Pictured above: Rednal filmmaker Chris Weaver speaking to students

Rednal film-maker Chris Weaver of Free Spirit Film has been visiting colleges in the Midlands to advise media graduates to become freelance entrepreneurs to get started in the film and television industry.

Chris visited the media departments of South Birmingham College and Wolverhampton College to talk about what he learned in his 30 years experience as a cinematographer.

Chris commented: "When media students leave education, the first thing that they do is look for a placement, but in many cases graduates struggle to find one and do not know what to do from there.

"Graduates have the basic skills that they need to set up their own production company, but we find that they will not realise it because they had not considered utilising their potential to make it on their own and source their own clients!

"At the colleges that I visited, I advised the best ways of doing this by teaching the students business basics and entrepreneurial skills, as well as passing on my top practical tips of cinematography."

Chris hopes that by visiting the schools and discussing his career, he can inspire the students to make their mark on the film and television industry.

"I warned them how competitive the industry that they are getting into is, but I hope that this made them want to work hard and join the host of British filmmakers who today have a global influence."

Chris has worked on current affairs documentaries for the BBC and Independent Television such as Panorama, Horizon, QED and 40 Minutes and worked with industry professionals such as Michael Caine, Oliver Reed, Michael Jackson and many more.