A promising young creative has taken his first steps towards a career in film production following a partnership with arts charity, Culture Warrington.
Callum Baker was part of the 2024/25 cohort for Culture Warrington’s Young Producers scheme which was launched to support young people in developing skills in areas like event planning and project management.
The 20-year-old’s enthusiasm, talent and can-do attitude shone through and culminated with him hosting a film showcase called Made By Me at Cineworld during Warrington Arts Festival.
It was through Young Producers that Callum worked with Stockton Heath actor and film producer Darren Jeffries – and when Darren needed a production assistant for a project alongside Liverpool’s award-winning Juice Immersive he only had one person in mind.
“I think the Young Producers scheme really gave me a different outlook,” said Callum.
“Up until that point, I’d only focused on performing but doing Young Producers and then working with Darren introduced me to a whole other side of the industry.
“I really thrived on working behind-the-scenes and learning everything that goes into organising events. It was a really eye-opening experience.
“There was also a heavy focus on pitching yourself at Young Producers, and that definitely helped me prepare and built my confidence when this opportunity came along.”
Callum’s work as a production assistant – his first paid job in the industry – saw him provide general support on set such as fetching kit, props and paperwork and distributing call sheets.
But he also managed the supporting cast, helped with logistics for the locations the team were visiting and even stepped in as an extra at short notice.
Darren said: “Callum for me had all the qualities that were required for a job like this which is being calm under pressure and being a clear communicator.
“It was about his general attitude as well. I knew he would be reliable, helpful and a positive person to have around but also really keen to learn.
“Across the whole project what Callum was great at was soaking it up and really making the most of the opportunity – learning from the people around him.”
The initiative, called EMBODY, saw Darren write, cast and direct three immersive stories in VR that would help prepare rail staff for challenging situations – involving violence and intimidation against women and girls – that would require careful intervention.
So, with a complex, demanding project funded by the Department for Transport and involving such a delicate and vital subject, he needed people around him he could trust.
Darren added: “Juice Immersive, the company I was working with, gave me a team of about 15 people but we also needed a production assistant – somebody eager, talented and reliable, and I felt comfortable and very confident recommending Callum.
“I knew what he was capable of, and that’s entirely thanks to the Young Producers programme.
“During Callum’s time with Culture Warrington, he showed a lot of smarts but also a lot of passion, eagerness and enthusiasm for the industry.
“That makes anybody’s job easier when they’re working with someone who genuinely cares and wants to succeed.”
Laura Mercer, Creative Producer for Children and Young People at Culture Warrington, was Callum’s mentor during his time as a Young Producer.
She said: “Callum was such a committed and enthusiastic participant of the Young Producers programme. He grabbed every opportunity thrown at him, assisting with a variety of Culture Warrington events and programmes.
“The Young Producers programme was created to give young people in Warrington a chance to gain skills and experience working in the creative industries, so it’s a joy to see Callum thriving in his work with Darren and the wider professional world.”
Owen Cotterell, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Juice Immersive, said he wouldn’t hesitate to work with Callum again in the future.
He added: “Callum’s a joy of a young man to be around and took the entire job in his stride. He never once complained about a particular job he was assigned and he applied himself to everything that was asked of him, even becoming a last-minute addition to the cast turning in a great cameo performance under pressure!
“The shoot logistics were often complex due to filming on live train services and busy train station locations, but I found Callum to be a constant source of calm and positivity, especially in moments of adversity.
“He was just a pleasure to work with throughout and is a real credit to his university, his family, Culture Warrington’s Young Producer programme, and most importantly himself.”
