Philip Dehany - Post Placement

Name: Philip Dehany

Trainee: Production Assistant – Film Nova

What would you say were the best bits about the Northern Routes Training Scheme and your placement?
The opportunity to attend some fantastic courses. The training allowance we received worked out higher than some actual paid jobs in the industry which was a fantastic chance to get so much training whilst getting paid for it.

Would you recommend Northern Routes to other potential trainees (please give reasons)?:
I would suggest people really think about what role they want to go on to do, as the unique aspect of the scheme is the diversity of placements they offer, which does give you a lot of choice. I got a great insight into the industry in the North, and it enabled me to gain some fantastic opportunities along the way and to establish where I want my career to take me.

Please explain what you have gone on to do following Northern Routes:
One of the fantastic things about the scheme, was how supportive they were towards us finding work afterwards. We were allowed time out of our placements to attend interviews for jobs. In my case, part way into the scheme, I was offered a fantastic opportunity to work as a Design Assistant on a BBC programme called Open House. As soon as I had completed the 12 week scheme, I then went straight into working full time for Ricochet on Open House. This was followed by a role as 1st Assistant Director on a low budget feature film called The Last Days of Edgar Harding.

What do you hope to do in the future and how has Northern Routes helped you in working towards this goal?
I have realised that I definitely want to go onto Direct. The scheme was a fantastic time for me to clarify in my head what I wanted to do, and with the advice and support available enabled me to determine what I needed to do in order to achieve this.

My mentor, was an amazing source of encouragement and advice, and helped me enormously. In addition to her responsibilities as mentor for my role within the scheme, she made time to help organise and look out for other courses and schemes which she felt would benefit me, and drew on her own experiences to give me lots of help and support.

Please sum up the Northern Routes Training Scheme in one line:
A unique and valuable insight into film and television making in the North.