Alongside her natural creativity, a combination of stop-motion animation workshops, a “Tarantino film” and her love for stories spotlighting female protagonists inspired Sky to pursue a career in film. “Progressing into film was natural,” she says. “I wanted to be a part of telling more stories about the female protagonists I wanted to see on screen."
Sky began working as a freelancer on “whatever [she] could get her hands on” – from transcribing documentary footage, working as a media project researcher, a runner on short indies, to script reading for Edinburgh TV Festival. Throughout, Sky describes “training, training, training”, attending workshops with the BFI, Film London and ScreenSkills whenever possible.
After one year on the Warner Bros. CrewHQ training programme, “upskilling and sending [her] CV around, Sky landed her first production trainee role on a HBO original series. “I was offered an extension by the production team, and I’ve worked from almost one production to the next at Leavesden Studios ever since.”
Despite steadily gaining in experience, Sky recalls that “a driver’s license was often a requirement for junior roles, and not having one had meant I wasn’t eligible for many opportunities.”
Learning how to drive had been a struggle for Sky. “No one in my immediate family or friends drove or ever owned a car. Now all of sudden there was more pressure as passing my test was linked to being able to gain further employment.”
Then she heard about the ScreenSkills bursary through some trainee workshops. “It was mentioned as a great resource, especially for new entrants facing financial barriers.” Overcoming her nerves, Sky applied and was successfully awarded a bursary.
Reflecting on the impact of the bursary on her career, Sky recalls that she was “unemployed when [she] applied” and believes the bursary helped her secure her next role.
“I think being awarded the bursary and immediately starting regular driving lessons after work instilled a confidence in my coordinator and HoD, who would then take me on as a trainee and then as a production assistant – without a license at the time.
"I believe being able to present a confirmed driving test date to my HoD gave them strong reasons to employ me as a candidate.
“Being able to say to others that I was applying – I believe it showed that it was something I was actively working towards and demonstrated that I cared long-term about progressing in my department.”
Sky passed her driving test on the job, which turned out to be a 10-month long opportunity. “I wouldn’t be here today had it not been for the experience I gained on it,” she says. “Taking on a lot more responsibility within my role was crucial.”
For many, the screen industries can be fraught with many invisible barriers. “When you’ve been inside it for a long time, it’s hard to remember that from the outside it is a very specific industry requiring a lot of different specialised upskilling or equipment. Supporting those who might struggle in these different areas is crucial to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the real world.”
Sky currently works as a production secretary with ambitions to work up to a creative producer role. She’s keen to “continue developing relationships with crew, polish up her skills while working on her own projects”.
“I’d love to shadow producers within my next few jobs to absorb every single skill I can. Nothing is wasted on this path, and all is transferable!”