How I Broke Into the Creative Industries After a Dentistry Career
15th March 2023, by Omar Elhanbouly
“What are you going to do with this nonsense?” That’s what my dad said when I first told him about applying for a filmmaking diploma. My parents have always wanted me to become a doctor, but I attended dental school. At first, I was happy about it, until some specific sparks changed my life.
During the third year of my dentistry Bachelors, I participated in a student activity where we attended weekly filmmaking workshops for a year. I volunteered to direct our short film, although I knew nothing about directing or how a camera works. But luckily, I had a colleague in the workshop who owned a camera and offered to help. After some preparation, we started shooting the short film. This was the exact time I felt euphoric. I have never enjoyed doing something like that ever in my life. At the end of the judging process, we won the third-place title amongst seven other short films. And that was one of the sparks. From this moment, I knew dental school wasn’t the right place for me.
I had to continue my degree whilst pursuing my passion for films on the side because it wasn’t possible to change majors in Egypt. From watching YouTube tutorials and reading books to attending workshops and training courses. It was like a full-time job of grinding and self-motivating.
I have now recently graduated with a master’s degree in Film & TV Production in the UK, and I was struggling with finding a job in the industry. I always knew the film industry was brutal, but not THAT brutal! That’s why I applied to the Creativity Squared Programme. They offer a lot of support to unemployed creatives like myself, which is helpful. Not only do they support creative people by finding a work placement for them. But also, I learnt topics that I even hadn’t learnt back in my master’s. I was committed to the training, and they were very generous with the info they provided.
I personally find the part about Health & Safety Regulations, Equality Acts and Legislation the most interesting. These are very crucial topics to know in the creative industry, and they are often taken for granted. It will definitely help me in my career.
I would totally recommend this training. It gives you self-confidence and new knowledge to get your skin in the game. Make sure to eat well, sleep well and get your pens ready because it is just the beginning!
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How I Broke Into the Creative Industries After a Dentistry Career
15h March, 2023 by Omar Elhanbouly
“What are you going to do with this nonsense?” That’s what my dad said when I first told him about applying for a filmmaking diploma. My parents have always wanted me to become a doctor, but I attended dental school. At first, I was happy about it, until some specific sparks changed my life.
During the third year of my dentistry Bachelors, I participated in a student activity where we attended weekly filmmaking workshops for a year. I volunteered to direct our short film, although I knew nothing about directing or how a camera works. But luckily, I had a colleague in the workshop who owned a camera and offered to help. After some preparation, we started shooting the short film. This was the exact time I felt euphoric. I have never enjoyed doing something like that ever in my life. At the end of the judging process, we won the third-place title amongst seven other short films. And that was one of the sparks. From this moment, I knew dental school wasn’t the right place for me.
I had to continue my degree whilst pursuing my passion for films on the side because it wasn’t possible to change majors in Egypt. From watching YouTube tutorials and reading books to attending workshops and training courses. It was like a full-time job of grinding and self-motivating.
I have now recently graduated with a master’s degree in Film & TV Production in the UK, and I was struggling with finding a job in the industry. I always knew the film industry was brutal, but not THAT brutal! That’s why I applied to the Creativity Squared Programme. They offer a lot of support to unemployed creatives like myself, which is helpful. Not only do they support creative people by finding a work placement for them. But also, I learnt topics that I even hadn’t learnt back in my master’s. I was committed to the training, and they were very generous with the info they provided.
I personally find the part about Health & Safety Regulations, Equality Acts and Legislation the most interesting. These are very crucial topics to know in the creative industry, and they are often taken for granted. It will definitely help me in my career.
I would totally recommend this training. It gives you self-confidence and new knowledge to get your skin in the game. Make sure to eat well, sleep well and get your pens ready because it is just the beginning!
