Bukola Bakinson
BA Film & Television Production, 2021
WRITER & FILMMAKER
“I never thought I would do a degree because I felt like I knew what I was doing as a filmmaker, however my degree added depth to my understanding of different approaches and styles of filmmaking and refined my craft as a writer.”
Bukola Bakinson is a writer and award-winning filmmaker; crafts she was already developing before she decided to go to university. As Bukola explains, undertaking a degree “was a decision I made to widen my scope and understanding of filmmaking styles and approaches, and to build a network of creative individuals who are keen on creating important and interesting content.”
Bukola started a programme at Birkbeck University, transferring to Greenwich for the final year. This was because the modules on offer at Greenwich were more aligned to Bukola’s interests, the practice of filmmaking, rather than the theory.
During her time at Greenwich, Bukola was able to access counselling and a bursary to support her studies, meaning she could better manage her time and focus on her studies. While she wasn’t involved directly in any societies, she was aware of both The Innocence Project London and The Afro-Caribbean Society and was in full support of the space they created for students.
After completing her degree, Bukola sought entry-level positions in the film and TV industry. “I initially started applying for production schemes aimed at graduates and spent a lot of time going through the application processes. I would get to interview stages but, nothing came through.”
Adamant that she wanted to gain more experience in the industry, Bukola managed to get her CV in front of a talent manager who interviewed her for a junior researcher role. “After 13 months of looking for work, I finally landed my first gig at Wall to Wall Productions. I now know to aim for talent managers when looking for future work!”
In April 2022, Bukola’s short film, No Comprendo, was named Best Documentary at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London Student TV Awards. The film, which looks at whether language and culture used in the criminal justice system works in multicultural Britain, is Bukola’s proudest achievement to date. “It is a bittersweet achievement because the problems explored in the documentary film still exist.”
When speaking about her experience producing the film, Bukola remarks that “I found translating people’s experiences off-screen to on-screen came naturally and was quite organic; probably because it’s a story that needs to be told. I also found that a 15-minute short film on such an important topic was not enough because there are many layers to the issues in the criminal justice system.” No Comprendo was shown as part of the Women of the Lens Film Festival and was selected for two other international film festivals: the British Urban Film Festival and The Documentary Filmmaker Showcase.
Reflecting on her journey so far, Bukola asserts that while her degree is “the proof that I’ve got what it takes” to be a filmmaker, it’s what she does subsequently that matters. For budding filmmakers and those thinking about university, her advice is to make sure you choose to study for the right reasons: “don’t just do a degree for the sake of having a graduate status or a certificate at the end, have an idea of how you will use your degree to make it work for you.”
Bukola Bakinson
BA Film & Television Production, 2021
WRITER & FILMMAKER
“I never thought I would do a degree because I felt like I knew what I was doing as a filmmaker, however my degree added depth to my understanding of different approaches and styles of filmmaking and refined my craft as a writer.”
Bukola Bakinson is a writer and award-winning filmmaker; crafts she was already developing before she decided to go to university. As Bukola explains, undertaking a degree “was a decision I made to widen my scope and understanding of filmmaking styles and approaches, and to build a network of creative individuals who are keen on creating important and interesting content.”
Bukola started a programme at Birkbeck University, transferring to Greenwich for the final year. This was because the modules on offer at Greenwich were more aligned to Bukola’s interests, the practice of filmmaking, rather than the theory.
During her time at Greenwich, Bukola was able to access counselling and a bursary to support her studies, meaning she could better manage her time and focus on her studies. While she wasn’t involved directly in any societies, she was aware of both The Innocence Project London and The Afro-Caribbean Society and was in full support of the space they created for students.
Since completing her degree, Bukola was seeking entry-level positions in the film and TV industry. “I initially started applying for production schemes aimed at graduates and spent a lot of time going through the application processes. I would get to interview stages but, nothing came through.”
Adamant that she wanted to gain more experience in the industry, Bukola managed to get her CV in front of a talent manager who interviewed her for a junior researcher role. “After 13 months of looking for work, I finally landed my first gig at Wall to Wall Productions. I now know to aim for talent managers when looking for future work!”
In April 2022, Bukola’s short film, No Comprendo, was named Best Documentary at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London Student TV Awards. The film, which looks at whether language and culture used in the criminal justice system works in multicultural Britain, is Bukola’s proudest achievement to date. “It is a bittersweet achievement because the problems explored in the documentary film still exist.”
When speaking about her experience producing the film, Bukola remarks that “I found translating people’s experiences off-screen to on-screen came naturally and was quite organic; probably because it’s a story that needs to be told. I also found that a 15-minute short film on such an important topic was not enough because there are many layers to the issues in the criminal justice system.” No Comprendo was shown as part of the Women of the Lens Film Festival and was selected for two other international film festivals: the British Urban Film Festival and The Documentary Filmmaker Showcase.
Reflecting on her journey so far, Bukola asserts that while her degree is “the proof that I’ve got what it takes” to be a filmmaker, it’s what she does subsequently that matters. For budding filmmakers and those thinking about university, her advice is to make sure you choose to study for the right reasons: “don’t just do a degree for the sake of having a graduate status or a certificate at the end, have an idea of how you will use your degree to make it work for you.”
