Since graduating from NESCol, Antoni McMillan has led an exciting career in the TV and film industry and has recently shot his first feature film.

28-year-old Antoni’s passion for acting started at Westhill Academy, when his drama teacher encouraged him to continue studying the subject in third year.

He said, “She actually scored physics off on my choice form and put drama! I did really well, and it was at this point that I decided I wanted to go into film.”

Performing Arts at NESCol

Antoni joined NESCol straight after school, securing a place on the HND Acting & Performance course. Despite a flair for acting, Antoni’s first year at College was challenging.

He said, “My first year was chaos because I had so much belief in myself that I didn’t listen to anyone or take advice.

“I got my act together in second year. My lecturer, Vicki Jamieson, saw my potential and worked with me, and I really appreciated her support.

“I started to take feedback onboard, my dialogue improved, as well as my general life. In the end I got an A, passing my HND with flying colours!

“College was the best thing I ever did. My education at NESCol has set me up for life and improved me like no other place could have done.”

TV & film career

After graduating NESCol in 2017, Antoni had the opportunity to continue his studies at university, but decided he wanted to go directly into acting.

He had a great start with his career, securing parts in BBC’s Riverside and Clique. However, this all came crashing down during the pandemic, and Antoni began to doubt his career choice.

“I started to think that maybe acting was not such a good idea – there was no work!

“Thankfully, I landed a role in a film as a dancer down in Glasgow and became close to the Assistant Director, who helped me secure my first job as a runner.”

Knowing nothing about what being a runner entailed, Antoni was thrown into the deep end working on a feature film in Stirling. This experience opened doors to more opportunities, and he worked on productions such as Indiana Jones, Damaged and Outlander throughout the pandemic.

Filmmaking

After narrowly missing out on a leading role in a BBC show, Antoni was driven to take a big step and took on the ambitious project of making his own feature film. In addition to acting, Antoni wrote the script and produced the film.

He said: “You need to go out of your comfort zone and see what happens – who cares what people think or if you make mistakes! I felt I had learned a lot from the directors I had worked alongside, and was confident that I could do it myself.”

His film, The Sands of Redemption, was shot in just 16 days but it took two years from starting the script to finishing the second edit.

Antoni commented, “In reality, this film has been a lifetime in the making. 21-year-old Antoni couldn’t have done this – he’d have tapped out with his bravado.

“I had no plan for recognition. My main goal was to complete the full process – we weren’t aiming for perfection. I’m hoping to send Sands of Redemption to film festivals and if it does get recognition, that’s just a bonus.”

Antoni is already planning his next project and is hoping to secure funding for a film based in Aberdeen.

Advice to students

Antoni runs both an entertainment business for weddings and a local film company, which allows him the flexibility to pursue his acting and filmmaking.

He said, “It’s a tough industry and is not for the faint-hearted. It takes a long time to understand, and you must be willing to put the effort in.

“I loved College, the people and the classes. You build great bonds with your classmates as creatives gel well together. It can feel isolating when you first leave and you realise that you now have to do it yourself – but that’s when the drive kicks in!

“My advice for students is to go with your gut and go with the flow. Don’t drop your discipline but also don’t try to control the outcome.

“Things fell into place for me in second year at College and by taking the pressure off, I began to enjoy myself and the creativity flowed more easily.”

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