For day 2 of the Film and TV Charity's 'Behind the Scenes Week' we would like to introduce you to Lois!

Lois studied TV & Film Set Design at University of South Wales from 2016 to 2019 where she learnt skills in drafting both digitally and by hand, measuring up, 3D modelling again both digitally and physically as white card models and storyboarding. Whilst there, she was encouraged to do work placements which majorly helped with putting those skills into action and getting to see what she was working towards as well as making essential contacts in the real world.

Lois’ first official job came about 2 months after graduating when a friend who knew a production designer was looking for an Art Department assistant on a small BBC 3 comedy in London. From there, Lois managed to gain some contacts and put her skills to use and see how they were carried over to set and eventually onto screen.

Lois first came to Wolf Studios Wales for two weeks’ work shadowing in 2018 on `His Dark Materials’ season one. This placement, through SAW, helped her by giving her confidence in her own abilities and learning about the range of different departments available. Lois is back now back at Bad Wolf, working as a Petty Cash Buyer in the Set Dec Department, which she is thoroughly enjoying. This department is such an important part of the look of a production and is such a fantastic way to put a range of skills into practice – ranging from maths for buying and budgeting to having an artistic flair to make the sets look real and lived in.

For those looking for work in this area, Lois stresses that it's not crucial to know where you want to land in the world of the Art Department at the beginning: “If you have a love for creating and know it's where you want to be then just give everything a go, you start from the bottom and work your way up so take advantage of the opportunities around you to try new things. You'll never know what you might find a love for. If you enjoy it then that's the main thing. Also, if you can. it's always handy to get your driving license asap, because once you've got it you don't have to worry about finding time to sort it.”

Thank you, Lois for telling us about your story! Stay tuned for more Behind the Scenes Week content!

#BTSW #TurnTheCameraAround #HiddenHeroes