ScreenSkills’ film Trainee Finder programme opened doors for Rosie Bath and enabled her to gain valuable experience working in the costume department on productions including the new Bond film, No Time to Die and has since gone on to work on Jurassic World: Dominion.
After studying fashion at Northumbria University, Rosie Bath knew she wanted to do something creative career wise but wasn’t sure what. After a family member suggested she investigate working in the costume department in film and TV, she found work on a short film for three days. The designer on that film happened to know the supervisor on historical drama series, Sanditon and that’s how she got her first costume trainee job.
When on Sanditon, Rosie got to work on the costume truck on set where she was running between set and sorting out costumes. She did some small ‘making’ jobs and realised that’s what she wanted to do. Rosie said: “I built up some contacts while I was on Sanditon, but they were all for costume set work and office roles. All the making was outsourced and I didn’t meet any makers, so I didn’t know how to get into that area.”
Rosie continued: “I’m from Newcastle and didn’t know anyone who worked in film and TV and had no idea how to get in. One of my colleagues on Sanditon told me about ScreenSkills and suggested I apply for its Trainee Finder programme, which I was eligible for as I had less than a year’s work experience. I was accepted onto the programme and it really opened doors for me.”
Rosie explained: “My first placement with ScreenSkills was on live action/ computer animated comedy, Tom and Jerry. It was on set rather than in the work room, but I didn’t mind as once you’ve got experience on a big film, that’s a way to get in. Then I got a placement through Trainee Finder on the new Bond film, No Time to Die, which was great. It’s amazing that I can say my first ever experience in the work room was on a Bond film! That’s when I realised that it was possible and that I could actually work in the area of costume that I enjoyed the most. I got to experience one month in the work room and two months on set and in the office. I got to do a bit of everything which is the great thing about being a trainee. I did a lot of alterations on No Time to Die. I got partnered with someone to help with one of the womenswear costumes and I worked on a lot of crowd pieces too.”
Rosie added: “I can’t wait to see No Time to Die now that it’s finally coming out. I’m going to the cast and crew premiere, and I am really excited to see how it turns out. I think it will bring back a lot of memories – I’ll see things I washed and think, ‘I washed that!’”
On whether she would recommend ScreenSkills’ Trainee Finder programme, Rosie said: “To be honest, I think it’s the only way to get into the industry if you don’t have contacts and you haven’t done a course related to the industry. I wouldn’t know how to do it otherwise. When I’ve gone back up north and people ask how I got in, I always say ScreenSkills. It’s important that ScreenSkills gives opportunities to people from different backgrounds like me to work in film and TV. I did a talk in a school up north and none of the students thought that working in film and TV was attainable for them. It was great to speak to the kids and tell them, look if you’re creative and you don’t want to go down a normal career path, there are other routes to get into film and TV.”
Rosie is now working in menswear in the costume department on a blockbuster due for release in 2022.
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