The Future Academy: POV Diaries – Quinn

16 December 2022

What made you want to apply for the opportunity?

I want to become the best Director I can be. A big part of the director’s job is ideas...communicating, pitching and planning ideas.

Understanding the type of work The Face does, and the great minds that work there, I knew that going into this programme I’d learn all those things which will, by default, make me better at directing.

Walk us through the application process, what was it like?

If I had to use two words, I’d probably say: long and intense. I went through three stages of interviews, with different questions and different people in each. So, you can guess, it was a lot. It felt like it was a never-ending process. However, I’m glad I pushed through them all and got to where I am.

Tell us about your favourite project that you’ve worked on, what makes it stand out?

My latest music video for “ROJO - Against The Wall”. It's a project I put a lot of love into, from conception to production. Our budget only paid for the lens we used so the team was tiny and most of the work was done by me. The idea, storyboards and pre-production were all on me, as well as the post-production. I believe that having done the quality of work I made with close to no budget, is in itself something to be proud of.

What are the key learnings you've taken from the opportunity?

Delete all preconceived limits from your mind. As humans, we tend to rationalise everything in order to understand it. However, sometimes things need not be understood, which frees us to navigate unknown spaces. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to creating.

What most surprised you about The Face?

How down to earth everybody is. You’d think that working somewhere as big and iconic as The Face, most people would be condescending or patronising. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, everybody is super friendly and helpful.

Tell us about your most memorable time in Milan?

It has to be the Moncler 70th anniversary show. We had just landed in Milan and Moncler took us on a quick tour around the city centre. After that, we had some dinner and went straight to the show. As we arrived, we saw the crowd grow larger and larger. Bear in mind, the show was in the main and most historical square of the city: the Piazza del Duomo. We couldn’t get in. However, our contact in Moncler found us, and escorted by security, we cut through the crowd into the VIP area.

It was unreal. Then, it started raining. Usually, that would upset me, but it raised the tone and atmosphere. After an hour of delay, the show started. The massive build-up, the rain and the location made the show so much better. I recommend people go watch the summary of the show (which doesn’t do it the proper justice in my opinion).

How has taking part in an ‘A New Direction’ programme helped you with this opportunity

The Creativity Works: Content Production course primed me. I got exposed to the creative industries in London, which has given me the confidence I need to carry out my tasks in this programme. My prior learning has prepared me for what I’m doing now and what is to come. I believe The Future Academy programme was just a building block on top of Creativity Works.

What are your next steps once you’ve left the programme?

Although I'd love to get a job at The Face, I know that I must look for an alternative. I want to start pushing my filmmaking more, creating a couple of short films for next year.

There are also a couple of projects I want to start pitching to people, hopefully getting some financial backing on them.

On top of all of this, I’m still going to have to pay the bills, so freelance work is going to become a priority.