Chaitanya Amrutkar joined us while studying for his MSc in Digital Media Production (2023–24) as a videographer and video editor. Chaitanya played a key role in capturing the energy and spirit of sport at Oxford Brookes. From BUCS Wednesday fixtures and championship events to training sessions, he created engaging content for our social media channels that showcased the dedication, passion and personality of our athletes.
With a love for both filming and sport, Chaitanya thrived in a role that allowed him to document unforgettable moments, explore a wide range of sports, and meet the incredible individuals who make up our community.
We caught up with Chaitanya after he finished h degree to find out more about his experience.
Before working at Brookes Sport, what was your background in sport/physical activity and videography? Why were you interested in working with Brookes Sport?
I have always had a sports background since my childhood. I was put into competitive swimming at a young age and then later switched to speed skating during school. Later I got into a bit of football, and currently I am in love with rock climbing. I got into videography and film when I completed my first master's degree in a completely different field but later wanted to pursue media production full-time, as it was something I was passionate about, and hence the decision to study at OBU.
I was working as a digital media executive in a marketing agency before moving to the UK, and when I saw that there was a similar role at Brookes Sport, I could not pass up the opportunity. I knew I could do justice to the role, as I had previous experience in both fields, and the fact that I would get to cover sports events and so much more is something that I always wanted to try at least.
What previous experiences did you have working or participating in sport and videography before your time with Brookes Sport?
I competed at the national and state levels in both swimming and skating. I was part of school football. And later, when I did not play any competitive sports, I got into rock climbing as an adventure sport activity.
I was always making videos with my phone, be it travel, adventure or just anything random and cool. I love capturing moments and making a compelling video out of them. I pretty much taught myself how to edit videos via YouTube and kept getting better at it. Eventually I wanted video editing to be the thing I wanted to pursue professionally, so I decided to do a master's in digital media production here at Brookes.
I got the opportunity to work for Brookes Sports as a videographer via Emma, and since my day one, I have absolutely loved working and making content for Brookes Sport. Emma gave me the creative freedom to absolutely make any kind of videos I wanted and supported my ideas through and through. It was so lovely working under the guidance of Emma, who allowed my creativity to flow, making me push my limits in terms of video editing. I got to connect with so many different people, be they staff, coaches or student athletes, and got to learn one thing or another from each of them.
It was a perfect scenario, as the BUCS events took place on Wednesday, the only day I had no lectures most of the time. While working with Brookes Sport team, I also got various opportunities to travel with teams and also got to experience the university-level rivalries through varsity matches. Experiencing the rich sport culture the UK has to offer, even at the uni level, was the highlight of this job.
This part-time job and the work experience I got will add a lot more to my portfolio. Sports coverage and sports media is a vast industry where every bit of experience can help you land a job.
Working as a videographer and video editor for Brookes Sports allowed me to expand my portfolio and knowledge when it comes to capturing various sports, making an engaging edit with a bit of storytelling to it.
As mentioned, getting to experience the UK competitive sport culture at university level, getting to film and edit sports media whilst travelling with various teams, the highs and lows of varsity matches and more were some of the things I enjoyed whilst working at Brookes Sport.
I got to learn so many things, such as sports news coverage and the rich history of sports at Brookes. It also helped me make better edits and improved my filming capabilities while capturing sports.
Firstly, you should be passionate about sports and everything that comes with them.
Purely based on skills, I would say that you need a stable hand for filming, creativity when it comes to putting together an edit, pre-planning your shoot and the ability to push yourself just a tad bit extra for those good shots, good edits and good sound designs.
What advice would you give to current Oxford Brookes students looking to have a career in videography?
I would encourage anyone with a passion for video editing, filmmaking or just general media production to always keep practising and flourishing your art. Keep at it, make your own unique style of doing things, do not settle for less and always aim higher.
I started my journey at Brookes and the course has been fantastic so far. I have gained new skills, better knowledge and most importantly, hands-on experience to apply my skills at Brookes Sport. Hopefully, it will encourage future students to venture into the field of media and film.