Hanes taith cyn-fyfyriwr o'r coleg i drac Top Gear

Ers hynny, mae'r gŵr 29 oed o Ddyserth wedi mynd ymlaen i ddilyn gyrfa fel dyn camera arbenigol ar raglenni poblogaidd fel Carpool Karaoke, A League of Their Own ac Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

Mae hefyd yn gweithio ar raglenni chwaraeon cerbydau modur dros y byd, fel Pencampwriaethau Ralio'r Byd, Formula E a rhaglen Wingmen - cyfres hynod boblogaidd ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol dan arweiniad Trent Alexander-Arnold ac Andy Robertson, cyn-chwaraewyr i dîm pêl-droed Lerpwl.

Arbenigedd Michael ydy ffilmio cerbydau ar wib, ar y tu allan a thu mewn iddynt - ac mae hynny'n golygu ei fod yn defnyddio sgiliau hedfan dronau, trwsio camerâu ar ôl damweiniau, a gosod camerâu mewn cerbydau i ffilmio pobl fel Freddie Flintoff, Matt LeBlanc a James Corden yn gyrru.

Diolch i'r sgiliau hyn, mae wedi teithio'r byd i wledydd fel Japan, Saudi Arabia, UDA ac Indonesia.

⁠Ond dechreuodd taith Michael ar gampws Coleg Llandrillo yn Llandrillo-yn-Rhos ar gwrs Gradd Sylfaen Lefel 4 mewn Cynhyrchu Cyfryngau Darlledu rhwng 2015 a 2016.

Yn ddiweddar, daeth Michael ar ymweliad byr i'r coleg ac mi ddywedodd wrth lond dosbarth o fyfyrwyr cynhyrchu creadigol bod ei diwtoriaid wedi rhoi'r hyder iddo ddilyn gyrfa oedd yn cyd-fynd â'i ddiddordebau.

"Doedd tiwtoriaid ddim yn dweud - dyma eich maes a rhaid i chi ysgrifennu am hyn," meddai Michael. "Roedden ni'n cael ein hannog i feddwl, 'beth hoffech chi ganolbwyntio arno'? Beth yw eich diddordebau? Ac mi fyddai'r darlithwyr yn ein helpu.

Since then, the 29-year-old from Dyserth has forged a career as a specialist camera operator, working on hit TV shows such as Carpool Karaoke, A League of Their Own and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

He regularly covers global motorsport events such as the World Rally Championships and Formula E, and also works on Wingmen, the social media sensation started by Liverpool footballers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Michael has developed a niche filming moving vehicles from inside and outside - involving a range of skills from operating drones, to patching up cameras following crashes, to rigging up onboard cameras capturing the likes of Freddie Flintoff, Matt LeBlanc and James Corden while they drive.

He has a skill set that has taken him all over the world, with Japan, Saudi Arabia, the USA and Indonesia just a few of the stamps on his passport.

But Michael’s journey started at Coleg Llandrillo’s Rhos-on-Sea campus, where he studied a Level 4 Foundation Degree in Broadcast Media Production from 2015 to 2016.

Speaking from one of the media production classrooms as he made a flying visit to his former college, Michael said his tutors gave him the confidence to pursue a career that aligned with his own interests.

“Here we weren’t told, this is your subject area and you must write about it,” said Michael. “You're encouraged to think, what would you like to work on? What are your interests? And the lecturers here would help.

Since then, the 29-year-old from Dyserth has forged a career as a specialist camera operator, working on hit TV shows such as Carpool Karaoke, A League of Their Own and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

He regularly covers global motorsport events such as the World Rally Championships and Formula E, and also works on Wingmen, the social media sensation started by Liverpool footballers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Michael has developed a niche filming moving vehicles from inside and outside - involving a range of skills from operating drones, to patching up cameras following crashes, to rigging up onboard cameras capturing the likes of Freddie Flintoff, Matt LeBlanc and James Corden while they drive.

He has a skill set that has taken him all over the world, with Japan, Saudi Arabia, the USA and Indonesia just a few of the stamps on his passport.

But Michael’s journey started at Coleg Llandrillo’s Rhos-on-Sea campus, where he studied a Level 4 Foundation Degree in Broadcast Media Production from 2015 to 2016.

Speaking from one of the media production classrooms as he made a flying visit to his former college, Michael said his tutors gave him the confidence to pursue a career that aligned with his own interests.

“Here we weren’t told, this is your subject area and you must write about it,” said Michael. “You're encouraged to think, what would you like to work on? What are your interests? And the lecturers here would help.

Er enghraifft, roedd gen i ddiddordeb mewn chwaraeon a chamerâu arbenigol, a'u hagwedd nhw oedd 'Reit, sut medrwn ni blethu'r ddau beth?'"

Ar ôl cwblhau ei gwrs yn Llandrilllo aeth Michael ymlaen i ddilyn cwrs gradd mewn Technegau Darlledu Proffesiynol ym Mhrifysgol Salford.

Pan oedd yn gwneud gwaith ymchwil i'w draethawd estynedig mewn camerâu arbenigol ym maes chwaraeon eithafol, cafodd gynnig y swydd ar raglen Top Gear.

⁠I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am y cyrsiau Cyfryngau, Teledu a Ffilm sydd ar gael yng Ngrŵp Llandrillo Menai, cliciwch yma.

"Roedden ni'n cael ein cynghori i ganolbwyntio ar ein meysydd penodol, i wneud ymchwil, dod o hyd i bobl i'w cyfweld a threfnu hynny" meddai.

Ar ôl cael ei wrthod sawl gwaith llwyddodd Michael i drefnu cyfweliad gyda dyn camera oedd yn gwneud gwaith ffilmio gyda thîm Manchester United.

“For instance, my interest was in sports and specialist cameras, and they'd be like, ‘Well how can we bring those two together?’”

After completing his course at Llandrillo, Michael went on to complete an honours degree in Professional Broadcasting Techniques at the University of Salford.

It was while researching his dissertation on specialist cameras in extreme sports that he landed his big break with Top Gear.

“We were advised to hone in on our specific areas, do our research, find people in the industry and set up an interview,” he said.

After a series of knockbacks, Michael secured an interview with a cameraman who was filming in the city with Manchester United.

“For instance, my interest was in sports and specialist cameras, and they'd be like, ‘Well how can we bring those two together?’”

After completing his course at Llandrillo, Michael went on to complete an honours degree in Professional Broadcasting Techniques at the University of Salford.

It was while researching his dissertation on specialist cameras in extreme sports that he landed his big break with Top Gear.

“We were advised to hone in on our specific areas, do our research, find people in the industry and set up an interview,” he said.

After a series of knockbacks, Michael secured an interview with a cameraman who was filming in the city with Manchester United.

"Gofynnodd i mi beth hoffwn i wneud ar ôl gorffen y cwrs am mi ddwedais i faswn i'n hoffi gweithio iddo," dywedodd Michael, sy'n cefnogi United.

"Mi ges i alwad ffôn gan ei bennaeth bythefnos yn ddiweddarach." ⁠Roedd y cwmni yn Llundain ar y pryd ac wedi ennill cytundeb i ffilmio Top Gear.

⁠Mi wnes i bacio a symud i Lundain i ddechrau gweithio, a gweithio ar y traethawd estynedig ar yr un pryd. Dyna ble dechreuodd pethau.

Roeddwn i'n gweithio gyda chamerâu yn y storfa offer - yn addasu camerâu, glanhau'r offer, trin anfonebau, systemau gweinyddol, negeseuon e-bost, ac yn mynd i leoliadau ffilmio Top Gear.

Ar leoliad roeddwn i'n cysgodi pobl ac yn ceisio cymryd rhan cymaint ag y gallwn i, heb darfu ar y gwaith ffilmio. Mi wnes i lwyddo rhywsut i fynd i rôl gwaith camera arbenigol a gweithio gyda chamerâu yn y cerbydau, a dyna 'dw i'n dal i'w wneud hyd heddiw.£

Yn ogystal, â gweithio ar raglen Top Gear, gweithiodd Michael ar hysbysebion ceir a sioeau eraill fel Saturday Night Takeaway a Wingmen - a hynny gyda dyddiad cyflwyno'i draethawd hir yn prysur agosáu.

“He asked me what I'd like to do after the course, and I just said ‘I'd like to come and work for you’,” said Michael, a United fan.

“Two weeks later I got a call from his boss. The company was in London at the time and they had the Top Gear contract.

“I just packed up and went to London and started working and doing my dissertation at the same time, and it started from there really.

“I was working in a kit house in London with cameras - modifying cameras, cleaning all the kit, dealing with invoicing, admin systems, generic emails and then going to shoots such as Top Gear as a complete newbie.

“I would just be there and I'd just be shadowing people and trying to get involved as best as I could without messing up the shoot. I kind of fell into a specialist cameras role where we did all the in-car cameras, and that's what I still do now.”

As well as Top Gear, Michael found himself working on car commercials and other shows such as Saturday Night Takeaway and Wingmen - with his dissertation deadline still looming.

“He asked me what I'd like to do after the course, and I just said ‘I'd like to come and work for you’,” said Michael, a United fan.

“Two weeks later I got a call from his boss. The company was in London at the time and they had the Top Gear contract.

“I just packed up and went to London and started working and doing my dissertation at the same time, and it started from there really.

“I was working in a kit house in London with cameras - modifying cameras, cleaning all the kit, dealing with invoicing, admin systems, generic emails and then going to shoots such as Top Gear as a complete newbie.

“I would just be there and I'd just be shadowing people and trying to get involved as best as I could without messing up the shoot. I kind of fell into a specialist cameras role where we did all the in-car cameras, and that's what I still do now.”

As well as Top Gear, Michael found himself working on car commercials and other shows such as Saturday Night Takeaway and Wingmen - with his dissertation deadline still looming.

"Roeddwn i'n gweithio rhwng Llundain a Manceinion, yn teithio mewn car, ar drên, mewn car ac ar drên. Mi ddechreuais i weithio dramor hefyd - yn Ewrop, Gwlad Thai, dod adra - gwneud peth gwaith ar y traethawd estynedig yna yn ôl i Fanceinion i'r neuaddau darlithio.

Yn y swyddfa yn Llundain roedd offer Top Gear ym mhobman. Trwsio'r camera yma, yna un arall - a chofio bod angen i mi ysgrifennu 1,000 o eiriau! Yna, galwadau ffôn - pa offer sydd eu hangen arnoch? Angen trefnu 10 GH% gyda pha nifer bynnag o lensys, hidlyddion, standiau trithroed ac ati

Yna, yn syth yn ôl i fan'na i lanhau a threfnu popeth. Cyrraedd adra am un y bore, casglu offer, allan, yn ôl at y traethawd estynedig, negeseuon e-bost y brifysgol, dilyn darlithoedd ar alwad am nad oedd modd i mi fod yno.

Gwneud iddo weithio oedd y nod. Dw i wedi ffeindio ffordd i mewn i'r diwydiant. Mae angen iddo weithio. Felly pen lawr amdani a throed ar y sbardun. Oedd, roedd yn hollol wallgo’."

⁠Gweithiodd Michael yn agos â chyflwynwyr fel Freddie Flintoff a Matt LeBlanc ar y rhaglen Top Gear ond doedd hynny ddim yn ei boeni.

“I was floating between London and Manchester, driving, train, driving, train. I started doing shoots abroad as well - Europe, Thailand, coming back, then doing my dissertation and then going back to Manchester to the lecture halls.

“I'd be in the office in London, and there would be Top Gear kit everywhere. This camera needs fixing, that camera needs fixing… oh, I still need to do 1,000 words on my dissertation. Then the phone - what kit do you need? I need 10 GH5s with X amount of lenses, filters, power, tripods, grip.

“Then straight on over there, clean everything up, get that all sorted. Coming in at 1am to pick up the kit, out the door, straight back to the dissertation on the e-mails to university, on lecture calls because I couldn't make the lectures…

“It was a case of, it's got to work. Obviously I've found my way in here. It needs to work. So it was like, head down, pedal to the metal. So yeah, it was mad.”

On Top Gear, Michael worked closely with presenters such as Freddie Flintoff and Matt LeBlanc, but said he was never star-struck.

“I was floating between London and Manchester, driving, train, driving, train. I started doing shoots abroad as well - Europe, Thailand, coming back, then doing my dissertation and then going back to Manchester to the lecture halls.

“I'd be in the office in London, and there would be Top Gear kit everywhere. This camera needs fixing, that camera needs fixing… oh, I still need to do 1,000 words on my dissertation. Then the phone - what kit do you need? I need 10 GH5s with X amount of lenses, filters, power, tripods, grip.

“Then straight on over there, clean everything up, get that all sorted. Coming in at 1am to pick up the kit, out the door, straight back to the dissertation on the e-mails to university, on lecture calls because I couldn't make the lectures…

“It was a case of, it's got to work. Obviously I've found my way in here. It needs to work. So it was like, head down, pedal to the metal. So yeah, it was mad.”

On Top Gear, Michael worked closely with presenters such as Freddie Flintoff and Matt LeBlanc, but said he was never star-struck.

"Roeddwn i'n gweithio rhwng Llundain a Manceinion, yn teithio mewn car, ar drên, mewn car ac ar drên. Mi ddechreuais i weithio dramor hefyd - yn Ewrop, Gwlad Thai, dod adra - gwneud peth gwaith ar y traethawd estynedig yna yn ôl i Fanceinion i'r neuaddau darlithio.

Yn y swyddfa yn Llundain roedd offer Top Gear ym mhobman. Trwsio'r camera yma, yna un arall - a chofio bod angen i mi ysgrifennu 1,000 o eiriau! Yna, galwadau ffôn - pa offer sydd eu hangen arnoch? Angen trefnu 10 GH% gyda pha nifer bynnag o lensys, hidlyddion, standiau trithroed ac ati

Yna, yn syth yn ôl i fan'na i lanhau a threfnu popeth. Cyrraedd adra am un y bore, casglu offer, allan, yn ôl at y traethawd estynedig, negeseuon e-bost y brifysgol, dilyn darlithoedd ar alwad am nad oedd modd i mi fod yno.

Gwneud iddo weithio oedd y nod. Dw i wedi ffeindio ffordd i mewn i'r diwydiant. Mae angen iddo weithio. Felly pen lawr amdani a throed ar y sbardun. Oedd, roedd yn hollol wallgo’."

⁠Gweithiodd Michael yn agos â chyflwynwyr fel Freddie Flintoff a Matt LeBlanc ar y rhaglen Top Gear ond doedd hynny ddim yn ei boeni.

“We'd have one specialist camera operator with one presenter, so we'd all have a presenter each, and we'd be in charge of that car with that presenter,” he said. “Setting up the shot, setting up the lighting, making sure the camera can power for a long time as they did their lines.

“I would say a lot of the people I’ve met are very down to Earth. Freddie's like one of the lads.

“Once when we were having a chat, he asked where I was from and I said North Wales. He said ‘Oh, we were looking at somewhere on Anglesey’. I reckon if I had said, ‘do you want to come round for a brew, he would have said yes’. He’s just normal, an absolutely lovely guy.”

Asked if he got to drive some of the cars on Top Gear, Michael said: “Quite a few, yeah, supercars - but not at speeds, only from A to B. Lambos, Mercedes, McLaren, anything like that, really. Just around the little yard at the Top Gear test track.”

One of Michael’s favourite memories came after he’d been working on Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp and Freddie Flintoff, and an issue was spotted in the editing phase.

“We'd have one specialist camera operator with one presenter, so we'd all have a presenter each, and we'd be in charge of that car with that presenter,” he said. “Setting up the shot, setting up the lighting, making sure the camera can power for a long time as they did their lines.

“I would say a lot of the people I’ve met are very down to Earth. Freddie's like one of the lads.

“Once when we were having a chat, he asked where I was from and I said North Wales. He said ‘Oh, we were looking at somewhere on Anglesey’. I reckon if I had said, ‘do you want to come round for a brew, he would have said yes’. He’s just normal, an absolutely lovely guy.”

Asked if he got to drive some of the cars on Top Gear, Michael said: “Quite a few, yeah, supercars - but not at speeds, only from A to B. Lambos, Mercedes, McLaren, anything like that, really. Just around the little yard at the Top Gear test track.”

One of Michael’s favourite memories came after he’d been working on Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp and Freddie Flintoff, and an issue was spotted in the editing phase.

Michael acknowledges he has been lucky to earn a dream job, but his advice to current students is there are plenty of opportunities in the television industry if you work hard and believe in yourself.

“I'm very fortunate that I've fallen in the right places. I do look back on being here as the basis of where it all started,” he said.

“I appreciate that a lot because it kind of gave me a pathway then.

“The opportunities are there if you put the effort in. You'll get rewards 100%, and what I didn't realise as well is, there's so many jobs.

“There are people making cups of tea and taking Mars bars to presenters on jobs. That’s generally where a lot of people start, as runners. They'll be taking clothes to the presenters, or getting a card from me from my camera, taking it to ingest it into the computer.

Michael acknowledges he has been lucky to earn a dream job, but his advice to current students is there are plenty of opportunities in the television industry if you work hard and believe in yourself.

“I'm very fortunate that I've fallen in the right places. I do look back on being here as the basis of where it all started,” he said.

“I appreciate that a lot because it kind of gave me a pathway then.

“The opportunities are there if you put the effort in. You'll get rewards 100%, and what I didn't realise as well is, there's so many jobs.

“There are people making cups of tea and taking Mars bars to presenters on jobs. That’s generally where a lot of people start, as runners. They'll be taking clothes to the presenters, or getting a card from me from my camera, taking it to ingest it into the computer.

Dywedodd: "Roedd angen ail-ffilmio darn a chael popeth yn union fel roedd o, ond doedd dim modd cael Freddie a James yno, dim ond Jack a Jamie."

Felly, yn ogystal â gosod y camerâu i ail-ffilmio’r darn, Michael oedd hefyd yn gyrru'r car, a hynny heb i wylwyr fod dim callach diolch i'r dechnoleg fodern a ddefnyddiwyd.

"Roedd rhaid i mi yrru'r car am nad oedd Freddie yno," meddai Michael, a yrrodd gydag un llaw. "Roedd hynny oherwydd roedden nhw eisiau ein dileu ni o'r llun. A pe byddai braich arall wedi ymddangos mi fyddai pobl yn gwybod mai rhywun arall oedd yno.

⁠Roedden nhw hefyd yn rhoi toesenni i mi mewn golygfa, oherwydd yn y darn gwreiddiol roedden nhw'n ceisio gorfodi Freddie i fwyta toesenni.

Mi lwyddon ni, a phan ddangoswyd y rhaglen dros gyfnod Nadolig roeddwn i'n dweud wrth bobl, ie, fi oedd yn gyrru'r car!"

“There's a job for everyone out there and you'll find your place. I do believe that for anyone, if you want it, you can have it.

“Also I offered my time out for free. I worked a lot of volunteering, with me having to pay for my own fuel to Manchester and back.

“You might spend X amount of money going out with your mates on the weekend, but you can put that money into going to visit a company, even if it's only for half an hour saying hello, saying if you've got anything, just let us know.

“There are a lot of people who are very accommodating in the industry, so believe - always believe.”

To watch the full interview, click here.

For more information about the range of Media, TV & Film courses available through Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, click here.

Mae Michael yn cydnabod ei fod wedi bod yn lwcus i gael ei swydd ddelfrydol, ond ei gyngor i fyfyrwyr heddiw ydy bod digon o gyfleoedd ar gael yn y diwydiant teledu os ydych chi'n barod i weithio'n galed.

Rydw i'n lwcus fy mod i wedi bod yn y lle iawn ar yr adeg iawn. Dw i'n meddwl am fy nghyfnod yma fel y cam cyntaf i'r cwbl." meddai

"Dw i'n gwerthfawrogi'r cyfleodd yma oherwydd mi ges i lwybr i'w dilyn.

Mae'r cyfleoedd yma os ydych chi'n barod i wneud ymdrech. Mi gewch eich gwobrwyo, a'r hyn wnes i ddim sylweddoli cynt oedd bod camant o swyddi ar gael.

Mae 'na bobl sy'n gwneud paneidiau ac yn cario Mars Bars i gyflwynwyr. Dyna ble mae nifer yn dechrau arni, fel rhedwyr. Maen nhw'n cario dillad i gyflwynwyr, yn casglu cerdyn camera drosta i neu'n ei drosglwyddo i gyfrifiadur.

“There's a job for everyone out there and you'll find your place. I do believe that for anyone, if you want it, you can have it.

“Also I offered my time out for free. I worked a lot of volunteering, with me having to pay for my own fuel to Manchester and back.

“You might spend X amount of money going out with your mates on the weekend, but you can put that money into going to visit a company, even if it's only for half an hour saying hello, saying if you've got anything, just let us know.

“There are a lot of people who are very accommodating in the industry, so believe - always believe.”

To watch the full interview, click here.

For more information about the range of Media, TV & Film courses available through Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, click here.

Mae 'na swydd i bawb, mi ddewch chi o hyd i'ch lle. Dw i wir yn credu, os ydych chi eisiau gwneud, mi gewch chi'r hyn a fynnoch.

Mi wnes i waith di-dâl hefyd. Gwirfoddoli a thalu am danwydd i fynd yn ôl ar ymlaen i Fanceinion.

Mi allwch chi wario eich pres yn mynd allan gyda'ch ffrindiau ar benwythnos ond mi allwch chi hefyd ddefnyddio'r un swm o arian i fynd i weld cwmni, i ddweud helo am hanner awr a gofyn am waith.

Mae 'na lawer o bobl gymwynasgar iawn yn y diwydiant - felly daliwch i gredu, daliwch i gredu."

I wylio'r cyfweliad llawn, cliciwch yma.