Focus on Film: Unlocking media opportunities

Published on 22, November, 2024

For the past two years, renowned global distributor All3Media International has offered all-expenses-paid work experience, providing invaluable hands-on experience for the University of Sunderland's Film and Media Production students.

All3Media, the UK’s largest independent television production group, produces around 4,000 hours of content annually across genres such as drama, reality TV, and documentaries. With operations in the UK, US, Germany, and other territories, the company is behind hits like The Traitors, Life on Our Planet, and the BAFTA-winning Squid Game: The Challenge, as well as feature films like 1917 and upcoming projects such as The Beatles films.

The work experience opportunity is led by University of Sunderland Visiting Professor Nick Smith, Executive Vice President of Formats and Licensing at All3Media International.

To select the students, Professor Smith hosted a masterclass on The Traitors in Sunderland. Students were given a unique challenge: to write a mission task for the show. The most creative and well-executed entries were selected for the All3Media Work Experience.

For Kim Hoem, a third-year Film Production student from Norway, and Weronika Wenk, a second-year Film Production student from Germany, the opportunity marked an exciting step into the media world. Both students found themselves quickly immersed in All3Media’s fast-paced environment, with responsibilities that allowed them to showcase their skills.

Kim said: "The team at All3Media International was really welcoming, so settling in and getting to know them was probably the easiest part of the whole experience.

"They were very accommodating and placed a lot of trust in us. It meant that I felt like the work I did was truly my own. It put some good pressure on us, but I never felt that anything was too challenging.”

This trust gave both Kim and Weronika a chance to tackle real responsibilities, such as editing, translating, and promotional work, alongside industry professionals. While Kim focused on analysing and summarising content, Weronika took the lead in editing clips and creating promos for new TV formats. 

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Beyond working on The Traitors, Kim was excited to also contribute to a Norwegian show, Dama Til (My Celebrity Date), which allowed him to draw on his cultural background to better translate and summarise episodes.

"It’s a show where one host dates six different celebrities to see what they’re really like behind the public persona,” Kim explained.

“As a Norwegian, I had a sense of what would resonate with audiences, and that made the work deeply rewarding.”

Weronika’s role in creating promos and editing YouTube clips allowed her to apply the skills she’d developed in her studies.

She said: “My studies provided me with editing experience and a solid understanding of TV formats and the television industry, which were essential for my role."

Kim echoes this sentiment, saying his studies helped him “be familiar with how to use various software, especially with video editing.”

The experience also gave Kim and Weronika invaluable insights into an area of the industry that was new to them—distribution.

Kim said: “The biggest gap in my knowledge had been the business and distribution side of the industry, and this experience put us right in the middle of it. I learned a lot about how films and shows are licensed, packaged, and sold internationally, and how the marketing behind it works.

“I feel a lot more confident in producing now that I’ve seen how the business works. I’m still determined to go into film production, but I’m now also open to working in distribution if the opportunity arises. 

"I’m bringing a lot of what I’ve observed into my own productions here at the University. I’ll always think about this when setting up my own teams in the future.”

Weronika, who is currently working as a PA for a Sunderland-based media company and has her sights set on a career in directing and production, said: "The experience boosted my confidence, confirmed my career goals, and it’s given me a lot of inspiration for the future.

“I learned that networking is crucial, and that success often depends on being ready to seize an opportunity when it arises. Preparation is key.”

Sue Perryman, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland, emphasises the importance of the programme: “The opportunity is a great chance for students to learn more about the business and distribution side of the media industry.

"Nick has been an absolute legend when it comes to supporting our students. Having this partnership in place is incredibly valuable, as it gives them amazing insights and experiences before they graduate.”

University of Sunderland third for Media and fifth for Film Production in the UK.

If you are interested in studying Film Production at the University of Sunderland, find out more here. 

For MA Media Production (Film and TV), click here.