Sooze Ferguson: Freelance TV Director and Fashion Stylist

Hi I’m Sooze, I'm a freelance Television promo director/producer and also a TV/AD fashion stylist:

1.Please can you tell us what your roles as a freelance TV Director and Fashion Stylist are and what they involve.

I’ve been working in media for over 25 years. After leaving university , I moved to London and tried to get work experience. I ended up at MTV styling presenters (Davina McCall among others). I enjoyed it. I sourced clothes, bought them, borrowed some and was given lots!. If presenters gave them free press , then that was advertising. A little bit like tagging on social media nowadays. I became more interested in production and took a role as an intern. It was great as I learned all about production and the making of tv. I moved into the creative department, making channel idents and promos for shows . I got to travel to lots of interesting European cities that MTV was trying to break into. I was at MTV for 12 years. It was a great company to learn all about TV.

2. Please can you describe an average day in your roles as TV Director/Fashion Stylist.

We get a weekly rundown/makelist of upcoming shows. If it’s a big budget show and it deserves a shoot, it would get one. I’d then think of an idea and present it to marketing and the creative boss. Sometimes you present a few ideas. If it's not such a big show and you can’t shoot with the talent, you cut the show up and pull the best bits out into a 20-40sec trail. I’ve taught myself how to edit, cut sound and write scripts. You often need a good sound/music base, then you record a guide voice over and add pictures over the top. You do this roughly then take it to be properly finished in an Online edit suite. The real voice will be added. This is either one of the channel’s usual voiceovers (because channels like to have their own voice). Scripts aren’t long. They’re best and most effective when short and maybe interspersed with sound from the clips used.

3. What wider skills do you need for working in the media? How did you get into this industry?

I think you need a fairly outgoing personality to work in the media. I didn’t have a clue!. A friend at university got an intern role at MTV and that's how I got a foot in. Always be keen and be prepared to do unpaid work experience. We’re lucky that we live in London with lots of production companies all around us

4. Is teamwork important in your role?

It's very important to be a good team player as sometimes you might be directing a crew of 30 or just one voiceover!