Sion working on major TV drama being filmed in North Wales

Sion Thomas has landed a role on the crew of a major television show less than a year into his media course at Coleg Llandrillo.

The 25-year-old from Newborough has spent the last five weeks working on a huge HBO / Warner Bros drama currently being filmed in North Wales.

Sion cannot reveal the name of the show due to a non-disclosure agreement, but said it’s a “pretty big” production working with “amazing people”.

It is the second TV show he has worked on since returning to college last September to study Level 3 Media Production (TV and Film).

Earlier this year, Sion was hired to work as a production runner for Osprey Television on Ar Led, a show for S4C about sexual health awareness - an opportunity he came across through his course at the Rhos-on-Sea campus.

He then applied for the role with HBO / Warner Bros after learning about the vacancy through Skills Cymru.

Sion said: “I’m learning how to set up the lights, how to work on the cameras, and working with the assistant directors to make sure everything’s on set that needs to be for that shoot.

“It’s long hours and hard work but you’re always with amazing people - people who want to work, people who want to teach you. You’ve got to show what you can do, work hard and make as many connections as possible.”

He has balanced working on set with completing the first year of his studies at Coleg Llandrillo - and says the course was a huge help in helping him gain his first break in the industry.

“I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t come to college,” said Sion, who spent 10 years working for a builders’ merchant before returning to education.

“It’s a good course to go on because you can get a lot of opportunities, and great fun as well.

“It’s informative and I’ve had great tutors. They’ve helped me out quite a bit - they’ve been great giving me flexibility with deadlines and things like that, because of the opportunity they’d given me to work on an actual production.

“I decided I wanted to do something I loved, but if I’d tried to go straight into the industry, I’d have had no idea where to look. It was one of my tutors who told me about the opportunity at Osprey TV, and I also contacted Skills Cymru through college.

“For me the highlight was probably making the projects. We’d have a period of learning and then we’d have to do the project, and go out and film what we needed to film.

“I’m more of a hands-on type of person so I enjoyed the practical side the most, but it was also very interesting doing the research side as well, learning about how pre-production influences the production and post-production, and how everything comes together.

“There was terminology that I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t come to college, and what each department does, how they do it and why they do it. That side of it was quite good and it helped me a lot going on to work with HBO and Osprey TV.”

Asked for his advice to anyone looking to get into the film industry, Sion recommended following the same path as he did.

“I would probably tell them to go to college, because without college I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he said. “Whatever opportunity college can give you, whether it’s outside or inside of college, go for it, because you will always make contacts.

“A lot of this industry is word of mouth. You need to make an impression, otherwise people aren’t going to call you back for work. You’ve got to be quite extroverted and energetic and wanting to work.”

Sion is now applying for an apprenticeship with Warner Bros, which would give him invaluable experience of working on productions across the UK and beyond.

He has big ambitions for the future, saying: “My plan is to work my way up through the ranks of a camera department. Director of photography is the dream but you have to work hard to get there, so we’ll see what the future holds.”

Hannah Owens, creative media lecturer at Coleg Llandrillo, said Sion had “been outstanding throughout the year and shown real dedication”.

She added: “He came back into learning with drive and commitment and we believe he's a great example of success in further education and making the right steps into a career in media.”

Want to work in the TV and film industry? Grŵp Llandrillo Menai offers courses from Level 2 up to degree level, taught by professionally qualified staff with industry experience. Learn more here.