The rise and rise of a Brighton graduate

Winston Gallagher graduated with a Media degree in 2003 and has since worked with the likes of Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and on some of the UK's most popular TV shows including BAFTA-nominated Travel Man with Richard Ayoade, BBC's Attenborough and the Giant Elephant and A League of Their Own in which he worked with champion boxer Anthony Joshua, soccer star Ruud Gullit, comedian Alan Carr and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

After leaving Brighton, Winston became a runner on Hollywood blockbusters Batman Begins and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and spent days “blowing up miniature model sets and driving child actors around in golf buggies”.

He said: “It was interesting and at times surreal. Sitting in a buggy chatting to Harry Potter about Darwin's theory of evolution was strange."

Winston eventually moved into TV and worked on The Secret Millionaire. Three years later he was directing and producing films including part of Sir David Attenborough’s Giant Elephant documentary in Kenya.

Winston Gallagher filming on location at an aviary in Germany. Photo Ann Dalimore

The 39-year-old, who also produced and directed the recent Channel 4 series, Snackmasters, said he had a “fantastic” time studying at the university, captaining the university’s football team and later working as the Students’ Union Vice President (Education and Equalities).

He told how his career started at the university: “In my final year of my course I had a one-month work placement and I managed to get a role on the first series of Spooks. It was that which took me onto Batman Begins – I finished my role with the Students’ Union on the Friday and started on Batman on the Monday.”

Part of his course was not always to his liking, he said, but: “Some of the modules were invaluable. I learned to use a camera and to edit, skills which allowed me to progress faster than some of my contemporaries when I got into TV.”

Winston has been back to the university as a guest lecturer and has welcomed university students working alongside him.

He added: “I loved my time at Brighton and am proud to be associated with the university.”