FIFA U17s Women’s World Cup short films
Our talented freelancer and Avid/Premiere Editor, Stephen Mulholland, has been in Jordan for the Under 17s Women’s World Cup, filming a series of promotional short films for FIFA. We catch up with him in post-production to talk through his experiences so far.
What are the expectations of this role & how did it come about?
The role involves producing edits for FIFA Films, for them to use on all their social channels and license to their broadcast partners. It came about as the result of a busy summer working with UEFA and McDonalds at the European Championships in France. That went very well and as a result, this door was opened.
What is the most memorable part of the experience to date?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1ocQB4Wfyk
Experiencing a completely new culture has been the biggest positive of the job so far. The Jordanian people have opened their arms to everyone here visiting for the tournament and we have been made to feel very welcome and very much at home. We also got to produce a film with 250 Syrian refugee girls going to the opening day of the tournament. It was their first time out of their refugee camp in over a year and everyone involved was very touched by their situation. The smiles on their faces will stay with me for a long time.
Are you happy with the editing process so far?
The editing process on this project has been very rewarding. I’m working with a great crew – my producer and camera op have been bringing me great footage which makes my job so much easier! There have been plenty of late nights, but that’s just part of the job and to be honest, I work better at night so it doesn’t bother me too much.
What has been the toughest part of the job?
Editing Arabic has definitely been the most challenging aspect. My knowledge of Arabic goes as far as ‘hello’, ‘good morning’ and ‘thank you’! So when it comes to editing soundbites from interviews, I need to rely heavily on local translators. To their credit, they have been great at grasping the concept of interview editing and seem to enjoy it. At least I hope they do! They have been very helpful and we couldn’t produce the films without their assistance.
Are you a keen football fan? If so, which team do you support?
I am indeed a football fan – I am a lifelong Manchester United supporter. Out here at this tournament it has been hard not to get swept up in the local support for the Jordan team. We have all been wishing them the very best.
Are there any players who have performed amazingly or produced any standout goals at the tournament?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b94ihcdH9HY
Standout moments of the tournament so far include the Jordanian striker scoring their first goal of the tournament with her father (who attends every training session and match) watching in the stands. We had the camera rolling on him throughout the game and it has made for a great piece. We couldn’t have planned it any better and it made for a particularly emotional edit. It was one of those fortunate moments you get in this job. The goal of the tournament so far was the Venezuelan striker scoring from the halfway line in injury time to beat Cameroon 2-1. David Beckham would have been proud of it!
To see more work from our freelancer Stephen Mulholland, head to our showreel gallery!
All short films will be featured on FIFA social channels, as well as used by the host broadcaster during matchday coverage where suitable. The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Final will take place on Friday 21 October 2016.