Reflecting on My Placement Year as a Content Lead

Stepping into the world of a startup might not be what you picture when you think of a typical office job. You won’t walk into a Google-style office with bean bags and smoothie bars. You’ll walk into a creative war room, where ideas fly faster than emails and where no one’s waiting around to tell you what to do. You create. You lead. You mess up. You learn. You do it again. That’s what my placement year at 1830 Crew taught me, and here’s how it went.

CHAPTER 1: The Law Student Who Jumped Ship

I was studying Law at Aston University when I took a wild left turn into content creation. Not exactly your textbook placement year.

No roadmap. No guide. Just an opportunity to join a wildly creative team, and then I was thrown straight into the deep end.

One of my first moves? Pitching a film.

CHAPTER 2: Making “Inspired by Brum” - A Cinematic Leap with Canon's Support

I’ve always loved storytelling. So I pitched an idea: a short film that blends cinematic flair with the soul of Birmingham. We called it Inspired by Brum.

We wrote it, directed it, shot it across the city using Canon’s Cinema Line (shoutout Canon UK for backing us), and told the story of an artist reigniting her creativity through the city’s streets.

Result? The film went on to be nominated among the Top 50 finalists at the 5th ColoPro Awards by ViewSonic and was later officially selected by the Lift-Off Global Network: Sessions. That was the moment I felt the creative spark turn into real-world fire.

CHAPTER 3: Taking on responsibility for delivering quality content for Leeds University Union

Next came Leeds. We were tasked with producing content for Welcome Week, one of the biggest student experience campaigns for student unions in their academic year. This is when I stepped into a new role, not just executing, but managing in some areas. From mapping project timelines on Milanote to structuring content goals, filming and editing, I was in the control room.

And the results? Wild.

• Followers jumped from 32.3k to 34.2k within weeks.

• Reach skyrocketed by 700%.

• A reel with their CEO hit 40k+ views and started a trend amongst SU circles.

• A Welcome Fair photo post smashed 900+ likes, their highest ever.

• Welcome Week Reels averaged 15k+ views.

Numbers like that don’t just happen. They’re the by-product of a crew that works like a synced-up machine, with startup chaos and creative energy driving every pixel and maybe a Red Bull every day. This project was a testament to how proactive leadership, pre-production, and a deep understanding of the target audience can translate into concrete, measurable success.

CHAPTER 4: 50 Hours. One Shot. No Sleep.

We had an ambition of disrupting industry norms, so we aimed for something very uncommon: to turn high-quality content in 50 hours, not weeks. When the BCU Students’ Union handed us a brief, we promised them a full-scale highlight video and Instagram reel, all within 50 hours. Wild, right?

As Content Lead, I led a 3 person crew, from music curation and visual planning to goal-setting and managing every moving part of the shoot, which involved covering a full-day event with over 6,000 attendees. 

The client? Blown away. Because clarity, speed, and hustle = results.

CHAPTER 5: Varsity at Warwick — Big Grounds, Tight Crew

Next up was Warwick SU’s Varsity event, a massive inter-university sporting competition spread across a large, diverse campus. Again, I wore the hat of both Content Lead and Producer. The job? Plan. Shoot. Edit. Repeat. We as a team made sure to visit the site before the event to plan out locations, map out key fixtures, and strategise our filming approach for the day. 

To ensure the client had full assurance even before we stepped out to film, I created detailed mood boards and visual ideas showcasing exactly what we would be executing on the day and how the final results might look. 

A key strategic decision for Varsity was to keep the team smaller and our equipment minimal. Given the extensive size of the site and the numerous events unfolding in different locations, expanding our filming kits would have made it incredibly difficult to move efficiently and capture everything.

The result? Final video delivered within 50 hours again, and the client liked our rough cut so much that they posted it immediately.

CHAPTER 6: The Human Side, Growth Beyond the Grind

My year at 1830 Crew wasn't just about deadlines and deliverables; it was about building connections and experiencing life beyond the office. Amidst the intense project work, we found time for unforgettable adventures that cemented our team bond and made the entire experience richer.

Late Night Drives & Team Dinners: Building the Crew's Core

Some of our best ideas weren’t born in meetings; rather, they sparked during midnight drives with music blasting and zero pressure. Those impromptu escapes helped us reset, reflect, and reconnect.

And when the grind got heavy, we broke bread literally. Team dinners weren’t “planned socials,” they were earned resets. Sometimes quick takeout. Sometimes hours of banter and breakdowns (of ideas, not people... usually). It was real, unfiltered bonding, the kind that turns coworkers into a crew.

MadFest 2024: Unleashing Our Inner Kids

One of the absolute highlights was our trip to MadFest 2024. Imagine a day filled with talks from real leaders, free drinks and food, free goodies, and an electric atmosphere. It was the perfect antidote to intense work periods. It was a powerful reminder that even in the most demanding roles, it's essential to step away, recharge, and enjoy the moments of pure fun. Experiences like MadFest weren't just perks; it was an opportunity to motivate us as a team.

The Startup Hustle - No 9-5, All-In Mindset

Let’s talk real. Working at a startup like 1830 Crew is not for the weak-hearted. It’s not a cosy 9-5. More often than not, it’s 5 to 9 pm, followed by more edits at midnight and brainstorms over voice notes. You wear 10 hats. You’re not just the videographer, but you’re the editor, the strategist, the runner, the problem solver. Some days, you’ll crush it. Other days, you’ll miss the mark. But every single day, you’ll grow.

I’ve made mistakes. Plenty. But every slip was a stepping stone. The leadership here, especially in a small crew, gives you space to fall and the chance to rise stronger.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Join the 1830 Crew on a Placement Year

If you're a university student thinking of applying for a placement, let me be clear: Don’t pick a role where you’ll be invisible. Pick one where you’ll be undeniable.

1830 Crew isn’t your typical agency. It’s a startup of believers. Believers in creativity. Believers in hustle. Believers in each other. If you’ve got fire, they’ll hand you fuel.

This isn’t about making content for the sake of it. It’s about creating content that means something. Content that moves people. That earns awards. That lands you on cricket pitches, in film festivals, and deep in the heartbeat of the UK’s student culture.

TL;DR, If You’re Still Scrolling:

• You’ll learn more in a month here than in a year anywhere else

• You’ll be pushed to your limits and thank yourself later for it

• You’ll build a portfolio that gets noticed across industries

• You’ll become a creative weapon, not just another intern

So if you're ready to work your ass off, to chase big dreams through even bigger late nights, then 1830 Crew is where you want to be.

It’s more than just a placement. It’s an investment in your future, a proving ground for your passion, and a launchpad for your creative career. Are you ready to make your mark?