My name is Rico-Johnson Sinclair, and it sounds a lot posher that I actually am. I think it is important to be vulnerable and honest for all the people who look at an organisation like Warner Bros. Discovery like it's an unattainable goal, for those that dream of a career in film but feel like the barriers to success are insurmountable.

What do I do? I work as the Director of CrewHQ.

For those of you who don't know what CrewHQ is; we are a skills and training centre that aims to progress the industry and create a sustainable and equitable pipeline into below-the-line roles in production (not including writer, director, producer, on-screen talent, or stunts), driven by positive cultures. We provide opportunities in entry-level roles for those who have had less than a year of experience in production, or none at all. We host trainings and programmes to help the existing crew progress in their careers, and upskill the HODs (heads of department) on culture, diversity and inclusion.

It's a big job, but luckily, I don't do it alone. I have the help and support of my amazing team who are incredibly skilled, knowledgeable, hard-working and commited, as well as the support of the wider organisation and the studio.

My journey to this role was full of peaks and troughs.

I studied in London, I learnt a lot, but not all of it was useful to my career. I think what was most useful was learning how to teach myself. In my second year, I was suffering from poor mental health. After about a year of treatment in London, a mix of mental health issues and lack of funds to continue living in London, I became homeless. It was a difficult time.

After a while, and after receiving secure housing, I was better enough that I was ready to start thinking about working but was still unsure if I could work full time, so I volunteered for 17 different art organisations in Birmingham, to test the waters. After a year of success with that, I was ready to think about employment, but in Birmingham, there was simply no access to production and very few film organisations. I was lucky enough to get a place on a programme called FEDS, run by the Independent Cinema Office, which gave me my first role in film. From there I worked across film exhibition, programmed films for festivals around the world, developed works from talented UK filmmakers as a producer, wrote and directed a BFI-funded short film, and worked to develop anti-racist practices with key European institutions and festivals.

I think often about how a function like CrewHQ's Trainee Programme could have changed my trajectory, but I'm very proud of my career. I'm especially proud that I didn't give up on myself and fought to make my dreams a reality.

So what does an average day for me look like in my job?

It sounds cliche, but no two days are the same. There are always the same ambitions and goals in the work but different projects that run at different points during the year.

Careers Day: The Franchise

Shot at Warner Bros. Studio Leavesden, The Franchise follows a dysfunctional superhero franchise that's embroiled in chaos, disorder and comedy. Depicting some very honest realities of below-the-line production, it's an exceptional series directed by Sam Mendes. We had the honour of showing two episodes exclusively to those interested in working in film from all over the UK, from Scotland, to Machester, and my hometown, Birmingham.

We were joined by some of the key crew responsible for the production and trainees from our programme - it was an unforgettable day for a lot of the attendees. There were workshops on costume and production, as well as hot dogs, which is always a plus.

6.30 - 8.00

Breaking convention for production - I don't actually drive. I come from a low-income background and actually left the family home in my early teens, so by the time I was of age to drive, it wasn't really my priority. Since then, I've always lived in cities with good access to public transport. It was a huge barrier to roles in production. Historically, it's been expected that people working in production drive. And whilst I understand the need when working in remote locations, at the studio we've taken steps to improve access with a shuttle bus that runs regularly between Watford Junction Station and the studio. I live in central London though, so the commute is an hour and a half each way though. After a quick breakfast, I embark on my quest.

8.00 - 8.30

I arrive a little earlier than normal today for two reasons: One there is a huge event happening at the studio, and two, I need to freshen up before the big day. We're really lucky at the studios, as we have a range of facilities that makes it easier to maintain positive and healthy routines. We have a barber, a state-of-the-art gym, childcare facilities, a wellbeing room, and much, much more. This morning I had to get a fresh trim. This is Guido, my new barber.

9.00 - 11.30

I tackled some emails and took a Zoom call while my colleagues prepped and delivered the first part of the day, before heading over the L Stage to see the event come to life. Attendees were already deep into episode one of The Franchise, but I caught up with a teammate, Michael, about progress and the vibe of the audience. Michael had actually built a screening room on L Stage from scratch - an impressive feat.

11.30 - 13.30

I caught up with one of my first bosses in film, and now a long-time friend, Amy Smart. She was a great manager and taught me what a positive work environment should look like, and inspired me to build a queer film festival in Birmingham. Then, I whizzed back to the office in our brand new CrewHQ buggy for a quick catch up!

After that, I grabbed some lunch and orange juice and spoke to the attendees of the event about planning for a career in film production and freelancing. I also highlighted that I believe you can make a good living working in film production.

13.30 - 14.30

I spent some time in the workshops and observed the detailed costumes for the production and heard from the department working on The Franchise about the process of building the outfits for the characters, as well as the research and development that went into it. Did you know that, often, the prints you see on costumes are made specifically for the production? Often screen printed, these fabric prints are one of one that exist in the world!

14.30 - 15.30

Ready for my close up! I took to the stage to host a panel with some of the trainees that worked on The Franchise about their experiences, what they learnt and what they've been up to since. These trainees bagged their first film credit on an HBO show - how incredible is that!

15.30 - 16.30

Whilst the attendees settled down to watch the second episode, I debriefed with the team and spoke to some of the production crew. We got set up with a final snack for the attendees as some of them had a long journey ahead of them.

16.30 - 17.30

After final conversations with our attendees and chats with the chaperones from our partner organisations like Cassie Smyth from Reel Brum, we bid them farewell. This was my cue to race home in time for a Zoom meeting with the LA studio to consult on a new project.