Floyd Pepper completed a music and screen production diploma and is now taking his career to the next level.

After two years of working in Canada and from there travelling all the way down to Guatemala, Floyd Pepper is back in Hawke’s Bay. Three days ago the 24-year-old EIT graduate returned to his mum’s house in Hastings and is still sorting out things now at home. “I have to get my New Zealand drivers licence back because I just have the Canadian one,” he tells us.

Floyd is one of Hawke’s Bays young multitalented creative minds. Music, film, photography, he covers it all. Music, however, was his first love. After finishing highschool he did a one year music certificate at EIT. He played the bass guitar in rock bands, produced electronic music and music videos. That interest led him to further enrol into the EIT Screen Production diploma.

Tessa Tylee, Screen production programme coordinator, saw his talent shining through right away, “The students were given ten days to produce a documentary and Floyd’s portrait of a fashion student definitely stood out”. Floyd picked up the skills to take his projects to the next level. “His professionally made mockumentary is so good that after all these years we still play it,” says Tessa.

During his second year at EIT Floyd started to work in production companies around Hawke’s Bay and even got offered a job at AWA production company. He also did some work for Māori television.

Floyd then graduated as best student. He worked at AWA where he used all the skills he gained in the diploma to pay off his student loan. Eventually he started to get itchy feet. At a small film festival in Wairoa he had met a Canadian film producer whose son at that time was searching a flat mate on Facebook. He contacted the guy and plans were made. “I knew that Vancouver had a big film production industry too and so I moved there.”  

As a good networker he found work wherever he went. He set up concert stages, produced some short horror films, recorded music or did background acting. In his second year he got a four-month-contract as a photographer accompanying a dance company around Canada.

 After having saved enough money he eventually decided to travel down to Central America. While enjoying chilling out at home at the moment, he is already planning on hitting the road again. Floyd applied for an internship at Avatar films which are huge worldwide. “The job would be in Wellington. If that doesn’t work out I will move to Melbourne. The music scene there is really good and there is all sorts of work,” he says about his plan B.

Tessa, however, has never lost sight of her ace student and is happy to see the range of different career pathways her students can access. “Students can get so much out of the programme and tailor it to their interests.”  Floyd is grateful for all the input he got at EIT since the diploma also covered a wide range of core skills such as time management, communication and networking. “If it wasn’t for my EIT qualifications I wouldn’t have had the skills that allowed me to work and travel overseas,” he says.