This past September, Film Director Ashley celebrated his third anniversary with STANDBY. In time-honoured tradition, we asked him a few questions about his time with the award-winning company…
Tell us how you first started working at Standby?
It was actually a friend of a friend who put me in contact with Director Simon. I’d been freelancing for a while, working on short films, show-reels, music videos and wedding videos, and it came up at a time when STANDBY was beginning to expand and needed to look into hiring an extra editor on a part-time basis. I came onboard in February 2012 in a part-time role as editor and assistant, and worked in that role until I became a full time Assistant Director in September of that year. I’ve been with the company since then and was promoted to Film Director earlier this year. It’s a much flashier title and comes with your own pen.
In the three years you’ve been at Standby, what’s changed?
The amount of coffee I drink for a start! The company’s really grown in my time here, most notably in the last year and a half since we moved to Beehive Mill, which has really seen us kick on into our busiest period ever. The amount of kit we have has also grown massively, as you’d expect, and we recently found ourselves competing for best Video Production Company at The TOMS (The Talk of Manchester Awards). We’d always set ourselves the challenge of being regarded as the very best film company in Manchester, and I’m pretty proud to say that we’re definitely on target for being that!
What is your favourite part of your job?
The variety of work we do – no two jobs are the same at STANDBY, and it means that you really get to develop every side of your skill set, behind the camera and as an editor. Also, the amount of coffee we get through daily is a bonus.
Can you tell us about your highlights?
There’s been quite a few – going behind the camera to film my first TV Commercial is definitely one and travelling overseas for shoots in Austria, Vienna and Amsterdam isn’t too shabby either! On a personal level, we’ve done a couple of charity projects recently and being involved in them has been enormously rewarding.
Are you excited for the next three years?
Yes! I think we’re really going from strength to strength and working for some super-exciting clients, so I’m really excited by the prospect of what we’ll be shooting and for whom in the years to come.
Give us a random fact about yourself.
I have two middle names, James Paul.
What were you wearing on your first day at Standby?
Clothes. And a smile.