International Women’s Day Georgi Scurfield
You know when you meet someone for the first time and you think “damn, they are awesome!”? Georgi is this person! Liked by all, she is one of the nicest people I have ever met! She is a fantastic videographer and documentary filmmaker. Her magnetic personality, charm and hard-working attitude allow for her to excel in her field and get the best out of a people. She is an absolute pleasure to work with!
Read below for more about her in out interview
“I think I’ve always struggled to work out where I fit in the film industry/network. I’m a one man band. I’m not a producer or a camera op, or a director, or a camera assistant, I am all of those things.”
What is your job role?
I’m a videographer and a filmmaker. I used to use the two terms interchangeably, thinking I was either one or the other and not fully grasping the difference. Now I realise that the confusion existed because I do both of those jobs.
How long have you worked in TV/film?
I’ve filmed stuff for a living since 2015. I had 6 months working at Notts TV, then I moved to LeftLion and made films and videos for them for 3 years and then I went freelance in 2019.
What struggles have you encountered along the way?
I think I’ve always struggled to work out where I fit in the film industry/network. I’m a one man band. I’m not a producer or a camera op, or a director, or a camera assistant, I am all of those things. I think when I was starting out I felt I had to pick one of those to be, so that I could more easily slot into a film production and define my role more clearly. But I never did – I found that I was being hired because of the simplicity of my set up, so I leant in to that and it’s paid off so far…
What is your dream project/job?
I’ve just finished my dream project, and I feel really proud of myself. I won a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to run a project about the Cattle Market in Nottingham. The project celebrated the past and present of the Cattle Market near Meadow Lane in Nottingham. I commissioned lots of creative folk in Notts to photograph, draw, run workshops, animate and generally create loads of awesome content that reflects what the Cattle Market is and why it’s important to Notts. I worked with an archivist to research and understand why the Cattle Market was established back in 1888, and I made a documentary film that focused on a week in the life of the Cattle Market now.
Everything we created was exhibited at the market back in October, and I’ve deposited everything I did as part of the project into the Local Studies Library so it will be kept safe and accessed for years to come.
I managed the whole project from start to finish, and I created a film which I’m really pleased with. The project was a dream for a number of reasons, I got to work with and support loads of awesome creative folk in Notts, I got to spend a lot of time and really got to know a community in Nottingham that I didn’t before, and I got to do what I do and make a film, all on my own terms.
What advice would you give to young women (and men) to get into TV/film?
I think if I was to give any advice, it would be to understand what tools you have in your own toolbox and utilise them. Yes, you need to be flexible in this industry and you need to keep learning and expanding your skill base, but this is a creative industry which means you can be creative with it. You can shape it and let it fit what you’re doing and what you want to create and who you want to be.
To find out more about Georgi, visit her website at
www.georgiannascurfield.co.uk/
