This week saw Associate Producer and Videographer Carys Hughes bid an emotional farewell to Faltrego for new adventures in Australia. She sat down to describe some of her experiences and reflect on her journey with Faltrego… and whether she’d recommend it for anyone else!
You’ve been at Faltrego for 2 years, what was the company like when you first joined?
When I joined Faltrego in October 2021 we were at the tail end of the pandemic and Mary, along with our wonderful Design Lead Rianne, had managed to steer the ship as a duo through multiple lockdowns, using the opportunity to focus on graphics and animation while live filming was off the cards.
As things opened back up, I was able to join so that Mary could hand over the videography reins and focus on running the business. I came with a photography background but not much video so I was incredibly lucky to find someone like Mary who was looking for the right fit, saw my potential and was willing to take me under her wing and train me up.
I felt very lucky to join such a small and tight-knit team, and I loved the approach Faltrego had of building the company based on the skillsets we had and growing together as a team.
Below is a photo of one of our first team outings - going to see Spider Man!
Do you have any favourite projects from the early days?
My first project will always hold a special place in my heart which was for Clergy Support Trust. I love being thrown in the deep end and given a challenge and Mary gave me a lot of trust and autonomy right from the beginning. It was such a good opportunity to learn by doing and the people we interviewed were really inspiring people. It’s crazy to watch those videos now and see how far we’ve come but I’m still so proud of those smaller early projects.
How has Faltrego changed during your time?
Where do I begin!? Faltrego has grown and changed more than I think any of us could have imagined in such a short space of time. I tried to count up and I reckon I’ve personally worked on over 120 films with at least 30 clients in that 2 year period, as well as doing several photography projects and even a few voiceovers, so the amount of development just from learning with each project has been amazing.
Most importantly, it’s been really exciting that the team has been able to grow. Bringing in Producer-Director Lexy last year really helped us to level up in terms of project scales, and Faltrego will be a team of 7 by Autumn! We’ve also been doing more narrative hero films as well as levelling up research and creative strategy to really help target the problems that charities are trying to solve, so there’s some really exciting stuff in the pipeline.
What are some of your career highlights from working at Faltrego?
For me the biggest highlight has been getting to meet and interview so many amazing people. We’ve worked with so many different causes; brain injuries, dementia, LGBTQ+ rights, homelessness, healthy ageing, hospice care, disabilities, worker’s rights, research and healthcare to name a few. At the core of so many of the charities we work with is a sense of community, and it’s been a real privilege to be welcomed into these communities and given the opportunity to tell the stories of people who have been through so much hardship yet are still willing to use their voices to help others.
In terms of specific highlights, there are too many to count but I’ll try to narrow it down to 2. Having our film shown on the Piccadilly Circus Lights was a huge moment for me. The Encephalitis Society are the charity I’ve worked with the most during my time at Faltrego and I’m so passionate about the work they do, so it felt like a real privilege to get to showcase the impact they’ve had on such a huge scale.
Finally, working with Fields on Trust on a series of videos about the importance of the parks in my home town of Edinburgh was a real treat. Getting to showcase my favourite city, feature people from my own network, boost the importance of green spaces AND shoot outside in beautiful sunny parks!? Truly living the dream. I’m so happy with how the films and photography came out, and Stuart & Max’s film was even played in Scottish Parliament!
Would you recommend working at Faltrego?
Wholeheartedly, yes. Working in a small creative company gave me a rare opportunity to try my hands at so many different things and really grow with the company. I’ve managed to go from someone with very limited professional video experience to someone who can produce, film and edit videos that I’m really proud of. I can’t thank the team enough for the opportunities I’ve had and the memories I’ve made and I’m so excited both to take the skills I’ve learned forward with me and to see what Faltrego does next - I can guarantee it’ll be big and exciting!
