What a Weekend. A Masterclass at Elstree Film Studio
My alarm went off at 4am.
When something genuinely excites you, early starts don’t feel like a hardship. They feel like the beginning of something good.
I was at Elstree Film Studios by 8.30am for the Buzz Talent Model Masterclass. Fifty of us in the room, ages ranging from eighteen to the eighties. I loved that. I really did.
A Studio With a Few Stories Up Its Sleeve
If you have never been, Elstree is something else. Did you know that film production has been happening on that site since 1914? Laurence Olivier walked those corridors and so did Charles Laughton, the actor who played The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Henry VIII.
Star Wars was filmed there. Indiana Jones. The Shining. Even the Bohemian Rhapsody music video was shot there. As one film historian once said, “Elstree, a little town in Hertfordshire, had outpaced Hollywood and the rest of the world.”
So simply being there, walking through those doors on a grey Saturday morning, felt rather special. Before the day had even begun.
The Day Itself
We went through until 3.30pm. Seven fun and interesting hours. And not once did I look at my watch.
The casting director was Vicki Lou, who was warm and sharp. At one point she complimented my outfit. I had chosen jeans, a jacket and boots. Casual, but considered. Everything was matching. I have always believed that how you show up matters, not as vanity, but as respect. Respect for the occasion, and for yourself, of course.
The day was run by Buzz Talent, whose motto I rather like. Learn. Grow. Get Discovered. Four words that say everything, really.
And then there was Helen, founder of Buzz Talent. I want to say something about Helen, because she is one of those people who celebrates others. She works tirelessly, gives generously, and has this wonderful ability to make you feel that who you are is just as important as what you do. Spending time with her was and is always a privilege. She is the kind of person who makes the world a little better just by being in it.
The day ended with a photo shoot. You can see the results in the snaps I have shared here. I was buzzing all day, learning, laughing, listening, doing and having fun from start to finish.
Now, a Question for You
The average life expectancy in the UK today is around 81 years. I am 85.
What that says is that there is no finish line where you think there is. There are opportunities available to us right up until our final chapter. And I refuse to sit in a chair waiting for mine to run out.
I invest in my training because I want to represent brands properly. I want to do the work well. That has been my approach throughout my career, and it doesn’t change now. Why would it?
The Thing I Always Come Back To
Do your preparation. I research before I walk into any room. I had done my homework before Saturday, and it meant I could be present and get the most from the day.
It is also this. You only learn by doing. You don’t know what you are capable of until you try something. That is where your real learning lives.
And it has never been easier to try. Training is available online, in person, in every format imaginable. You can travel to it, sit in a room with others, or learn from your kitchen table. There is no excuse, and I say that kindly. The door is wide open. All you have to do is to walk through it.
Never forfeit an opportunity to learn. Because you never know where you might end up. I had absolutely no idea that one day I’d be having the time of my life studying modelling at Elstree Studios. But there I was.
Life really does surprise you, if you let it.
