Continuing my blog series focused on female* freelance talent, this week I’d like to introduce Amelia, who is a multidisciplinary creative. You can find out more about her here.

Introduction

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Amelia Caulfield, a multidisciplinary practitioner, currently based in Co. Kilkenny.

I have experience as a videographer, digital content creator, digital marketer, editor, documentary filmmaker, photographer, website creator, podcast producer, and artist. I have been working commercially in Dublin for the past four years, while simultaneously developing my own socially engaged art practice and creating and facilitating workshops. I am currently studying for a Masters in Social Practice and the Creative Environment at LSAD. 

What is the best part of what you do?

I love the freedom and the variety that comes with the way I work. 

I work well when I can manage my own time and ensure a good work-life balance. Although work and life are often blurred for me, I like it that way as it allows flexibility - times of intense work and times of intense rest. I’d always rather have the extremes than it be a flat, even experience.

I thoroughly enjoy working in multiple roles on a range of projects and gaining different experiences from each one. I strive to have knowledge and competence within a variety of processes and methods, so I can either complete projects fully, or at least have a good overall understanding of the project; its purpose, aims, and context as a whole. I think that a wide breadth of knowledge can add to most projects, as it offers foresight around the idea at hand, which is why I’m committed to being a lifelong learner!

Collaborating with like-minded creative people is one of the most exciting things I get to do. I’m very thankful for that, as self-employment can be difficult and isolating at times, and feeling part of a compatible team can be extremely empowering and motivational. 

How did you get to where you are today?

I studied Film and TV production after school and went on to do a degree in Film and Documentary studies. I interned, volunteered and completed work experience throughout my studies, and applied for about 8327219 jobs when I eventually moved to Dublin!

I remember feeling low and stressed about trying to find work, so to fill my time I created a website to house the small amount of work I had made. I then had an important interview and got offered the job based on the fact that ‘I was the only one who applied who had a website’! This opportunity was with a media company who worked with a huge amount of brands, and so my work snowballed from there as it was seen by many different clients who then approached me to work with them. Many of these clients became regulars and I still work with some today. 

Alongside my video work, I studied Digital Marketing and Strategy, and worked as a social media manager and coordinator for a while, as I wanted to learn how to market my own content. 

All the while I have been developing my own creative practice, and in 2019 I studied a course called Creativity and Change, which is about how to creatively advocate for global justice topics. This course really cemented my passion for creative activism in all its facets and led me to study for a Masters in Social Practice and the Creative Environment, which I’ve just started. 

I am a huge advocate for lifelong learning as I think it’s so important to keep challenging yourself and growing in new ways. My answer to feeling stuck is always - do a course, a workshop, or go to a talk/ lecture… A new perspective always helps!

What did you find to be the most challenging part of your videography work?

I’m kind of embarrassed to say, as maybe it’s more of a personal struggle, but at the beginning, I doubted myself a lot. I felt intense imposter syndrome and felt I wasn't up to a high enough standard to complete the jobs I was offered, which led to a lot of stress and anxiety.

Unfortunately, this is a problem so many women face in countless industries. A study done by Cornell University found that men overestimate their abilities and performance, while women underestimate both, however, their actual performances do not differ in quality.

Communication

What have you found to be the best way to work with colleagues and clients?

When I'm fortunate enough to be able to choose, I’m in favour of a casual working environment. I like getting to know the people I’m working with well, which allows us to maintain open and honest communication, and work more effectively as a team. I like being able to have a laugh while working, rather than everyone silently trying to impress or out-do each other. I’ve been in both scenarios and the latter makes for a dull and stressful project. 

That being said, it is important to maintain professionalism, and always be kind and respectful - that’s just a human thing though! 

I also think it’s really important to be upfront and honest about what you need, whether it’s extra support, more time, or people to leave you alone so you can actually do the work! People aren’t mind readers and if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you’re working with others towards a shared goal, it should be a supportive environment, so don’t be afraid to ask for (or offer!) help. 

Lastly, underpinning everything is flexibility and adaptability. Change is a constant so you have to be able to bend or you’ll break. Allowing others the space and autonomy to change direction and opinion, and granting that to yourself also, is an invaluable skill and something I am constantly working on.

If you come across a problem, a delay or something you didn't anticipate, how do you tell your client about it?

I learned very early in my life that the sooner you do the difficult thing, the better! It will be uncomfortable, make you anxious, embarrassed, and cringe, but you have to tell the client ASAP if you’ve accidentally deleted a whole SD card’s worth of footage, or left your tripod in the back of a taxi, or you've been stuck outside the shoot location for 20 minutes because you can't remember the code to get back in! (all hypothetical examples).

Any problem or mistake you’ve made can leave you feeling a bit shitty - but often in the grand scheme of things they’re insignificant and can be sorted out or adapted to. I think if you can deal with these things confidently and stay solution-focused, they become less of a big deal and more manageable. However a problem shared is a problem halved so I would send the email, make the call, dispatch the carrier pigeon, tell the client, and do the hard thing as soon as possible!

“We can do hard things!” - Glennon Doyle (my current idol). 

Have you found any clients unresponsive to emails, calls or communications? Particularly when it comes to 'ghosting'?

I currently have an invoice that is over one year overdue, from work I completed and delivered in August 2019. I have followed up many times and have been ignored, promised payment and given the groundbreaking update of ‘we have no update for you’.  It’s so disrespectful to leave people waiting for payment, and is quite telling of the attitude, ethos and moral code of the business. Needless to say I won’t be working with that business again! 

When you're working on briefs, what makes the project run smoothly?

I love a combination method of divergent and convergent thinking while ideating. Divergent thinking allows you to be creative, to brainstorm, think big, and provide as many solutions and possibilities as possible. Convergent thinking allows you to narrow down your ideas, get specific, and focus on the logical next steps. This combination ensures you draw from as many resources as possible to deliver a well thought out and well rounded solution or idea. 

While working with others, I find a shared vision, effective communication, and delegation of tasks are all important to help the project run smoothly.

The Bias Question

As a female videographer, have you been treated differently to the men on shoots/productions?

I often like to work in the style of a fly on the wall, perhaps due to my background in observational documentary.  While filming, I'm usually quiet, focused and watching closely. In this way, I try to make myself invisible so as not to interfere with the naturally occurring action in the room, and to be able to capture it without intrusion. It has been said to me many times that other crew members ‘barely knew I was there’, which I actually take as a great compliment, as I understand my job is, although important to me and the client, often not the main focus of the day. 

There have been times when I haven't been taken seriously on jobs eg: people assuming I'm on work experience or volunteering when I’m actually a hired crew member.

I have received comments such as ‘don’t spend too long on what you’re doing, we probably won’t use any of it’, and ‘are you going to be shooting on your phone or something?’. I don’t know if the reason for these assumptions and comments was my gender, my quiet ‘fly on the wall’ nature, or just ignorance, however I do know it has been entirely men who have delivered them.

Do you know the percentage of men to womxn in the video/photography/fashion industry? Particularly in leadership roles?

Many technical roles within a variety of industries eg: camera person, cinematographer or editor in the film industry, or photographer or lighting assistant in the fashion industry, are dominated by men. Globally, women made up just 20% of behind-the-scenes roles on the top 100 domestic grossing films of 2019. Unfortunately, the stereotype of a person who succeeds in these roles usually resembles a straight white male, and people tend to hire based on what they have seen. 

In all my time working within the fashion and media industry on photoshoots, social media content shoots and other projects, I have worked with just one other female photographer. 

I really believe women need to be encouraged and supported to challenge cultural expectations and stereotypes and strive to occupy these perceived “male” roles. 

What advice do you have for young womxn entering this industry?

I feel like the fight for equality exists in all aspects of life, as inherent misogyny underpins many of our social, cultural and political norms, as well countless professional industries. In terms of eradicating this, I think education is the first step. To learn about systemic, subliminal, subconscious and conscious (!) issues of gender bias is to open our minds and expand our viewpoints and understanding of the world, and of all the shit every successful woman you’ve ever known has had to go through. 

Support women, support women, support women. 

Treat people how you wish to be treated, and work towards creating the world you wish to live in. Forget about competing with other women, her win is yours and vice versa- there's plenty of success to go around. I am so keen on lifting other women up - especially confident, courageous, ambitious women-  because this innate lack of confidence does not have to be our norm... we need to support each other in getting past it. 

In terms of entering the industry, or even just trying to discover or create your career path, I would say be brave, be ambitious & take risks even if you don’t feel ready. Put yourself in the middle of the action, and get as much experience as possible. 

If you don’t know where you want to go or what you want to do, keep trying new things and follow your curiosity. Take the pressure off. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Strive for progress not perfection. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! (...think i just got an email from TEDx).

Appreciate what you get and demand what you deserve - Abby Wambach 

—-

If you’d like to find out more about Amelia, you can visit her website. And if you’d like to read the rest of the series, you can do so here.