Richard Warden is a Canadian film producer based in Glasgow who regularly teaches producing and production management. After programming for the Renfrewshire version of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival for a number of years, Richard is now the national Film Curator.

For the most part, I’ll skip my first five non-film jobs, which include various tourism-related posts in my birthplace of Niagara Falls – a town where the circus never leaves! Running a ferris wheel when you’re 16 feels like a huge responsibility, but it’s nothing compared to the importance of handing out raincoats for the Maid of the Mist, the boat that travels to the base of the largest cataract. If I’d stayed in Niagara, I’m certain I would’ve continued my rise through the hometown ranks to be mayor now instead of my high school chum… he was merely selling snack cakes back then.

Volunteer – Toronto International Film Festival:
Almost exclusively, this involved moving chairs and people around an industry forum. The biggest thrill was meeting Bob Geldof, who delivered the keynote address (I still have the speaking notes he left behind buried among my possessions somewhere). While the work was mostly unremarkable, the connections made at the event led to my first paid employment in Toronto, so I’ve appreciated the potential inherent in volunteering ever since. Good thing, as much of my film work has turned out to be that, whether intended or not!

Executive Assistant – Canadian Film Centre:
I had the good fortune to assist a producer who was overseeing Canada’s national film school at the time. He was very generous with what he had learned ‘in the trenches’ of independent filmmaking, which greatly eased my first forays.

Programme Coordinator – Canadian Film Centre:
A second role at the Centre allowed me countless opportunities to observe Canadian and international film talent at the peak of their game. Many years later, I continue to be inspired by the creative bravery I witnessed there.

Production Coordinator:
An unpaid position on a short drama offered invaluable insights regarding how to lead a film project. It was a trial by fire, having not worked my way up via production assistant and production secretary gigs, as is often the case. However, having survived it gave me the confidence to leap into producing.

Producer:
Four shorts, three feature-length films, and I’m still at it – my fifth film job continues. I love the variety of doing other things as well. Teaching requires me to organise and better understand what I’ve learnt along the way. And being Film Curator for the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival is not only an honour given the important work it does, but also keeps me on my toes as a filmmaker. Many of the films I have the pleasure of viewing challenge me to improve my own craft, as well as to see things in new and exciting ways.

With over 300 events across Scotland from 1 – 19 October, you can find out more about this year’s Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival on Central Station here.

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We’ve asked professionals in creative industries what jobs they have had in the past to get their foot through the door (or at least pay the rent). For more in the “My First 5 Jobs” series look here.

Scotmid Shop Assistant
Well, with no experience you’ve got to start somewhere – I was 15 and living round the corner from Scotmid. One day I walked in and offered my services for a measly £2.20 an hour. It was the start of a long line of part-time retail jobs seeing me through school and Uni. I still see my old colleagues when I go back home to my parents as some of them never left.

English Language Teacher – Prague   
A teen fascination with Eastern Europe led me to Prague where I taught conversational English in a high school. I had just left high school myself and was the same age as most of my students, we used to go to the pub together after class. I was paid £100 per month and had a room on the 4th floor of the school next to the classrooms and a burly Slovakian janitor. Sometimes I’d sleep in and would have to dash across the corridor to the shower without the pupils seeing me! In my free time I travelled as much as possible – safe to say my wanderlust had begun. After Uni, I taught English in Akita, Japan for 2 years, then in Barcelona before returning to a language school back home in Scotland.

Front of House Assistant – Santa Barbara Film Festival
After 4 years teaching English, I was itching for a new challenge. I found myself on an extended holiday in California and volunteered at a local film festival. What an eye opener! I met fellow film geeks who I could chat at length with about obscure foreign movies and documentaries and crammed in as many free films as I could.  Until then it had never occurred to me that this could be a possible career path. I quickly became hooked…

Guest Assistant – Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF)
When I got back home I applied anywhere and everywhere for festival jobs. Most were short-term and initially unpaid but I eventually managed to quit teaching. My first internship was as a Guest Assistant for EIFF where I coordinated travel and accommodation for filmmaker guests. This was a great way to get in – Edinburgh was where my knowledge of what it takes to put on a big film event really began. Festivals are so fast-paced that even 3 months work can seem like 6 and your job title never quite encompasses all that you do. You feed off adrenalin and team work. I went back to various jobs at EIFF over 4 consecutive years, eventually moving into the Industry and Talent Development side where my interest lies, in between short stints at various other festivals.

Guest Representative at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
Skipping ahead a little, one of my more significant career breaks was when I headed West. My travel bug returned so I began juggling visa and job applications – lucky for me my Canadian visa came through just days before I got a call to join the TIFF team. Toronto was an incredible experience – a big budget Festival with some of the most fun employees you could ever hope to meet. One of my highlights was taking down Isabella Rosellini’s credit card details over the phone (THAT VOICE!) as my colleague danced excitedly in the background and I struggled to keep a straight face. I wound up staying in town for a year, volunteering at a number of smaller film festivals and on film shoots, before landing a really interesting job assisting with the Hot Docs Forum – a large pitching forum for documentary filmmakers.

With Festival work you never quite know where your next wage slip is coming from – it’s frequent bouts of unemployment punctuated by intense pressure, overflowing inboxes and late nights… but it certainly keeps you on your toes – and there are plenty of free films! I don’t think I could do my current job without the experience gained in the jobs I’ve mentioned – working with different personalities, thinking on my feet, keeping a cool head and adapting to new working environments are all skills I’ve honed along the way!

Photographer – Santiago Marin

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We’ve asked professionals in creative industries what jobs they have had in the past to get their foot through the door (or at least pay the rent). For more in the “My First 5 Jobs” series look here.