“My summer graduation video of students’ on-stage dances went viral”
Edward Bains, who is graduating with a Masters in Journalism and Documentary Practice at the University of Sussex’s winter graduation 2019, gained plenty of experience at Sussex as a Digital Media Guru before landing a job as a video editor.
I’d visited friends studying in Brighton while I was doing my undergrad at Manchester, and fell in love with the city. I even got to stay in the old East Slope for a few days during my first year when my friend lived there. The campus had a really cool vibe and the university also had a great scholarship scheme for Masters programs, which was essential in making my course affordable for me.
I became interested in journalism during the final year of my undergrad. I was studying biology but I decided the life of a scientist wasn’t for me (I really didn’t enjoy working in labs). However, I quite liked the science communication side of things and making science accessible to the general public. I was also quite politically active and in tune with the news, and journalism as a career interested me. After I graduated I secured a graduate internship in digital media and videography with the science department. The internship helped me develop my media skills and by the time I finished it, I was ready to take my next step and applied for a journalism course at Sussex.
For my dissertation, I made a 20 minute documentary film called ‘Going Out’, about LGBT nightlife in London and Manchester and why so many venues have been closing during the last few years. This was an issue quite close to my heart, and I felt it needed more attention. I loved Manchester as a city and it was exciting to be able to go back there and film around the Gay Village. I also got to explore a city I was less familiar with — London — and explore the LGBT scene there. I learned loads about shooting professionally and editing to a high standard, and I was very pleased with my film in the end. Check it out on YouTube!
I’ve always been a motivated person, even when I was younger. My family are quite academic, although I’ve never felt overly pressured (except by myself). I’m constantly writing to-do lists and setting targets for myself. I’m driven by a desire to succeed and try new things, and I like to make sure my time is filled well. I find there’s nothing worse than getting to the end of a day, or week (or year) and feeling like I haven’t accomplished anything.
I had lots of great moments and successes on the Digital Media Guru scheme. For example, one of the videos I made at Summer Graduation showing all the students’ amusing on-stage dances went viral and was shared on the Sky News Twitter feed to their 4+ million followers. I always bring that up in job interviews. That kind of experience really sets you apart from the competition, particularly when applying for jobs in social media.
I joined the pole fitness society because I wanted to try something different while I was at Sussex. It’s a really good workout and looks very cool, and the pole society are lovely and friendly. I’d highly recommend it to any new students. It’s great to get out of your comfort zone (and Sussex is the place to do that).
I’m now a junior video editor at Brave Bison, a social video company. My job basically involves editing viral videos of animals all day (some might say that’s the best job in the world). We find interesting stories about animals off the internet, source footage and put together short films which we distribute on social media. We also make a lot of animal memes! It’s very ‘internet’. I did loads of video editing during my Master’s at Sussex so I’m glad I’m putting my skills to use.
In terms of ambitions, I’m really not sure! Most people in my generation don’t just have one career anymore but will end up working lots of different jobs over their lifetime. I’d like to one day edit political films, but I’d also like to work on marketing campaigns, and create podcasts, and launch my own media company, and become a travel videographer, and write a book. Maybe (hopefully) I’ll get to do all of them. In the meantime I’m planning on just seeing where life takes me.
Interview by Jacqui Bealing
This profile is part of our This Sussex Life series.
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