Doreen

"Before enrolling on the MA in Filmmaking, I had little previous experience of Cinematography apart from learning some basic camera skills when I participated in a few independent television productions in my country, Cameroon. I knew I was fascinated by cinematography and I understood that lighting in particular was a painstaking skill that if successful, produced amazing results. However, I could not have consciously articulated the ways in which specific lighting techniques affected my understanding of a film.

As someone who began the course with limited experience in my specialist role, my learning curve has been dramatic. Our graduation film is a far cry from the first exterior exercise we attempted on campus. In between the two, I began to understand how to translate a story into cinema and how to transfer a collective vision from script to screen.

Being able to read a script and make informed choices about its visual representation is a priceless skill that makes the prospect of breaking into the film industry a little less daunting."

Doreen won the NAHEMI Best Cinematography Award at Encounters International Short Film Festival for her graduation film ‘Mrs Bates’.