Design, camera, action! Many of you will have seen Mr. Rawles (pronounced “Rules”) roaming around school with his camera, capturing the moments of SJS. Based in the Advancement team and as the school’s Visual Content Creator, his role is three-fold: photography, videography and design. From the Eagle Vision videos you see in the Eagle Update and on the screens, to designing materials received by prospective families, Mr. Rawles’ role is both busy and varied!
We sat down with Mr. Rawles to meet the man behind the camera and learn how the convergence of passion and experience led him down a varied career path to arrive at SJS.
How did your creative career begin?
After I got my Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Wales, I started working in TV as a runner. That was my first introduction to story-telling. I would have to run digital tapes from the producer to the editing suite and if I was fast enough (I mean, physically fast enough) I would have an extra few minutes where the editor at the time would let me watch his process. It was amazing.
What was your first role in content creation?
After a while I wanted a break from London, so I came to Canada where I started working as a freelance designer and videographer. Working independently, you have to be able to do more than just film and edit the video. You have to create titles and graphics and such. It converged my passions for art and technology, and I really enjoyed it. Because of that I decided to get a design certificate from BCIT to round out the skills I had built in production and editing.
What was your role before SJS?
I’ve had a variety of jobs over the years. I’ve worked in corporate, for agencies, started my own agency, and even taught design for a term in London. One of my favourite roles was Art Director for an organic cereal company. I really did everything there; design, photography and videography. My most recent role was a leadership position at Best Buy in their marketing and design department. I was there for about five years before coming to SJS.
What brought you to SJS?
It was a couple of things but mostly I wanted to get back into hands-on creativity. I wanted to get back to the nuts and bolts of it, and also have a better work-life balance. When I saw the Visual Content Creator position advertised, it sounded like the perfect fit for me to apply all the skills I’ve gathered during my career. Education is obviously very different from retail and I didn’t realize just how fun it would be to be around the energy of a school. I think there is an ambience generated at SJS that gives a powerful feeling of community.
What would you say is the best part of your job?
I enjoy the variety of tasks in my role. One minute I’m photographing Junior Kindergarten students in the playground and the next, I’m designing slides for the screens around campus. It can be very busy at times but being able to interact with students and the community every day is very rewarding. Rarely in creative roles do you get to meet your core demographic every single day. At SJS, I get to see the full life cycle of projects. It’s great to see the kids and parents happy with what I’ve created.
What’s been a favourite moment at SJS for you so far?
There have been lots! One moment that stands out was when a mom came up to me to thank me for putting a photo of her son on the screen. Recaps of school events and activities is a part of our regular screen rotation, but that particular photo made this student and parent so happy that it made me feel really proud. I got to see first-hand the impact I can have in this role.
What advice would you give students who might be interested in a creative career?
Don’t be afraid to embrace the challenge of change. Creative industries are so interesting because they are always changing and evolving. You will learn the core principles and technical skills, and those will guide you when you’re faced with the unexpected. You may find you have to move, change your role, and even the industry you’re working in, during your career. It’s important to embrace those changes and be uncomfortable because it almost always leads to new and better opportunities.
