Interviews People

Staff Spotlight: Steve Oak

In our recent interview with Steve, Head of Tech, we explored his path to becoming one of the key figures behind the company’s relaunch. As one of the first hires during this pivotal period, Steve played a crucial role in shaping the vision and building a strong, dynamic team.

Q: What initially attracted you to working at Azimuth?
SO: I was one of the first hires in Azimuth’s rebirth here in Holborn. The opportunity to build an amazing team in an incredible new facility was too good to turn down.

Q: How did you begin your career in this industry?
SO: I was lucky to get my first opportunity at a Branding agency almost immediately after graduating in the mid-naughties. It meant moving to Cheltenham, where I knew no one and having a completely fresh start. Through that however, I got exposure to the entire Production process, from budgeting and booking of freelancers in Pre-Production, to second camera operation and cable bashing on set, to assembly editing for the staff editors once in Post Production. This was back in the days of shooting on tape stock and ingesting into Final Cut Pro 7. Halcyon days!

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at Azimuth?
SO: Our Head of Audio, Kate makes an incredible banana bread. A cheeky slice of that alongside one of our rocket fuel coffees and I’m racing through the morning.
Q: What were you doing before joining Azimuth?
SO: After a few years of being an Edit Assistant, I got the opportunity to become Technical Manager around 2013 for a small facility. Since then, I have taken on Head of Technical Management roles at larger facilities around London. Since covid, when the lines between Tech Support and IT have become increasingly blurred, I’ve sat across Engineering, IT and Tech Support teams to bring the knowledge pool together.

Q: What’s your favourite part of London?
SO: The view of central London from Crystal Palace is always a joy, especially when storm clouds shroud the top of the Shard.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
SO: I’m an avid football fan, playing 5-a-side once a week and taking my son to watch Crystal Palace play when I can. I’m also a fair-weather golfer, hacking my way round courses when the sun is out!

Q: What’s the most valuable piece of career advice you’ve received?
SO: Latch on to a good mentor. I’ve been lucky enough to work under some really inspirational leaders in my career who continue to teach me things to this day.

More
Updates