Testimonials

Simone Coghi works as a Film Programmer for InScience Film Festival

Profile picture Simone Coghi

"Even though I come from a background in social sciences, and I did my Bachelor’s in Political Science, film has always been my true passion – but a very intimidating one to pursue, especially coming from a country where there are no university courses in Film Studies. Nonetheless, after getting my Bachelor degree I finally decided to try my luck and see if a future in the film industry was achievable. I chose Utrecht University as it seemed quite oriented to the job market, having many courses dedicated to analysing the film industry mechanics, panel programme's with professionals and good internship connections."

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"On top of that, the programme is only one year long, so it was a relatively low time investment to see if things could work out for me in the film and television industry. The investment was quite successful: during my Master’s, I had various occasions of networking and getting to know the film and television work landscape, both through courses and parallel activities – such as taking part in the European University Film Award jury. Eventually, during one class of the course Programming and Curation, I got in touch with the director of InScience Film Festival, where I got an internship position to assist in the film programming team. After finishing the internship, I was offered to continue working there as a film programmer, making my transition from the Master’s to the job market completely seamless."

Amoo Sayed works as an editor at ITV Studios

Profile picture Amoo Sayed, alumnus Film and Television Cultures

"After my internship, I immediately started working as an editor at Talpa Productions (now ITV Studios). In a short period of time, I have been able to work on several major television programmes for RTL4 and SBS6. My day-to-day work mainly consists of devising storylines and writing scripts. It's great to see how an idea is able to grow into an item that is eventually watched by more than a million people on television."

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"Television programmes are made at a rapid pace these days. This has the advantage that you can work on a new project every few months. It’s varied work and you meet a lot of new people. It’s also hard work – especially during long filming days. You are expected to be sharp and critical – but above all, it is essential to flesh out every little detail properly.

A critical attitude was also expected during the Master's in Film and Television Cultures. This made for interesting discussions during tutorials and long evenings in the library whenever I wasn’t completely satisfied with a paper. During the programme, I not only learned to pay attention to detail, but also to see the bigger picture."

Steven van Roosmalen works as Content Innovation Specialist at Videoland

Profile picture Steven van Roosmalen, alumnus Film and Television Cultures

"After my higher professional education degree in Media, Information & Communication, I started the Pre-Master's and later on the Master's programme in Film and Television Cultures at Utrecht University. During my Master's, I learned how to analyse content, marketing strategies and cultural processes. During my internship, I was able to apply these skills at the Subscription Video on Demand service Videoland by monitoring national and international trends, analysing in-house productions and contributing with regard to content selection and presentation for the platform. After graduation, I joined the same company where I did my internship."

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"I now work as a Content Innovation Specialist for Videoland and RTL Nederland. I act as a sparring partner for the producers of Videoland's in-house series and I contribute to the programming of national and international content. The broad knowledge of the film and television market and the critical attitude I acquired within the Master's degree are very useful in this job.

During my internship, I noticed that there was a significant demand in the industry for the theoretical knowledge I gained during the Master’s degree in Film and Television Cultures. As the film and television landscapes are increasingly converging and audiences are increasingly active online, I am also able to contribute knowledge on transmediality and fan engagement. Coupled with theories on narrativity and film, the Master's in Film and Television Cultures appears to be the ideal match for the position I now hold. My coworkers and I continue to gain knowledge about these theories in our field. So the learning doesn't stop – even after the Master’s programme."