Souled Out

His film sets might be more Birmingham than Bahamas for now, but for Alex working as a unit manager on the BBC TV series Doctors is a step on the ladder towards his dream career in film production.

“I’d been working as a computer games tester, which sounds more exciting than it was,” says Liverpool-born Alex, “so after three years I decided to try my hand at something else. I’d always loved watching films so the Film Studies with Film and Television Production course at Edge Hill University seemed perfect, although I never thought about film-making as a viable career.”

After winning Best Picture at the University’s Film Festival for his “mockumentary” film, Caleb’s Truth, Alex realised that he had a flair for film-making. His next film, The Dagger, which he co-wrote and directed, was accepted into the Cannes Short Film Corner – the place for aspiring film-makers to showcase their talents.

After graduating in 2008, Alex worked with renowned producer and Edge Hill professor, Roger Shannon, on a digital short film before getting his big break – a job as a production assistant on a feature film.

“It was bizarre,” recalls Alex. “I was on holiday, lying on the beach, when I got the phone call about the job. The day I came back I was straight down to Stoke-on-Trent to start filming! It was a great experience and gave me the chance to put everything I’d learned at Edge Hill into practice.”

Souled Out, a rite-of-passage film set against a backdrop of Northern Soul, stars Martin Compston, famous for his roles in Monarch of the Glen and Ken Loach’s Sweet 16, and Alfie Allen, actor son of Keith and brother of Lily.

“The best part of working on Souled Out was meeting Huey from the Fun Loving Criminals though,” says Alex. “I don’t often get star-struck but I am such a big fan I had to really work hard to remain professional!”

It was the valuable contacts he made on Souled Out that led to Alex’s current job on Doctors.
“I got a call from one of the producers about a unit manager’s job and I said yes straight away. As soon as I’d put the phone down I was straight on Wikipedia looking up “unit manager” – I had no idea what it involved, but it was a job on a regular TV show so I jumped at the chance.

“Getting your foot in the door is the hardest part,” says Alex. “In an industry where people are prepared to work for nothing, or even pay to work on a particular show to get experience, you have to be shamelessly making contacts, networking and emailing people all the time to get onto even the lowest rung of the film and TV ladder.

“I was so fortunate to get the job on Doctors as I’m now a BBC employee, which means I have a regular, liveable wage. The BBC is still a prestigious name to have on your CV and I’m very proud of my BBC staff badge – it’s even my profile picture on Facebook!”

Souled Out is due for release in 2009.