"What do you do after failing every exam at school? The answer - nothing. So after nine months of lazing around I started to work in a local factory. At first it was exciting to be earning cash and drinking it away faster than I was getting paid with a young man having fun who knew he was better than this. James Bond captivated me the previous summer and drew me to the world of film making. I watched documentaries on film making and researched directors work like Martin Scorsese.
I wanted to become a film maker, not for the money but for the magic of the industry. I would think about it most minutes of each day but I didn't have a clue about how to peruse it. Come on I was just a factory worker yet I kept dreaming. At first my mates offered me little advise, some were supportive, most just assured me I had no chance, they fired comments like, "Stop dreaming!" and, "Who do you think you are, Spielberg?" then, during a conversation with my mates Dad, he inspired me to join a short course in Brighton by advising me, "if you reach for the moon, there's always a star to grab"
Brighton was another reality check. I was baffled by jargon and surrounded by people cleverer than me. Nevertheless, I still felt I could do it but my confidence still held me back. Then I attended another short course at England Film Studios. This time I left with a more positive attitude and hunger to succeed. Now I am on Yale's moving image course and it's clear where I am going. Can this lager loving, football mad, factory worker become a hit in Hollywood? Will I ever make films? Guess what, I just have!"
Carl Roberts
