Victoria Burrows

Victoria is an alumnus of our BA (Hons) Film and Television Production degree. After graduating, she worked as a runner for Technicolor, before becoming Production Coordinator and then Producer. She is now working as a VFX Coordinator for Scanline.

What have you been doing since graduating from ARU?

Two weeks before graduating I was fortunate enough to get a role as runner at the company Technicolor. This is where I stayed for a year and a bit whilst helping others departments. In 2018 Technicolor set up a new department called Marketing Services where I became a production coordinator, this dealt with localising Netflix trailers for different countries. In 2019 I was headhunted as a Producer for a department at Technicolor for Front End Services dealing with Dailies and the platform Pulse which dealt with VFX pulls, I was in this role for over two years.

This January I then took the step to enter the VFX world, where I’ve always wanted to go, and became a VFX coordinator for Scanline who have worked on titles such as Spider Man, Stranger Things, and Free Man, to name a few.

What one thing inspired you to do what you do now?

The piece of work which inspired me was John Hughes’ ‘The Breakfast Club’. At the time of university I wanted to become an editor and this was the first film that made me interested in the process from beginning to end. To this day it’s still my favourite film.

What’s the most valuable thing you took away from your education?

University gave me the opportunity to understand and appreciate the roles that it takes to create a film, and also showed me that it’s very much a teamwork-related industry.

Which aspects of the course most helped your career development, and why?

Throughout the two and a half years at university I wanted to be an editor as I enjoyed the process. The tutors always tried to get students to try different roles, so in the third year I tried producing. This was the first time I ever got a first. I really enjoyed the organisation and time management part of it.

Having the choice of some modules really helped determine which part of the industry I wanted to enter, as it gave me the freedom to try everything and have those options. Also, having tutors that had experience in the industry was valuable for the students, as we got to know their experiences and what the real world was like and how best to handle it.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell my younger self it’s fine not to know what you want to specialise in and it’s ok to change your mind. Try everything at university, as the industry is going to be different to what you expect it to be. Also, believe in yourself and don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone’s path is different; there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

What was your favourite thing about studying in Cambridge, and what did you discover about the city that you didn’t know before?

The city is amazing and dear to my heart, so to study there was an honour. To be able to have that kind of history on your doorstep was once-in-a-lifetime. The course was realistic and practical and I very much enjoyed my time there, and for it to be in the middle of Cambridge was fantastic.

The one thing I learnt about the history was that Prince Charles went to university at Trinity College, where his bodyguard earned a higher grade than him - this fact always amused me.

What projects are you currently working on?

Shows I have worked on in the past include: The Princess Switch 2 and 3, Text For You, Wheel of Time, Dracula, Avenue 5 and Pinocchio, just to name a few. Due to confidentiality I can’t name what I am currently working on at Scanline, but I will definitely be watching it once it is released!