Dan Cheetham

What appealed to you about the Media and Communication subject area?

I’ve always been in love with films. Watching them as a kid and then when I was a teenager, I just desperately wanted to get out and make my own and at Northumbria, the media course offered the perfect opportunity to do that.

Why did you choose Northumbria?

I chose Northumbria because the course offered exactly what I wanted to do – a good mix between really deep theory but also getting out and using the equipment. I experienced making films myself, not just reading and talking about other people making films. Getting hands-on experience was brilliant and a lot of courses in the UK don’t offer that.

What was the best bit about your course?

The best bit was getting to do loads and loads of practical work. There’s a really good balance – obviously there is the theory but you also get to go out and use cameras, do the editing and the sound – getting really involved in the pre-production work. It was really good fun.

What experience of editing did you get from Northumbria?

Throughout my time at Northumbria, I tried working in lots of different areas, until I found the one I really enjoyed and that was editing. I used my final work from the course as a tool for getting a job. My show reel impressed the bosses and I‘m still here now.

Did you get support from your tutors?

My tutors were really great. They are industry professionals and highly regarded in the field. They were supportive to me when I needed it and were able to give me advice. I really respected them.

Would you advise people to do the Media Production course if they wanted a job in the media industry?

If you are looking to get a foot in the door of the media industry I would say that the Media Production course at Northumbria is a great place to start. It offers you a really broad range of experience and a sound theoretical background as well, so you really know what you are talking about. I think that graduates from Northumbria are perceived well in the industry as we don’t just know our way around a camera, we know how to use it expressively and how to tell a story and a lot of people don’t have that.

What do you do in your job now?

I am Senior Editor at a company called twenty first century media in Newcastle. I’ve been here for about two years. I think my education at Northumbria gave me a taste of lots of the different areas involved in film making and also a really sound theoretical background as well. I was able to use the skills I gained on the course out in the real world. I really wanted to do editing and that’s what I’m doing now. I love it.