I initially applied to study Creative Writing with the idea of writing a novel someday.
However after three years at university, it became apparent my talent lies more with script and copywriting. This is why I decided to pursue the first as an MA, while developing the latter in the meantime.
During my four years at university I have done a number of modules and internships to develop my content creation skills. In my second year I did an internship for a news media website, which publishes solely positive news. My duties included sourcing suitable topics for articles, collecting the relevant facts and materials and writing those up in an article. As my dissertation project in my final year, I created two mirror YouTube channels (one in English, one in my native language), where I discussed my experiences as a writer. That provided me with the opportunity to create content in a different medium and also educate myself on promoting the channels, attracting subscribers, getting more views. All of which helps me be a better copywriter.
Naturally, with my scripts I take a less business-focused approach and give myself more freedom to explore and experiment. What I like to write about are personal stories that reveal the internal struggles of characters. During my MA I worked on a play about the effects of the communist regime on a small Eastern European family, as well as a feature film script about a YouTube star with a dark secret.
Currently I am working on my final piece, which is a TV pilot about a group of teenagers at boarding school. With the scripts I write, I strive to tell the stories no one else is telling, share my experiences, look at a familiar setting through a new lens. As an Eastern European living in England, I have a different point of view from British writers, which often shows up in my work.
Kokoro
While I’ve been writing, I’ve also kept busy with other projects. One of my short plays was performed during a scratch night and I was the director of another performed on the same evening. In addition, I have been producing my own short film since February.
That was planned and ready to shoot on the 25th April, but then the recent pandemic meant it had to be postponed. Because of the uncertainty and ever-changing rules, my director suggested an animation might be a smarter idea. An idea I took on board immediately. We are now developing an animated short film. Naturally, that has meant going back to point zero, but it has ultimately proven to be a better fit for the story. The whole experience has sparked my interest in producing, which I would now like to explore further.
For this project, I am managing the crowdfunding campaign and the social media channels to promote the film. Which has put my copywriting skills to very good use. What I plan to do with the film once it’s finished, is enter it into short film competitions and use it as a calling card for my future career as a writer and/or producer.
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