The company was initiated by Chrissie Poulter, Head of Media, Film & Culture, and Andrew Clifford, Head of Media Services, to co-ordinate a number of production projects offered as placements by external clients. The objective is to create a working company giving students first-hand, practical experience of camera work, editing and customer contact – vital skills for those who want to make their future career in media production. The company concept has been tested out by 1st and 2nd year placement students and now a small team are working hard to have a year-round operation in place by September.

Film Studies student Becky Gibbs has now taken on the role of Production Manager at In-House. “Our 1st Year placement task was to set up the company,“ she says. “It’s been great to get experience of real clients and real scenarios so early on in my degree course.”

With 23 student crew members, In-House has already completed several films for external clients including the Sylvia Wright Trust, Lister Hill Baptist Church, and Open Country, a Harrogate-based charity. The company has also been producing material within Leeds Trinity, for the Cooking Communities project, the Marketing department and the Chaplaincy.

Sergeant Neil Perkis from Otley Police approached In-House to make a short film about anti-social behaviour to help with his community work. “The students stepped up to the mark and produced some excellent work,” he says. ”Given the bad press some students receive, it was refreshing to see their enthusiasm while dealing with these local issues.”

Becky Gibbs has been joined at In-House by Project Co-ordinator Becky Hinchliffe, a Leeds Trinity graduate now working as a freelance camera operator, who acted as a mentor one day a week to the placement students and has come on board to help establish the company. 

Chrissie Poulter is delighted that the idea has taken off so quickly and so well. “It was always the idea that students should have an opportunity to build up their experience and create relevant, professional material,” she says. “I am really impressed that the list of clients is growing already and that the two Beckys (as they have become known!) have taken on the responsibility of setting up the company over the summer. I think it is ideal for current students to have access to the experience of recent graduates and what better way than for the graduates to work with us as mentors.”

For more information email In-House Productions at ltucinhouseproduction@gmail.com