Media Parents

Monthly Archives: February 2017

Media Parents March Negotiating Event

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Ever wanted to feel confident negotiating your contract / rate / flexibility at work? Thank you to everyone who joined us for Q&A and helpful tips from Line Producer Jude Winstanley of the Unit List and production companies including Endemol Shine, Twenty Twenty, Plum Pictures, with Media Parents’ Amy Walker amongst others…

"Make friends with Production Managers, they have the intel on rates" suggested Jude Winstanley. Pictured with Media Parents Director Amy Walker.

If you can’t attend Wednesday’s event feel free to send us questions via the contact button at www.mediaparents.co.uk ASAP.

Jude Winstanley, freelance Line Producer & Production Manager

Jude has worked in broadcast TV for 20 years and is currently a freelance, Line Producer, trainer and founder of TV industry online jobs board The Unit List.

Jude is also a volunteer events producer for the Royal Television Society Futures team and is regularly invited to take part in a wide range of consultations on industry development.  Her experience covers a range of genres; entertainment, factual, factual entertainment, documentary and children’s.

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February 27, 2017 @ 10:04 pm Posted in News Comments Off

5 minutes with PD Alicky Sussman on jobsharing

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For the past year and a half, PDs Alicky Sussman and Milla Harrison have been job sharing. As PDs we have made two 60 min programmes together for BBC2 science series, Horizon (still on iPlayer) writes Alicky, and edit produced on Channel 4 rig show, Eden.

PD Alicky Sussman, right, with job share partner Milla Harrison

Our experience has been incredibly positive – as a team we are creative and efficient, delivering well-received programmes on time and in budget – but crucially we have also maintained a good work/life balance.

Find a job-sharing partner

When we were given our first job-sharing opportunity, it helped enormously that we presented ourselves as a ready-made partnership to Horizon editor, Steve Crabtree. Steve was able to see exactly what skills and experience he was getting, and then make a judgment – in just the same way that he would have done if we were applying as individuals. Media Parents profiles have a job share function so you can link to preferred partners after requesting to see their CVs.

Minimize the risk for your employer

Opportunities are more likely to come from people you know, or in areas where you have a proven track record. Milla and I both had previous experience making Horizons, and we had both worked with Eden’s Series Editor, Sunshine Jackson. A huge part of making the job share work has been these supportive bosses, who knew and trusted us.

Flex and compromise

For all the productions we have worked on, we have tried to be as flexible as possible to fit in with programme needs. On Horizon Milla worked 4 days a week spread over 5 and I worked 3 days spread over 4. To make this work budget-wise, we sacrificed having a full-time researcher (a Horizon is usually staffed with a full time researcher and full time PD). When edit producing on Eden we were contracted to work 2.5 days each, but agreed together at the start of the project that we would work an additional half day (usually at home) to fully hand over to each other.

Alicky Sussman, 3rd from left, with Milla Harrison, fourth from left on a Raising Films / BBC panel with Media Parents Director Amy Walker (photo : BBC)

Better together

Milla and I have a similar but not identical skill-set, and a combined 40 years TV experience. Together, we are quicker at writing scripts and making decisions. On location we take turns to be the Director or the Researcher/AP, reducing the pressure of a big shoot.

In the edit, we work on different sections of the script before passing to the other to refine. On days off, the films whirr away in the back of our minds, allowing for new, more creative ideas. Organisation and communication is key to making the partnership work. In the edit we avoid repeating or contradicting by writing detailed daily handovers, which include a plan for the following day.

No room for competition or egos

You have to trust your job-sharing partner and accept that there will be times when you have to compromise – job sharing may not be for everybody! When it works as it has done for us it benefits both employers and freelancers in a life-changing, work-enhancing way – we are both looking for work now so I hope more employers will be receptive to job sharing ongoing.

so how do you negotiate rates for a job share? find out at our March 1st event

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/13394/alicky-sussman

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/13545/milla-harrison

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08c3v47

Media Parents is brilliant for jobs, networking and training - join now for our next event on how to negotiate at www.mediaparents.co.uk

February 20, 2017 @ 8:19 pm Posted in News Comments Off

FREE initiative for emerging filmmakers

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Modern Tales is a FREE five-month story and professional development initiative for emerging BAME, female and disabled filmmakers.

Media Parents is brilliant for jobs, networking and training - join now at www.mediaparents.co.uk

The programme supports writers, directors and producers in the development of longform dramatic fiction (feature film, series, serials, webisodes) that reflects the unique intellect, imagination and experience of diverse emerging filmmakers and that is also market conscious, industry aware and distinctly creative. Modern Tales is passionately committed to making a significant impact on the diversity issues the Film & TV industry faces. We believe that the training scheme we have devised, which utilises an innovative 360 approach to traditional script development, offers diverse emerging filmmakers a real opportunity to develop their projects and progress themselves as filmmakers in a way that will significantly enhance their career prospects and their ability to make a discernible impact on the industry. We have consulted widely, listened to feedback and discussed the barriers our target communities face in the industry.

In order to remove any potential cost barriers to those wanting to apply, we are pleased to announce that we will now be offering bursaries covering the full cost of the fees for all successful project development teams. This means that all the selected project development teams will be able to access the full 5 month programme for free. Please download project development application guidelines from the website for further details, follow our social media feeds or feel free to contact us at info@moderntales.co.uk.

Our unique five month development programme based in London offers:

• 8 day-long training sessions in the creation and marketing of fictional material forfilm, TV and online platforms

• Online support from industry mentors and access to an online peer community• An opportunity to network with other film creatives

• Individual project development for selected teams. Those teams participating in project development will progress to a developed long-form fiction project and additional content packaged in a portfolio to present to industry. They will also get the chance to pitch their project to Development Executives.

Tickets will still be made available for all eight individual training sessions for those not applying for full project development but who still wish to attend individual course days. For More Information: Visit www.moderntales.co.uk

February 14, 2017 @ 3:20 pm Posted in News Comments Off

Media Parents February CV Workshop

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BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND – CV need some help? Join Media Parents at this CV Workshop run by Amy Walker, Media Parents Director. To book a place at this Wednesday’s CV event see the watercooler at www.mediaparents.co.uk.

See the recap of the tips freelancers found most useful here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/361712127460/

Amy Walker (right) at a Media Parents event in Bristol

Some testimonials :

“Thanks for a really useful evening Amy. I realised  my CV had become a list of jobs rather than an a document that sells me to prospective employers. Top tip from the evening – If you’re applying for different roles, have a CV for each listing the relevant experience at the top as the person reading it may not make it down to the bottom of page two..” Ian, Series Producer
“Thank you for the MediaParents CV workshop, which was absolutely brilliant.” Clare, PM, Line Producer

“Thank you for a fantastic session, it was really helpful.” Kerry, Researcher.

If you need some CV inspiration please read the links below :

https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2014/01/new-year-new-cv-new-job/

https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2015/11/media-parents-cv-ae-hosted-by-fremantlemedia-uk/

www.mediaparents.co.uk – it’s still the jobsite with the largest number of great jobs per capita in TV!

Media Parents is brilliant for jobs, networking and training - join now at www.mediaparents.co.uk

February 6, 2017 @ 3:47 pm Posted in News Comments Off