Alfie Mitchell and Ethan Jones are two Level 3 Media students at Kirklees College who recently impressed on their Work Placement with The Basement Recovery Project.
The Basement Recovery Project (TBRP) is an award-winning, not-for-profit lived experience recovery organisation (LERO) based in Halifax and Todmorden, dedicated to supporting those struggling with issues in relation to substance misuse. They provide a number of therapeutic, community activities and residential services aimed supporting individuals throughout their recovery journey.
TBRP offer individuals a day care programme which supports individuals to firstly stabilise, support with detoxification, and offer a group work and robust aftercare programme tailored to the needs of their clients which contribute to their long-term sobriety, health and wellbeing, which is delivered both in-person and online.
TBRP have been working on the creation of a learning platform where clients can log in and progress through 32 sessions at their own pace and were looking at breaking down the sessions into ‘bite-sized’ chunks to adapt to an online platform. Specifically, they were looking for the student’s expertise in filming and editing to create a series of videos to be uploaded to a streaming service, with criteria to include some ‘staged’ sessions and some ‘live’, maintaining clarity and client confidentiality at all times.
Ethan and Alfie each spent two days filming and editing to create two videos of sessions cut and edited to a very high standard. They used a wide range of filming equipment, utilised great communications skills to explain what they’d need and why to colleagues not versed in the process, and implemented their problem-solving skills to create solutions for some small issues they found in their first filming session.
Following this, both students have been hired by TBRP to continue filming sessions for the entire learning platform, which shows how their hard work and dedication has paid off.
James McCord, Recovery Coach at the Basement Project: “Alfie and Ethan demonstrated a high level of professionalism throughout the filming process. The students interacted with participants and facilitators in a courteous manner. They actively listened, asked relevant questions, and showed genuine interest in the content of the sessions that were being delivered. Even during challenging moments, they remained respectful and empathetic, creating a positive atmosphere for everyone involved. The students consistently treated all participants with kindness and respect. They addressed any technical issues or concerns politely and efficiently. Their friendly demeanour helped put group participants and facilitators at ease, encouraging open and honest discussions during the group sessions.”
Speaking about their experience, Ethan said: “Working with TBRP has really helped me get a better understanding of filming and editing from one take and making it more appealing. After using a lot of tried and tested techniques over the past 9-10 months, we have been able to produce an appealing piece of media for our clients to use. It will also help me when applying for future employment as it is a great example to put in my CV when it comes to applying for a position in post-production, especially as it has progressed into paid work.”
Alfie added: “The work experience project was amazing. Doing this job helped me become more organised around how I should plan filming and editing when I’m making work for different clients.”
Stewart Jackson, who tutors the students at Kirklees College, said: “Ethan and Alfie have worked incredibly hard to not only fulfil the initial work placement period but to then continue working with the employer. They have been able to put many of the media skills and experience acquired on BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media Practice into practice by managing the planning and execution of the shoots and the editing and post production process. Most importantly, they have maintained excellent communications with James and The Basement Project team and managed the project very professionally.”
To find out more about Creative Industries and work experience at Kirklees College, visit www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk.
