Media Parents

A huge thank you to all the fun people who attended Media Parents’ Christmas Drinks, kindly hosted by ClearCut. We had a laugh – and we sang! It was great to meet and catch up with everyone, and it was a lot of fun thanks to the Media Parents gang and the ClearCut team. Save the date – January 28th for more evening fun at Fabric! More info will follow in January, so in the meantime, Media Parents wishes you and yours a great Christmas!

The mood was informal from the get-go Media Parents Director Amy Walker here with Box to Box's Emily Freshwater

Big Fish Little Fish's Ros Atille and Strawberry Blond's Steve Wynne were in good voice!

... As were SP Matt Holden and Editor Jonny Strachan

Thanks to everyone for being good sports on the singing front, including Dragonfly's Gayl Paterson and Tina Lohmann from Soho Studios

In the crowd Arrow Media's Anna Coane, with Anika Pilnei

Composer Isa Suarez is probably still recovering from the singing - congratulations on your Arts Council project funding Isa!

Huge thank yous to ClearCut's Rowan Bray and team, here in the crowd with Iain Pelling and Soho Studios' Ian Lamarra amongst others

Cheers everyone and a Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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Save the date: Jan 28th social at Fabric. To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer

Thank you to the lovely team at Clear Cut who will be hosting our Media Parents Christmas Drinks in December. I’m delighted to say that we will be joined by a sparkling array of talented freelancers, HOPs/MDs/Heads of including Tina Lohmann and Ian Lamarra from Soho Studios, Steve Wynne from Strawberry Blond, Iain Pelling of Arrow Media, Clare Holman from King & Conqueror etc, Ros Attille from Big Fish Little Fish, Gayl Paterson from Dragonfly, Emily Freshwater from Box to Box, ex SKY commissioner Adam MacDonald… so many talents in a very warm room. If you have your ticket then we look forward to seeing you there!

We have enjoyed many drinks over the years at Media Parents

GUEST LIST:

These events are a lot of work to organise, but a lot of fun when you get to meet people. Media Parents Director Amy Walker, pictured right of frame.

A big thank you to everyone who has helped organise our events, including Joanna Gretton (right) with Amy Walker at Media Parents Summer Party 2017

Claire Woodward, thank you for all your help and humour!

There won't be any CVs at this event, just drinks - hope you can make it and thank you to Rowan and our gracious hosts Clear Cut

To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer

If you fancy meeting and reconnecting with TV contacts then please join us for a well-earned drink in Central London this September. Media Parents drinks are always fun and informal, and this time they are kindly being hosted by Rowan Bray and the Clearcut team.

Media Parents Spring Drinks with, from left, Presenter Sunita Shroff, Soho-Studios HOP Tina Lohmann, PD Jim Shreim and Media Parents' Amy Walker

To give you a flavour here are a few pics from our Spring Drinks! Scroll down the blog for more.

Thanks to BBC Commissioner Caroline O'Neill for joining us and speaking with her interpreter.

A good time was had by all!

To join us for drinks please use the link on Media Parents watercooler or drop us a line. See you on the 23rd!

To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer

DIARY OF AN OUT OF WORK PRODUCTION MANAGER – PART 2

March 2025 – RECAP

“I started on Wednesday” writes PM Michele Kimber, “The team are lovely, it’s going to be a graft with what needs to be done in a very short time, but am back on the bus and loving it! Stay strong, jobs are coming in, they may not be the long contracts that people are used to, but they are coming in.” Writing for this blog provides a way to reconnect with old contacts and forge new ones, so don’t be shy! Michele got amazing feedback for her other blog!

SPOILER ALERT: PM Michele Kimber and Editor Daren Tiley in this Media Parents drinks throng somewhere - now working together...

April 2025

The job turned from 5 weeks into just over 11 weeks, the turn around for the shoot was pretty epic and having been out of the loop for such a long time it was hard work. At times I really wondered whether I was up to it:  locations kept falling down, getting the right cast sorted to be approved by the channel, we literally found the location and cast 2 days before we needed to shoot. I had to learn new finance systems (oh boy, that was hard!) I almost broke IT as well trying to log on 1) at home and 2) on the shoot.

Three intensive and long days filming  (added bonus on location, dogs – four dogs that just wanted to play, what’s not to love!)  Editing was starting on last day of filming and during pre-production I discovered I was going to work with an Editor that I knew by name and CV and actually met at the Media Parents networking Christmas drinks, Daren Tiley, so always well worth going to events whatever time of year! (and if you don’t feel like it!)

May 2025

Having stayed longer than expected, it was time to go. The 2-part series went out.  We smashed it for Channel 5 on 2 Saturday night’s including against the final of BGT.  Got the highest ratings for the Channel and they loved it.

June 2025

The Channel have commissioned another 2 episodes, and I’ve been asked back, as have the rest of the Production team. This time we’ll be ready for the onslaught, we know what the pitfalls will be (many!) but to be asked back again for 5 weeks, to me is a win.  A massive win, and a total confidence booster.

Tinx the Cat. Still not working.

Cat Update.

He has started to sleep on my pillow from around 6am.  I end up half way down the bed to avoid his tail (for that read bottom) being next to my nose; his paws jabbing my face, and his entire body pulling my hair.  I still pretend I’m asleep despite the above.  Food and water is provided at all times!

To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer

Four Daughters vineyard in Kent is a lovely family business offering Media Parents members a discount on their Gift a Tree packages which make a great Father’s Day or birthday gift. Media Parents Director Amy Walker was delighted to meet the Kentish family behind the farm and vineyard after gifting a cherry tree crop to her mum.

In full bloom - Warner Bros Chloe Arbuckle Brown with Media Parents Director Amy Walker

My mum was overseas for the cherry blossom walk in April so I took a walk in the orchards at Four Daughters with former Warner Bros Health and Wellness Manager Chloe Arbuckle Brown. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous with views across Kent, so walking with a friend was good for the soul.

The guided tour of the vineyard in the sunshine was glorious and informative

We got to visit our tree and inspect the blossoms! Ours is a cherry, and there are also apricots which I’m assured are delicious. Cherry picking will take place on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th of July, and apricots will be ready on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of August. If you fancy bagging a tree use the code TREE10! to get 10% off the price – the family is expecting a bumper crop with this great weather.

"Good for the soul" forest bathing in Kent (sort of)

After the expertly guided walk, the Baxter family, which has worked the farm for four generations, treated us to a lovely buffet lunch and a glass of wine from the estate. I bought some delicious young walnuts grown on the farm, and we were sent home with a complimentary bottle from the vineyard. It’s a fantastic day out for family and friends, click here to find out more. Happy Father’s Day!

To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Central London for Media Parents Spring Drinks!

BBC Commissioner Caroline O'Neill addresses the crowd at Media Parents Spring Drinks

A glittering array of talented freelancers attended and companies represented included BBC Commissioner Caroline O’Neill,  ITN, STV, Dragonfly Film & TV, Storytailors, ClearCut, Arrow Media, Box to Box Films, Brinkworth Productions Ltd, Big Fish, Little Fish, new indies Samphire Films and Soho Studios, South Shore,We Are Doc Women and of course Media Parents. Captions will be added soon, thanks for making it a fun night!

A big thank you to Presenter Sunita Shroff for taking great photos

PD Jim Shreim at Media Parents Spring Drinks with, from left, Presenter Sunita Shroff, Soho-Studios HOP Tina Lohmann, and Media Parents' Amy Walker

Thank you everyone for joining us – look forward to the next one!

To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer

Milla from Pink Storm Social hosts the event for the Women Entrepreneurs Group

What should you post?

Do hashtags even matter any more?

How do people make reels that don’t feel cringe?

Why is your content getting zero traction when you’re doing all the “right” things?

Media Parents readers get 25% off membership for 6 months with the code CELEBRATE.

There’s no minimum term, the membership is monthly, so you can stay for as long as it serves you, and cancel anytime.

Head to the link below and use the coupon code when you join:

https://www.thewomenentrepreneursgroup.com

If you’re feeling the nudge to take your next step, to grow a business, promote your freelance work, or finally acting on that idea you’ve had in the back of your mind, then we’d love to support you.

To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer

PD Jim Shreim at Media Parents Spring Drinks with, from left, Presenter Sunita Shroff, Soho-Studios HOP Tina Lohmann, and Media Parents' Amy Walker

Jim Shreim, PD and DJ is British-Jordanian, fluent in Portuguese, and started his career as Brazil’s go to fixer for UK television production before coming to the UK and being hired by Media Parents’ Amy Walker in his first UK role! Since then Jim’s work has been acclaimed, his Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year winner’s film featuring a commission for The Science Museum was nominated for the Climate Impact Award at The Edinburgh TV Festival 2024.  In addition to his TV work, Jim’s latest role is DJing at Woody Cook (Zoe Ball x Norman Cook’s son)’s family festival, Catchella. The Catchella team kindly donated a family ticket for 4 to the SOLD OUT festival to a Media Parents family…

PD and Edit Producer Jim Shreim aka Jim Jamal - he will feature in the Catchella line up

Woody Cook is known for his high-energy performances and ability to captivate audiences worldwide, Woody has played at iconic venues such as Fabric and Ministry of Sound, as well as international hotspots in New York, Iceland, Spain, and Germany. His unique ability to gauge the crowd’s vibe and seamlessly blend genres promises to make his set at CAT-CHELLA 2025 an unforgettable experience.

More from Jim: Since working in the UK I became an experienced producer director with three self-shootng series director credits under my belt and now work mainly as an edit producer – a job I love.

Having worked on many prestigious projects on location and in the edit, I aim to make programmes on subjects of genuine interest such as music, sport, food, travel and the arts. My lifelong obsession with music means I have a great ear to soundtrack any film.

To contact Jim go here: https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/3150/jim-shreim

Cat-Chella 2025 at The Barns, Lodge Farm A Family Day Rave Featuring Headline DJ Woody Cook, DJ Jim Jamal and more…

HOUSECATS is thrilled to announce the launch of CAT-CH ELLA 2025, its fifth event, taking place at The Barns at Lodge Farm in Nazeing, Essex. This highly anticipated mini family-friendly festival promises an unforgettable day of music, fun, and community vibes, featuring the incredible Woody Cook as the headline DJ.

Catchella flyer

Set against the picturesque backdrop of rolling countryside and rustic barn spaces, CAT-CHELLA 2025 will showcase an exciting lineup of live music, performances, creative markets, and a variety of food stalls to cater to all tastes. Designed with families in mind, this one-day celebration offers a safe, inclusive, and relaxed environment for all ages to enjoy.

To fully benefit from Media Parents join us here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer