Tegan Pearce (Film Student)
Attended St Brendan's 2011 - 2013
Subjects Studied: Film Studies, Maths, Media Studies, Photography
Previous School: Hayesfield Girls School
Tegan Pearce
Since leaving St Brendan's, I have gone on to study for a BSc in Film and Television Production at the University of York. I am due to graduate in July 2015.
My biggest achievement in life, so far, has to be securing an internship on a £1.5million feature film, 'Scott & Sid'. It was the most exciting part of my life to date, getting to experience what working on a high budget movie is like, securing investor meetings, controlling the social media side of things and the pre-production promotion of the film. I secured a front page story with the Yorkshire Press, in which I was mentioned as a film spokeswoman, which although it's a lame title, I got extremely excited. The whole experience has driven my passion to go the whole way with film, and to one day be making high budget features of my own.
What I would say to current students right now, is to grasp every opportunity that comes their way. Experience says far more than grades, especially in the film industry. This is not to say that school/college/university is pointless - it is definitely not. These places are there for you to get you the experience you need whilst educating you further. Without St Brendan's, I would not have secured a place on the ITV West Television Workshop, where I made my first few short films and learnt so much about the industry. And without the University of York, I would not have found out about the internship with 'Scott & Sid'. Seize every opportunity that comes your way - my time with 'Scott & Sid' was unpaid! It is these experiences, though, that will shape you and prepare you for life after education.
I really enjoyed my time at St Brendan's. It allowed me to study subjects that I was genuinely passionate about for the first time in my life - and my teachers supported my passion and helped me on my way to university, ensuring I got the grades I needed for my place at York. I don't know that I would change much about it really - except for maybe not gorging out at the canteen as much, but the food was so good I couldn't help it.
Ten years used to sound to me like a long time, but in ten years I will be thirty, and by that time I have hoped to have directed my own feature film by that point. I want to have travelled the world and use my experiences in my films. And I obviously hope for a loving family by that point - that's a lot to cram into ten years.
