Natalie Da Silva, BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism
How LSBU and the facilities in Elephant Studios have helped one ambitious young presenter take the first steps to stardom she always dreamed ofWhen she was looking for the right journalism course, Natalie Da Silva already knew the most important skills she wanted to acquire as a student. “I wanted real diversity from my time at university,” she says. “I was looking for a degree that would develop me into an all-rounder, someone capable of editing video, presenting live on air, understanding the legal aspects behind the media, writing features, creating websites and lots, lots more! After attending an LSBU Open Day, I was impressed by the facilities that would be available to me, and the atmosphere was warm and friendly – I knew it was the right place for me.”
Impressive facilities
Those impressive facilities have only been improved by the recent opening of Elephant Studios at LSBU, a multi-million pound media facility available both for commercial hire and helping LSBU media students to develop their skillset. Natalie is one of many students who has benefited from the investment.
Professionalism and co-operation
“I have learned so much during my time at LSBU, and much of that has been thanks to the facilities at Elephant Studios,” says Natalie. “Preparing for the live YouTube broadcasts as part of Journalism.London was one of the best parts of the course, learning how working behind the scenes in a live environment requires a high level of professionalism and co-operation.”
Video production
As part of her involvement with Journalism.London, Natalie created a three-minute video of a fellow student who had created their own fashion label, DUSK. “I produced it using the tools at Elephant Studios and the skills I had learned on my course,” says Natalie. “It was a cool, edgy clip that was appropriate for the target audience. The final clip was uploaded to the Journalism.London YouTube channel.”
Real newsroom
Natalie believes that the facilities at Elephant Studios strengthened her skills in production work considerably. It is home to the same hardware and software she would encounter in a real newsroom: “Students can use the equipment and rooms in so many different ways – producing content for blogs, creating a portfolio, editing videos, recording podcasts and much more.”
Everything is as it would be in a media company, so I can bring the skills I learned at LSBU straight into a working environment.
Natalie Da Silva
Work placement
Natalie is currently on a work placement at creative agency Mediorite, and looking for full-time work in PR or education. She’s confident that her time at LSBU will prove a big help in that quest. “LSBU has given me the skills to produce my own videos and create a portfolio that shows my strengths in front of the camera,” she says. “That can help attract employers all over the world, and I hope to be successful as a presenter, blogger, online content creator, actress and public relations co-ordinator. Life’s too short to limit yourself; there are so many pathways you can take that can take you into your dream career.”
Opened doors
Natalie is certainly pursuing her dream. She has her own lifestyle blog, Life of a Cameo, and a YouTube channel – and hopes to establish them as credible and internationally renowned. “I’ve always thought about my career ever since I was little,” she admits. “My time at LSBU has opened doors to UK media companies that can give me experience in the areas I am interested in, and I then hope to make the move to US media companies. My time at LSBU has really helped me to kick-start that dream.”