Harold Chapman
Current Employer/Organisation Name
Freelance
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
I went to film school afterwards and studied art directing at the Northern School of Film and TV and the Netherlands Film Academy. Since then, I have worked as an art director and production designer on feature films, documentaries, docu-dramas, commercials, music videos and short films. I have also developed a secondary career as a writer and director of my own films. My films have screened at over 100 international film festivals and have won over 20 prizes, including a longlist for a BAFTA. I also write outside of film – short stories, reviews, travel pieces, character sketches. I have just finished my first book.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
I thought it would be dynamic, interesting and varied. It has been all those things, and you get to work with a constantly shifting, growing group of very talented people.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
It balanced a creative side with an academic side, and I had two campuses – the university campus and also the art college, which was part of Plymouth University.
What did you most enjoy about studying here?
I made many fantastic friends, the social side was great, and Exeter is in a very beautiful part of the country with amazing beaches and countryside. My degree also set me up for what I was going to do professionally.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
It offered the degree I wanted and had a very good reputation.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
I still draw heavily from both sides of my course – the amazing literature that I studied and the creative freedom I had at art school.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Financially, it is precarious, so you have to persevere even through the hard times, and try to develop different income streams to sustain yourself.
What are your plans for the future?
To keep going and keep developing my own projects.
