Ed de Carvalho (Fr 2010) is a Director at Crater which is a visual content agency based in Sydney and London offering film, production, photography, design and animation services. Ed provides us with an insight into his industry and how COVID-19 has affected his work, in addition to sharing his memories of College and providing advice for young Androvians.
Please tell us a bit about yourself, where are you from originally and where did you grow up?
I’m pretty much a Sydney guy through and through but have had stints in Canberra in my youth. I went to Sydney Grammar School and found a passion for sport and film whilst being there.
Why did you choose to reside at St Andrew’s College?
Choosing to reside at St Andrew’s College was both a desire and a necessity. I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to attend St Andrew’s as it wasn’t financially viable at the time. Whilst being a place to live, St Andrew’s offered the perfect combination of meeting new people, having more time to focus on my degree and really get stuck in to my rowing career all at the same time.
What parts of College life were you involved in?
It’s hard not to be immersed into all of college life when you’re there. From the St Andrew’s traditions to the sporting events, it was all an amazing experience.
Tell us a bit more about your current role at Crater!
At Crater we do a mix of branded content, short films and music videos. As a Director, I’m involved and /or lead all ends of production from creating treatments for videos to being on set for long days. Production often requires for someone to do many roles, so sometimes find my self also doing some post-production things like editing or motion graphics as well. In 2021 I’ll be moving on from Crater to do more freelance work and try to promote myself as an individual/director.
What were your motivations for pursuing a career in the film & visual media industry?
I’ve always been fascinated in film and technology from a young age and still remember holding a video camera at the age of 12 and making films with my sister. There is something about films that can make an audience feel a whole range of emotions and that is really powerful. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of bring a smile to someone’s face through film.
What has been your favourite campaign to shoot thus far?
My favourite campaign so far would have to be for NOCCO, a European energy drink. A crew of 5 of us went to Hong Kong for 5 days to chase athletes around the City’s most unique spots. The end result is a heart pumping and fast paced 60 second piece to promote the brand.
What are some of the challenges of your job?
There are lot’s of challenges from early mornings to demanding clients. When you enjoy your job then the challenges are so hard!
How has your work been impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic?
Yes, we had a very slow 5 months in the middle of the year as businesses put a tight hold on their advertising budgets and restrictions meant smaller crews for smaller productions.
Where do you see your career taking you in 10 years’ time?
I’d love to get more into narrative film making and feature films. Something on the big screen for a large audience to see would be amazing.