FLEUR WHITLOCK - Art Director

Credits include: "10,000 BC", "Heidi", "Shadow Dancer" and "The Libertine" (feature films) and "Wuthering Heights", "Whatever It Takes", "Midnight Man", "Oliver Twist", "Coming Down the Mountain", "Discovering Ancient Egypt" and "Jekyll" (TV drama).

Fleur completed the New Entrant Technical Training Programme in 1991 as an Art Department Assistant.

She explains what she had done before FT2: "I have always wanted to work in film/TV art departments. It was a struggle to find out how one went about this so I opted for a Fine Art degree at Exeter College of Art & Design. Initially based in the sculpture department, I found myself spending more time in the film & photography area and that was where I decided to relocate for my degree. Fate intervened in the shape of a film crew shooting a movie in the South West and I landed the job as production runner. They went straight on to another film and asked me to go with them. The college were exceptionally supportive and encouraged me to take the leap on the grounds that it was a real job offer and I shouldn’t pass it up! So, I found myself in London picking up irregular work in production. This wasn’t where I wanted to stay so I started applying for art department work. Someone I contacted suggested I try JOBFIT (now FT2) and so I did. To get an interview was amazing, but to actually be offered a place was the turning point of my career."

Her advice to trainees is that "fundamentally, the trainee is there to learn as much as possible and quite often that is up to the individual. The crew won’t hand you experience on a plate: self motivation is essential to ask the right questions and encourage people to pass on their knowledge. FT2 gives you the opportunity to get into the industry, it's up to you to make the most of it!"

Her experience on the New Entrant Technical Training Programme was that "although I did several different jobs, I managed to stick out on two long running TV series both designed by the same guy, David McHenry. He subsequently became one of my best friends and we have worked together on & off ever since! I graduated from JOBFIT while working on a series of animated commercials. The company took me on as an assistant model maker and signed off my union application: I was just in on the last gasp of the closed shop. I moved into TV drama as an assistant art director and worked with David McHenry several times. I got the opportunity to art direct on one series when the original art director left and the designer promoted me halfway through the shoot. He then offered me work at "The Bill" as an episode designer where I found regular work for nearly 10 years. I also designed several children’s shows as well as art directing on bigger TV dramas. In the last few years I have worked predominantly on small feature films and quite often abroad."