Ross Wilkes-Houghton
When Ross Wilkes-Houghton started his Film and Television Production course at Derby in 2012, he couldn’t have predicted that just over a decade later he would be part of an Oscar-winning team.
Ross was Sound Designer on An Irish Goodbye, which won the Best Live Action Short gong at the Academy Awards in March, after already receiving a BAFTA. Ross explains: “The film is about two Irish lads whose mum’s passed away. Just after the funeral they’re given a bucket list of things that she wanted to do. They complete the list with her ashes in a jar.”
The win, Ross says, was “a bit of a shock. It’s also a big honour – I didn’t expect to be on an Oscar-winning film so soon.”
It could have been two wins – he was also part of the team behind Ice Merchants, shortlisted for Best Animated Short Film, which was won by The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.
Focused approach
Ross discovered his passion for sound while studying at Derby. “Originally, I wanted to be a director or cinematographer like pretty much all Film students do when they first arrive. Before I came to Derby I’d worked on small features as a runner and had a little dabble into sound and sound recording. My lecturers could see I had a lot more interest in it than other students, so they encouraged me down that route. They told me I’d do well to focus my career rather than trying to do everything.”
His course helped him put his passion into practice. “I met and worked with some great people within the class. There was lots of professional-standard equipment we could hire out, so at the weekends we’d get a camera and make a short film – it might just be something goofy or funny – and then we’d screen it at QUAD. We also had opportunities through the course for experience working with businesses on corporate videos – I worked on one in Iceland, and also did some work for Derby County Football Club.”
Sound knowledge
Ross specialises in Foley, a technique named after its creator, sound effects artist Jack Foley. “It’s recreating sounds – footsteps, a door opening, cloth movements, that sort of thing. I also edit dialogue, making sure everyone can understand exactly what’s going on in the film.”
He does all of this in his home studio in Stoke-on-Trent: “It’s full of dirt, grass, wood, concrete – anything you could think of that I might use,” he says. “In An Irish Goodbye there’s a scene where they’re flying the jar of hot ashes with a bunch of balloons. My room was full of balloons as I tried to recreate the sound they make when they bump into each other.”
For Ross, creating sound starts with no sound. “I’ll watch the film almost silently and just build what’s missing. I create footsteps, cloth movements, smashing glass, then hopefully when we play it all back it’s seamless like it was all recorded together. Essentially, you’re painting the world in sound.”
Reaping rewards
Like many of us, Ross’s family takes the sound element of film for granted: “They just see film as a completed thing. They know what I’m doing but until the Oscars they didn’t really know what a big deal it is. They’re really proud though – I come from a working class background and have pretty much had to support myself, even through my studies at Derby and my masters at the National Film and Television School in London. For them, and for me, all the money and effort I put into it feels worth it.”
Ross already has a few more projects in the pipeline and has found there’s more interest in his work since the Oscar win. Looking further ahead, he’s still hungry for more BAFTA or Oscar success: “I’d love to win something specifically for sound, that’s still my goal. And then potentially launch my own sound production company, perhaps in Manchester where the industry is growing.”
His advice for anyone wanting to start in sound design or film production is “just go for it. Be confident, have your say, meet those contacts and go to film festivals. You never know where it could lead.”
Written by Heather Turley
Geoffrey Etule – getting the best out of people
As Chief People Officer for the Wye Valley NHS Trust in Hereford, Geoffrey Etule is responsible for HR and organisational development strategies impacting its 3,000 strong workforce.
It’s a wide-ranging role in a complex organisation, and his remit includes occupational health, payroll, workforce planning, library services, equality, diversity and inclusion, and education and development.
Geoffrey’s HR career began with an 18-month stint as a Personnel Assistant for a food manufacturing company. He then joined the NHS as an HR Officer in 2000 and began his journey through the ranks.
Before that, he studied a degree in BA (Hons) Human Resource Management and EU Studies.
He explains: “I have always believed that everyone can flourish and fulfil their potential if they are supported and nurtured in a positive and caring environment. This led to my interest in studying Human Resource Management as organisations can get the best out of people and attain their strategic objectives if they create the right culture through their HR practices, policies, and strategy.”
Life-long learning
Geoffrey’s lecturers emphasised the importance of continuous professional development, which has made him a fan of life-long learning. He also took full advantage of the extra-curricular activities on offer at Derby: “I enjoyed the variety of sporting events and went on trips around the UK with friends from the University. These activities supported my wellbeing and offered the opportunity to network with a host of other students on different courses. I am still in touch with some of my university friends to this day.”
Since graduating Geoffrey has spent most of his career at the NHS, a complex organisation that presents a range of daily challenges for Geoffrey and his team to overcome. “The past few years have been the most challenging for NHS employees largely due to severe operational pressures during and following the Covid-19 pandemic,” he explains. “Staff have been under enormous pressure dealing with a variety of patient-related activities, and mental health conditions are the major cause of high sickness absence at work.”
Mental wellbeing in the workplace is something that Geoffrey is passionate about. In addition to his role, he has also been involved with the Midlands Engine Mental Health Productivity Pilot, a partnership programme involving organisations across the Midlands which is managed by the University of Derby.
Providing support
“The Pilot has provided very useful support and guidance to our employees,” explains Geoffrey. “Over the past year alone we have been able to offer mental health awareness training to 65 line managers so they can enhance their knowledge and understanding of how to create a local culture that supports mental health and wellbeing in their departments. We have trained 95 individuals to act as mental health first aiders to support and signpost colleagues with a mental health condition, and trained more line managers and mental health first aiders to ensure continuous support for employees with mental health conditions.”
Geoffrey also works closely with the occupational health team at the Trust. They are working alongside clinical psychologists on a project looking at the psychological and emotional issues faced by employees. The project will be running for 12-14 months, with the outcomes set to inform a new health and wellbeing strategy.
Geoffrey believes that the key to success as a HR Director is to have “a lot of resilience, excellent communication and interpersonal skills and a firm belief in creating a fair environment where everyone can be developed to fulfil their potential. A good HR Director must have a sound understanding of the business requirements of the organisation and be able to demonstrate how people strategies can add value to the business. Having a sense of humour and not taking yourself too seriously also helps as work should be fun.”
Written by Bethany Parkes
.jpg)
