguisticsPart of Humanities

Jack  George BA Language and Society (French, Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese), 2012

Film Production Development Assistant

Jack  George's Photo

Hi, I'm Jack George and I studied BA Language and Society (French, Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese) within Modern Languages at the University of Southampton.

As a gradual process I became very organised through university and these skills help me to organise my time at work. I also use my languages (especially French) as Film4 have connections with companies such as StudioCanal, who often speak English but it is often a welcome change for them to speak French.

Please give a description of your professional life post-university, including any achievements or stand-out moments.

I joined Film4 in 2012 after completing an internship in summer 2011. Highlights include working on films such as My Life in Orange (2013) and Starred Up (2014)

Did you know what you wanted to do with your degree after leaving university, and have your aspirations developed or changed since then?

I knew what I wanted to do since I got my first video camera at nine years old.

What initially interested you in your subject?

I met a film producer at sixteen who said that in film you need skills that no one (or not many people) else has/have. He said that there are around 30,000 film graduates every year. You need to have something different about you, so I did languages. It is bizarre because almost half the team at Film4 Productions did either Chinese or French. I'm also interested in those cultures.

What skills did you acquire whilst studying your subject and through what means (i.e. essays/group tasks?)

As a gradual process I became very organised through university and these skills help me to organise my time at work. I also use my languages (especially French) as Film4 have connections with companies such as StudioCanal, who often speak English but it is often a welcome change for them to speak French.

Would you recommend a degree at Southampton to others and what advice could you offer to students and recent graduates of your degree subject about moving forward and choosing a path?

Depending on the industry, it's all about connections. University is the perfect time to do unpaid work experience as you have student loan etc. Start from the bottom and the summer of first year is the best time. It's never too early to do work experience so at every opportunity, every holiday, try to do some.  Use the term time for working and use the holidays for getting work experience, then you'll be well balanced.  

 

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