Women in STEM Video Project (Part 2)

In part 2 of our update on the Women in STEM Video Project, young filmmaker Binta Kargbo tells us about her experience on the project from research to practising camera skills to filming in some exciting locations…

A young Black woman and a young white woman, both in their early 20s gaze up at the ceiling of a tunnel. They are surrounded by darkness except for a small circle of light from the end of the tunnel in the background

Young filmmakers Binta Kargbo and Ariana Popescu travel through the Islington Canal Tunnel

Hey there, welcome to part 2 of the Women in STEM film project blog. My name is Binta Kargbo and I’m a second-year film student studying at Met Film. This project explores the inspiring stories of women who have made significant contributions to our world through STEM and aims to highlight the underrepresentation of women in the industry. The documentary follows a group of engineers highlighting their achievements, perseverance, by gaining a first-hand insight into their world.

The first thing that appealed to me about this project was that it was a documentary: a chance to get behind the camera outside an academic environment and I have always appreciated the authenticity of nonfiction filmmaking. But what intrigued me most was that the aim and focus was on women in a traditionally male-dominated field. During pre-production, our team split into three groups, each focusing on specific sites and engineers. Whilst each group focussed primarily on our interviews, we also delegated secondary roles such as Sound Recordist or Behind the Scenes (BTS) Camera Operator. We prepped by recapping the best technical and collaborative skills to conduct formal interviews and explored how to best capture the essence of these women’s careers. Furthermore, we researched our contributors and the tunnels intricately, to improve our planning of shots and the overall tone we wanted to establish for the documentary.

On the fore deck of a boat two young women in their early 20s sit opposite and talk to a woman in her 40s. They sitting on foredeck of a narrowboat, travelling through a canal tunnel with brown water in the bottom. A bright light illuminate the brickwork of the tunnel while in the distance, the opening of the end of the tunnel can be seen as a bright white circle.

Young filmmakers Binta Kargbo and Ariana Popescu talk to engineer Hayley Harper whilst travelling through the Islington Canal Tunnel

One of our first days of filming, we were fortunate enough to film on the Regent’s Canal. We travelled through the Islington Tunnel, and Hayley Harper, a Chartered Civil Engineer, talked to us about her work on the Canal and Rivers Trust. Whilst the rest of the crew was filming B-Roll and BTS footage, we went through the tunnel, which was so so cold. Ariana and I got the opportunity to talk to Haley before her interview, and she gave us a little history lesson about the Islington Tunnel. For instance, after the tunnel was first built, people used to lie vertically on the boat and use their feet to push forward to get to the end of the tunnel. On the way back to Hackney, some of us even got to steer the boat!

The camera looks up through a long cylindrical tunnel shaft is lined with concrete blocks. Two metal scaffolds stand at each side of the shaft.

The deep shaft of the London Power Tunnels

When filming on the National Grid Tunnels, my group led the shoot: John was Director of Photography, Ade was a Producer, and I, as the Director, conducted the interviews. I interviewed Sarah Woolham-Jaffier and Carys O’Shea both Chartered Engineers and Divine Kuteesa, a Trainee Project Supervisor, learning the ins and outs on the National Grid Power Tunnels and their purpose to provide reliable electricity and keep Londoners safe. Being able to interview these three women was a big moment for me because I was left with so much knowledge and awareness of their journeys and their active impact: from going to schools and doing charity work to spread awareness on the endless possibilities in STEM careers. As well as this, after the chance to climb underground, a very long way down, into the tunnel itself, I saw the results of their dedication and hard work and the intricacy tied to all parts of engineering.

Trainee Divine Kuteesa talks to young filmmaker Jessica Carrion Grajales in the London Power Tunnels

On our last day of filming, we spent the day at the soon-to-be opened Silvertown Tunnel. I did the behind-the-scenes camera and filmed some B-roll alongside Ariana, whilst the first group interviewed two young Engineers: Fiona Tuite and Annie May Goodman, a Project Management Graduate and a Level Six Engineering Apprenticeship, respectively. They both gave us an overview of their contributions to the tunnel, such as using the tunnel boring machine, the steps they took after university, and their day-to-day lives as students. Doing the BTS footage of the interviews, it was interesting to hear how the tunnel was blessed by a priest who left the Saint Barbara Statue with them as they continued their work. After the interviews, we all got into our PPE (personal protective equipment), which made us feel very official and we got a sneak peek tour of Silvertown tunnel.

A young black woman wearing a pink t-shirt and a red scarf in her hair holds a video camera.

Binta gets ready to film so behind the scenes footage in the Silvertown tunnel offices.

During post-production, we all worked on individual edits that we collaborated into a short documentary for the Brunel Museum. The project was a massive opportunity working with such an amazing crew: Ade Oluwa, Ariana Popescu, Jade Nsio, Jessica Carrion Grajales, John Lieu, Pablo Vargas, Sarah Olaniran and Thanusan Sandirasigamani, and getting to meet and to talk to these amazing women that I’ve mentioned above as well as Marisa Kurimbokus, Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, and Fran Scott. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but my favourite experience was going into the tunnels, which left me awe-struck. The chill of the Canal, the climb down the National Grid and the vastness of the Silvertown tunnels were an unforgettable experience.

A young Black woman in her early 20s ear bright orange trousers and a jacket and a white hard hat. She wears a black rig supporting a large video camera that she holds in her hands. She's standing in a road tunnel.

Young filmmaker Binta Kargbo wears the camera rig to film in the Silvertown Tunnel

Using the rig in the Silver Town tunnel was my favourite filming experience, because it made me feel so much like a professional as well as leading and conducting interviews at the National Grid Power Tunnels.

I know I can speak for all the team when I say a massive thank you to Jasmine Pitt and Emily Boldry for this massive learning experience, enhancing our technical film and administrative skills and boosting our confidence for future production. I hope this documentary inspires people who don’t know the endless possibilities there are in a career in STEM. And especially all the women who don’t think they can do it. I hope this documentary gives them all the reasons they should do it.

A group of six people of a mix of ages and genders walk through the Silvertown Tunnel while wearing orange personal protective equipment and white and yellow hard hats.

Some of the group walk through the Silvertown Tunnel