Before applying to Make My Mark, Isaac already had aspirations be a film-maker and producer. He had made a few small documentaries and was clear about his next steps, but he couldn’t afford to buy the equipment he needed to create the content and films he wanted to make.

Isaac heard about Make My Mark through Peabody as he had been on the Peabody Young Voices scheme. This scheme had given him some money to shoot a film; a documentary series on London’s working-class youth to showcase their talents in a positive light. His understanding was that Make My Mark helped young people to make a difference, whether that was for themselves or for people around them, by putting some funding and a mentor around them to help them grow.

Isaac felt this was the perfect opportunity to fund the equipment he needed to further his career. He found the application process to be interesting and engaging and that it was a good place to connect with other people. During the funding event, he pitched his passion for community story-telling and explained how he wanted to pursue his career and how Make My Mark could help him get there.

Isaac’s application was successful and he was awarded money to cover the costs of equipment including a laptop to edit the projects as well as a variety of other film equipment. He also got a mentor from the creative industry who spoke to him about what he had done and what he wanted to achieve. Isaac found this to be a helpful experience as it allowed him to reflect on his journey.

Since Isaac received Make My Mark funding he has progressed far in his career. He has recently finished working on productions for major TV and streaming channels. He feels that this work came as a direct result of winning the Make My Mark award as it sparked a positive chain of events: having the right equipment meant that his confidence in his abilities grew, he was able to shoot more projects, meet more people and expand his network, so more people saw his abilities and offered him work.

This experience has shaped Isaac’s decision to go to university to study Film Studies to improve his position in the industry even further.