Into Film Alumni Focus: Owain Carbis

Read this article in Welsh/Darllen yn Gymraeg

In a new edition of our ongoing ‘Into Film Alumni Focus' series, we turn our attention to former Youth Advisory Council (YAC) member Owain Carbis (19). His inspiring journey took him from Into Film to working for BBC Cymru Wales and his dream project, Doctor Who via a Sgil Cymru apprenticeship scheme, and is now starting out on a freelancing career.

Taking the first step out of school into your chosen career can be daunting, especially in the film and wider media industry, but our young person led article series aims to give your students both practical and inspiring advice in doing so. Check out Owain's story as well as more of our recent alumni accounts below!

My Into Film Journey

I originally travelled to London to apply for the Into Film Young Reporter Programme in 2017 but was fortunate and very grateful to be given a position on Into Film Cymru's Youth Advisory Council (YAC) instead.

I first met the Into Film team at a Q&A session with Into Film Ambassador Rhys Ifans in Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr. It was a brilliant discussion, and I was fortunate to ask Ifans - following encouragement from the Into Film team - which film genre he would like to appear in if he had to choose. I sat wide-eyed as he discussed his love for Westerns in great depth.

Over the next couple of years, I had the pleasure of attending the YAC meetings, where I spoke passionately about films with a group of enthusiastic young people. From attending BAFTA events and an animation festival in Chapter Arts Centre to working on the set of Six Minutes to Midnight and having the General Manager & Executive Vice President of Lucasfilm, Lynwen Brennan talk to my school about her career, the experience has been crucial in furthering my ambition to pursue a career in the creative industries.

Working for the BBC and Realising my Dream

I successfully applied for a Creative Production apprenticeship via Sgil Cymru at BBC Cymru Wales and first joined the Digital Learning team, working on BBC Bitesize. Quickly, I was welcomed as a part of the team and started working on different projects, gaining first-hand experience of content production. As a curious individual, I was looking to learn as much as possible from my coworkers, and I was encouraged to pick their brains and collaborate on ideas.

This led to me also working with the Digital Drama team. Having had training in Adobe Premiere Pro at the BBC as well as video editing and filming experiences at Into Film, I felt prepared to work on BBC flagship dramas. I was thrilled to assist in a shoot with Our Girl's Michelle Keegan, where I was taught how to film an interview by setting up the camera, recording the audio and lighting the environment.

Alongside film, I am hugely passionate about drama, and I've been a massive fan of Doctor Who since my Dad introduced me to the series at a very young age. When I first started with the drama team, I also began working on the behind-the-scenes content for Doctor Who's twelfth series, and transcribed, subtitled and reformatted content for various official social media accounts.

Lockdown's challenges and working for high-profile brands

Lockdown brought numerous challenges and new responsibilities for me, such as managing Doctor Who's social media accounts. I was publishing, editing and writing copy while also looking after the website. In the beginning, unexpectedly, we had a lot of new content as current and former Doctor Who contributors started writing stories for us to share weekly. Alongside this, I promoted numerous Twitter watch-alongs organised by Emily Cook and fans. The brilliant 'Staying in the TARDIS' campaign was devised during lockdown to share Doctor Who-based activities for fans. I found contributors for our weekly challenges, including stars like Joe Sugg and Diane Buswell, who posted a video of them baking a TARDIS on their 'In The Pan' YouTube channel.

Since, I have continued developing ideas to promote dramas, editing video assets for social media and designing social assets for high-profile brands, including BBC iPlayer, Line of Duty, His Dark Materials, Sherlock and others. I also created a series of social media posters to celebrate Doctor Who episode anniversaries, which reached more than twelve million internet users across different social media platforms.

Current occupation and advice to prospective creatives

I am currently working as a freelancer and I'm fortunate to continue creating content for dramas. I'm very proud to be a part of teams where I feel trusted and respected as well as having the freedom to bring my ideas and visions to life.

Although my experience of getting into the industry is perhaps unconventional, it's important to recognise that there isn't a singular route to enter such a rich and diverse industry. I've had a wealth of experiences thanks to the apprenticeships via Sgil Cymru, and Into Film provided several gateways into the industry. Although I don't know what the future holds, I'm excited to continue developing my ability while working on exciting projects related to film and TV.

Applications for our Youth Advisory Council will reopen in Spring 2021 and you can email yac@intofilm.org to be kept in the loop on any further updates.

Mewn rhifyn newydd yng nghyfres gyfredol Into Film sy'n canolbwyntio ar ein cyn-fyfyrwyr, rydym yn troi ein golygon at Owain Carbis (19), cyn-aelod o'r Cyngor Ymgynghorol Ieuenctid (YAC). Ar ôl dechrau'r daith gydag Into Film, aeth yn ei flaen i weithio i BBC Cymru Wales a Doctor Who drwy gynllun Prentisiaeth Sgil Cymru - ei brosiect delfrydol - yn ogystal â chychwyn gyrfa lawrydd.

Gall cymryd y cam cyntaf o'r ysgol i'ch gyrfa ddewisol fod yn brofiad brawychus, yn enwedig ym myd ffilm ac o fewn diwydiant y cyfryngau yn fwy cyffredinol, ond nod ein cyfres o erthyglau dan arweiniad pobl ifanc yw rhoi cyngor ymarferol ac ysbrydoledig i'ch myfyrwyr wrth wneud hynny. Darllenwch stori Owain, yn ogystal â rhagor o hanesion ein cyn-fyfyrwyr isod.

Fy Nhaith gydag Into Film

Yn wreiddiol, fe wnes i deithio i Lundain i ymgeisio am Raglen Gohebwyr Ifanc Into Film yn 2017, ond roeddwn yn ffodus ac yn dra diolchgar i dderbyn lle ar Gyngor Ymgynghorol Ieuenctid (YAC) Into Film Cymru yn lle hynny.

Fe wnes i gwrdd â thîm Into Film am y tro cyntaf mewn sesiwn holi ac ateb gyda Rhys Ifans, Llysgennad Into Film, yn Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr. Roedd hon yn drafodaeth wych, ac roeddwn yn ddigon ffodus i gael gofyn i Rhys Ifans yn dilyn anogaeth gan y tîm Into Film pa genre o ffilm yr hoffai ymddangos ynddi pe byddai'n cael dewis. Eisteddais yn syfrdan wrth iddo drafod yn fanwl ei gariad tuag at ffilmiau cowbois.

Yn ystod y flwyddyn neu ddwy wedi hynny, cefais y pleser o fynychu'r cyfarfodydd YAC, lle y bu i mi gael sgyrsiau angerddol am ffilmiau gyda chriw o bobl ifanc frwdfrydig. O fynychu digwyddiadau BAFTA a gŵyl animeiddio yng Nghanolfan Gelfyddydau Chapter i weithio ar set Six Minutes to Midnight a chroesawu Rheolwr Cyffredinol ac Is-lywydd Gweithredol Lucasfilm, Lynwen Brennan, i fy ysgol i drafod ei gyrfa, mae'r profiad wedi bod yn hanfodol wrth ddatblygu fy uchelgais o ddilyn gyrfa yn y diwydiannau creadigol.

Gweithio i'r BBC a Chyflawni fy Mreuddwyd

Gwnes gais llwyddiannus am brentisiaeth drwy Sgrin Cymru i weithio yn adran Gynhyrchu Creadigol BBC Cymru Wales, ac ymunais yn gyntaf â'r tîm Dysgu Digidol, gan weithio ar BBC Bitesize. Cefais fy nghroesawu'n syth fel aelod o'r tîm, gan gychwyn gweithio ar brosiectau amrywiol a chael profiad uniongyrchol o gynhyrchu cynnwys. Fel rhywun chwilfrydig, roeddwn yn awyddus i ddysgu cymaint â phosib gan fy nghydweithwyr, a chefais anogaeth i'w holi'n dwll ac i gydweithio cymaint â phosib ar syniadau.

O ganlyniad i hyn, cefais hefyd weithio gyda'r tîm Dramâu Digidol. O fod wedi derbyn hyfforddiant Adobe Premiere Pro gyda'r BBC, ac yn dilyn fy mhrofiadau o olygu a ffilmio fideos gydag Into Film, roeddwn yn teimlo'n barod i weithio ar rai o brif ddramâu'r BBC. Cefais wefr o gynorthwyo gyda ffilmio Michelle Keegan o Our Girl, pryd y cefais fy nysgu sut i ffilmio cyfweliad trwy osod y camera, recordio'r sain a goleuo'r amgylchedd.

Yn ogystal â ffilm, rwyf yn angerddol iawn dros y ddrama, ac rwyf wedi bod yn ffan enfawr o Doctor Who ers cael fy nghyflwyno i'r gyfres yn ifanc iawn gan fy nhad. Pan gychwynnais weithio gyda'r tîm dramâu, fe wnes i hefyd gychwyn gweithio ar gynnwys tu-ôl-i'r-llen ar gyfer deuddegfed gyfres Doctor Who, gan drawsgrifio, isdeitlo ac ailwampio cynnwys ar gyfer cyfrifon swyddogol amrywiol ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol.

Heriau'r cyfnod clo a gweithio i frandiau amlwg

Daeth y cyfnod clo â heriau niferus a chyfrifoldebau newydd i mi, fel rheoli cyfrifon Doctor Who ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Roeddwn yn gyfrifol am gyhoeddi, golygu ac ysgrifennu copi, yn ogystal â gofalu am y wefan ar yr un pryd. Ar y cychwyn, ac yn annisgwyl, roedd gennym lawer o gynnwys newydd wrth i gyfranwyr cyfredol Doctor Who a chyfranwyr o'r gorffennol ddechrau ysgrifennu straeon i ni eu rhannu yn wythnosol. Yn ogystal â hyn, bu i mi hyrwyddo nifer o ddigwyddiadau ‘gwylio gyda'n gilydd' ar Twitter, a drefnwyd gan Emily Cook a dilynwyr y rhaglen. Dyfeisiwyd yr ymgyrch wych, ‘Aros yn y TARDIS', yn ystod y cyfnod clo, er mwyn rhannu gweithgareddau'n ymwneud â Doctor Who i ddilynwyr y rhaglen. Bu i mi hefyd ddod o hyd i gyfranwyr i'n heriau wythnosol, gan gynnwys sêr fel Joe Sugg a Diane Buswell, a rannodd fideo ohonynt eu hunain yn pobi TARDIS ar eu sianel YouTube, ‘In The Pan'.

Ers hynny, rwyf wedi parhau i ddatblygu syniadau i hyrwyddo dramâu, golygu asedau fideo ar gyfer y cyfryngau cymdeithasol a dylunio asedau cymdeithasol i frandiau amlwg fel BBC iPlayer, Line of Duty, His Dark Materials a Sherlock, ymysg eraill. Bu i mi hefyd greu cyfres o bosteri ar gyfer y cyfryngau cymdeithasol i ddathlu pen-blwyddi rhifynnau Doctor Who, a bu i'r rhain gyrraedd dros ddeuddeng miliwn o ddefnyddwyr y we dros wahanol blatfformau ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol.

Fy ngwaith ar hyn o bryd, a chyngor i weithwyr creadigol y dyfodol

Rwyf yn gweithio'n llawrydd ar hyn o bryd, ac rwyf yn ffodus i gael parhau i greu cynnwys ar gyfer dramâu. Mae'n destun balchder cael bod yn rhan o dimau sy'n gwneud i mi deimlo fy mod yn cael fy nhrin ag ymddiriedaeth a pharch, tra bod gen i hefyd y rhyddid i wireddu fy syniadau a'm gweledigaethau.

Er y gellid ystyried fy mhrofiad o gael mynediad i'r diwydiant yn un anghonfensiynol, mae'n bwysig cydnabod nad un llwybr yn unig sydd i ddod at ddiwydiant mor gyfoethog ac amrywiol. Rwyf wedi cael cyfoeth o brofiadau o ganlyniad I gefnogaeth Sgil Cymru , a rhoddodd Into Film sawl agoriad i'r diwydiant. Er nad wyf yn gwybod beth ddaw yn y dyfodol, rwy'n llawn cyffro wrth feddwl am barhau i ddatblygu fy ngalluoedd tra'n gweithio ar brosiectau cyffrous ym myd ffilm a theledu.