Arrows in Flight with Olivia Ray

After the triumph that was the first ever Young Arrows we are super hyped for this second year. We can talk about the benefits of recognising young talent until the cows come home, but who better to tell you why than our inaugural winners. Next up is Olivia Ray. 

Q> Why did you / your company enter you in the Young Arrows?

Olivia> It was a surprise actually haha. Our commercial director at the time thought it would be a nice idea to put someone forward from production and voila! We decided to submit British Heart Foundation as it was such a lovely piece of work but was no small feat production wise. 

Q> What did you think about being entered?

Olivia> I was really stoked! It was lovely to be acknowledged for the work I'd done since I'd only been in the UK for about a year at that point.  

Q> How did it feel to win? Did you expect to win?!

Olivia> I think the obvious answer here is that it felt great! I mean I think I nearly tripped going up the stairs, so no, I didn't expect it. I was pleasantly surprised as it was quite a competitive category. 

Q> Has winning had any impact on your career / career decisions?

Olivia> I keep the award on my desk actually and not a day goes by that a colleague or client doesn't pick it up to play with it. In all seriousness, it reminded me how important the role of production plays. Sometimes it can be a thankless job, so it's lovely to know that people appreciate it for what it is. It's also motivated me to relay that to my team: that they deserve respect, their job is vital to the process, and that producing is a real skill!   

Q> What do you think the benefits are of giving young talent opportunities in this way?

Olivia> I think it does wonders for one's confidence. After all, it's tough starting out! Being new at anything is daunting and often one can get stuck overthinking their mistakes or marvelling at just how much they haven't learned or don't know yet, so having an opportunity where they can display their work and be acknowledged for their craft can help bat the doubts away and keep them staying the course.

Q> What are your career goals?

Olivia> I'd love to be executive producer / managing director somewhere at some point some day ;) 

Q> What would you say to someone thinking of entering this year?

Olivia> Definitely do it! Shoot your shot, if you don't try you'll never know!