Creativepool profile: creativepool.co.uk/belindahawkins
Vimeo: vimeo.com/belindahawkins
"I've worked in Perth, Western Australia for over 6 years as an agency producer in television production and post-production. Perhaps my biggest achievement was recently setting up an in-house edit facility at Marketforce BBDO, the first of its kind in Western Australia. From ordering the hardware, creating a rate card, back-up systems and supervising projects to broadcast stage, it was a giant learning curve, and it still continues to be a great success. But I do love a challenge! I’m fortunate to have worked on some great brands over the years, from selling chicken to saving lives on our roads, I can confidently say I’ve worked on an array of projects! And I’m looking forward to doing some great work in London. "
How long have you been a Freelancer for?
Not long at all! I worked predominantly in permanent roles in Australia but currently exploring freelance or contract opportunities in London at the moment.
Describe your work in one sentence.
Juggling lots of balls in the air!
Who are some of the clients you have worked for?
IKEA, Cash Converters, The Health Department of Australia, Office of Road Safety, RSPCA. Big and small, from low budget retail to International brands I’ve certainly covered a range.
What's the most important thing you've learned in your line of work?
You’re only as good as your suppliers. Show them appreciation and respect, and they’ll always look after you. So often we find ourselves turning to them for favours on jobs, personally I’ve lost count!
What attracted you to your chosen field?
Creativity. I love bringing ideas to life and making it all happen – on time, budget and as smoothly as possible of course!
Tell us about your best project to date.
That’s a difficult one! But I’ll tell you about quite a big one I worked on recently. A few months ago we launched a campaign for the City of Perth, aiming to re-engage and re-connect the people with their city, show it in a new light and evoke a real sense of pride. Perth is quite isolated and has a huge mining influence, and has unfortunately been perceived as ‘boring’ or ‘backward’ in the past. But it’s really been transforming itself with the arts, retail sector and developments to name a few, and to highlight this transformation we engaged the very talented Josh Owens, timelapse photographer well-known for his ‘Mindrelic Manhattan in Motion’ film. 90 locations over 3 weeks of filming, not a whole lot of money and things like tying poor Josh to the edge of buildings, it was a challenging but rewarding project. And the result was a stunning 60-second piece and one very happy lord mayor! And to top it off the campaign was very successful. Have a look!
What sets you apart from your competitors?
Apart from the funny accent, I would say diversity. Being the sole producer at an agency of 100 staff, it’s unavoidable really! From fashion photography to managing an edit suite, I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to work on a huge range of clients and facets of production.
If you could work on any project for any company/organisation, what would it be and who would it be for?
Willy Wonkers’ chocolate factory! Actually I think I could make a great corporate spot for them – for a dip in the chocolate river.
What frustrates you the most about your job?
Putting hours of blood, sweat and tears into a creative project that never gets off the ground! But I love it when clients are willing to take a risk, and the result exceeds their expectations.
What pearl of wisdom can you offer to someone thinking about starting out as a freelancer?
Believe in yourself, and never give up.
If you could have ONE super power, what would it be?
Hands down, the ability to fly. I often have dreams I’m flying. I’m sure it means something! It’s a pretty common one so I’m not too worried
What's your favourite bit of kit?
My iPhone, pretty typical producer answer isn’t it! We’re constantly on them.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I love the royals. When Queen Elizabeth came to my country town I was determined to meet her. So when she was in close range I bolted from the crowd to greet her! Quite literally. Flowers and all. I was initially restrained by a burly security guard but after some gentle persuasion from the duke he let me go, and I had a nice little chat with her. It was 1988. I was 5.
What's your favourite song of all time?
Blue Bayou by Roy Orbison. It’s beautiful, gets me a little chocked up! I also quite like the Linda Ronstadt version.
What is your favourite app?
Instagram. Makes my dodgy iPhone pics look amazing. I’m also guilty of uploading the odd pic of my dinner as well!
Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook. Probably my second favourite app!
Eat In or eat out?
Can I say both? I do love to go out but often crave a nice home cooked meal – my all-time favourite is salmon, couscous and vegies. With a chilled glass of white!
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