Film students at USW have benefited from paid traineeships on a short film thanks to a graduate’s passion for providing aspiring filmmakers with opportunities in the industry.
Andrew Creak, who graduated last year with an MA in Film, is Director at Lights, Camera, Cymru!, a skills development programme run in partnership with Screen Alliance Wales and Caerphilly Arts Development to offer industry standard placements to trainee actors and film crews.
Having established the programme, previously known as Lights, Camera, Caerphilly!, in 2023, Andrew expanded the scheme to allow people from all economic backgrounds across Wales to apply for traineeships.
With two short films already released, the third – Over the Rainbow – will premiere at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, and is based on the story of the Wizard of Oz.
The film stars Welsh actor Steve Speirs as the voice of Tik-Tok, a clockwork robot inspired by the character from L Frank Baum’s original book series and the 1985 film Return to Oz.
Over the Rainbow tells the story of Frankie, who is on his way to meet with the man he’s been dating, Gregg, when he trips and falls unconscious. When he wakes up in a dreamlike state, he finds himself in the land of Oz.
Andrew, who also studied BA Film at USW, had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a film based on the classic tale, ever since the Wicked movie came to the big screen in 2024.
“Over the Rainbow is based around Frankie’s subconscious and his anxiety of starting a new relationship – the whole story is a parallel for people who are openly queer, and their journey to truly being themselves,” said Andrew.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve with this film. We came up with the script after holding a writer’s room alongside professional screenwriter Joseph Lidster, which was a fantastically collaborative process, and the trainees have been able to add their creative input to really shape the production.”
Andrew shadowed the production team at Wolf Studios Wales on the first series of His Dark Materials while still a student at USW, before working as a Location Marshall on the same show.
Then, just a week before graduating, Andrew was offered a traineeship as Production Assistant on Series 2 of His Dark Materials, giving him an invaluable insight into the making of the BAFTA-winning fantasy show. Andrew has since gone on to work on many Wales-based shows including Sex Education, Doctor Who, Casualty, and Steve Speirs’ comedy, The Tuckers.
Andrew said:
“I was able to gain so much from working on a variety of productions, thanks to the partnership between USW and Screen Alliance Wales, so I wanted to give something back by creating opportunities for students and graduates to get that first foot into the industry – which, most importantly, are paid, meaning that people from working class backgrounds are able to apply.
“Through Lights, Camera, Cymru!”, we’ve been fortunate to have had great support from USW, who last year provided us with sound equipment, and this year increased their support by funding our post-production trainee placements, as well as Screen Alliance Wales, who funded our writer’s room.
“We are also partnered with Films@59, a post-production and camera rental company based in Cardiff and Bristol, who have donated camera equipment for the past two years and, this year, supervised our USW trainees, providing excellent feedback to guide them through the post-production of Over the Rainbow.”
Four USW students took on traineeships for the film, including Tarik Cetin as Offline Editor, Mateo López as Colourist, Alex Howells as Dub Mixer and Dylan Livingstone as VFX artist.
Tarik Cetin, 21, is a third year BA Film student from Cardiff. He said:
“This experience has been invaluable in my learning. My understanding of post-production workflows has improved so much, from the attention to detail needed for continuity and audio-visual syncing, to maintaining pace and rhythm and ensuring that scenes flow naturally – it has all been so helpful.
“My time with Lights, Camera, Cymru! has really boosted my confidence and given me a skillset that has helped me feel better prepared to work in a professional studio environment. I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”
Mateo López, 31, is originally from Colombia and is studying for a Masters in Cinematography. He added:
“When Screen Alliance Wales told us about the opportunity for students to be part of the post-production process of a short film with Lights, Camera, Cymru!, I saw it as a great chance to gain experience in a process that was fairly new to me.
“I was given the freedom to use my knowledge and creativity to add to the film, as well as learning a lot from an industry professional. The colour grade of the film was such an interesting process, and a great experience which I’m sure will open doors for me in the future.”
