Bolton School Connect: Fireside Chat with Helen Bunker
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Do You Have a Physics Degree? Do You Want to Work in Film?
From Bolton School to Harry Potter, Marvel and The Oscars - join us for an exclusive fireside conversation about careers, creativity and lessons to our younger self.
Old Girl Helen Bunker née Nesbitt (Class of 1998) left Bolton School to study Physics and Astronomy at Durham University and a career in film was probably the last thing she imagined. Yet, after graduating in 2001, a job advert in the Media Guardian changed everything: “Do you have a physics degree? Do you want to work in film?”
Twenty-five years later, Helen is a highly experienced Senior Compositor in the visual effects industry, having worked on some of the biggest films and productions of recent decades. Her credits include four of the original Harry Potter films and Gravity, for which her team won an Oscar. Over the years she has worked directly with Netflix, Apple TV and Lucasfilm and most recently Marvel Studios. Along the way she has worked in London, Sydney and Edinburgh, moving between the worlds of science, technology, creativity and film.
Join us for a fireside chat where, in conversation with fellow Old Girl Katie Clinton, you will hear stories of how Helen has learnt how to handle the demands of her clients, accept creative feedback and navigated professional disappointment. She will explore the lessons behind a remarkable career: why getting the basics right really matters, how to know when to say yes - and when to say no, why feedback should never be taken personally and how letting go can sometimes be the key to moving forward.
Helen will reflect on her time at Bolton School: the experiences, habits and lessons that stay with us long after we leave school and what she might tell her younger self now; you get out what you put in!
From Bolton School to Harry Potter, Marvel and The Oscars - join us for an exclusive fireside conversation about careers, creativity and lessons to our younger self.
Old Girl Helen Bunker née Nesbitt (Class of 1998) left Bolton School to study Physics and Astronomy at Durham University and a career in film was probably the last thing she imagined. Yet, after graduating in 2001, a job advert in the Media Guardian changed everything: “Do you have a physics degree? Do you want to work in film?”
Twenty-five years later, Helen is a highly experienced Senior Compositor in the visual effects industry, having worked on some of the biggest films and productions of recent decades. Her credits include four of the original Harry Potter films and Gravity, for which her team won an Oscar. Over the years she has worked directly with Netflix, Apple TV and Lucasfilm and most recently Marvel Studios. Along the way she has worked in London, Sydney and Edinburgh, moving between the worlds of science, technology, creativity and film.
Join us for a fireside chat where, in conversation with fellow Old Girl Katie Clinton, you will hear stories of how Helen has learnt how to handle the demands of her clients, accept creative feedback and navigated professional disappointment. She will explore the lessons behind a remarkable career: why getting the basics right really matters, how to know when to say yes - and when to say no, why feedback should never be taken personally and how letting go can sometimes be the key to moving forward.
Helen will reflect on her time at Bolton School: the experiences, habits and lessons that stay with us long after we leave school and what she might tell her younger self now; you get out what you put in!