Media Parents

Media Parents Autumn Drinks Gallery

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Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for Media Parents Autumn Drinks – we had a great time! Freelancers met with hirers including ITN, All3Media, Dragonfly, Yes Yes Media both in the room and live from the event on zoom. We were so well looked after by the ClearCut Pictures team led by Rowan Bray and Phil Knowles – thank you! Watch this space for more, join us at Media Parents to join in!

Join us inside... Media Parents for networking, jobs, training and community https://www.mediaparents.co.uk

Big Fish Little Fish Head of Children's and Young Audiences Ros Attille has a serious discussion about fashion with the ClearCut team. Richard studies the floor

Dragonfly's Head of Talent Gayl Paterson chats with freelance PD Tom Colvile

“Thank you for a lovely evening!” Jo, Exec Producer

Freelancers Mav Brown PM and Tom Colvile, with Story Films' LP Donna Blackburn

All3Media's Annie Conlon, centre, and PM Michele Smith left.

“Glad it was fun,  it felt very retro to be meeting in person!   I think it was a mixture of reassuring those who are looking for work and networking for those in work, seemed a really positive event.” Rowan, ClearCut Pictures

Producer Katie Flamman with Offline Editor Daren Tiley, very pleased to be back on the blog after all this time. Editor Liz Convey behind

PD Lorraine Molloy, left, made it all the way from Cornwall. PD Heidi Perry with ClearCut MD Rowan Bray. Thank you so much for lovely hosting

“Thanks for a brilliant meet up last night, it was really nice to catch up with some familiar faces, and meet some new ones too. And it was so nice of Clear Cut to host again.” Anna, Producer / SP

Huge thanks to Offline Editor Alex Kirkland who hosted a simultaneous zoom from the event, joined by freelancers and companies

Tinopolis' Katie McAfee was no sooner through the door than she was zooming - thank you Katie

It was great to have you around and I’m glad everyone enjoyed themselves. Was good to see everyone get over the initial awkwardness and socialise.” Phil, ClearCut Pictures

Director of Production Sarah Buckenham from Yes Yes Media meets with a returning freelancer

Thank you Zara McFadden ITN for making everyone laugh on zoom

“Great to meet the other night. Really good event and good energy in the room!” Jim, SP

I love this pic of Producer Julie Dawson-Wills

Box to Box's LP Emily Freshwater and Scripted PM Richard Godfrey had a laugh with the zoom attendees

This is just a quick note to how much I enjoyed yesterday evening’s Autumn Drinks at ClearCut Bloomsbury. Thank you for arranging the evening and making sure that I was meeting other invitees that might be relevant to my career.” Richard, PM

“A quick thank you for organising the event last night. It was great (and a bit strange) to be among so many people. And thanks also for all you’re doing to support everyone just now.” Tom, SP

Media Parents' Amy Walker with returner Steph Carpanini - thank you Jo Woolf for the photo!

A good time was had by all. It can be a lot to get to an in person event after working remotely, or looking for work for a while. The energy in the room was great, and the garden was good to escape to too!

“Thank you so much for organising such a lovely event last night. It was so nice to meet yourself and so many others in real life!

Thanks also very much to Clearcut for hosting – and I’m so sorry that we outstayed our welcome! How did it get to 9pm so quickly?!” PD, Eliza

Spot the back of Little Bird TV SP / Exec Matt Holden. Thanks Jules Seymour for the photo

Yes Yes Media's HOP Sarah Buckenham with Lucy Maxwell, Community Development Manager from Film + TV Charity. FTVC have available funding for freelancers who need stopgap help to pay rent and bills, and also have free available counselling support for freelancers - get in touch with FTVC to find out more

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for Media Parents Autumn Drinks – we had a great time! Freelancers met with hirers including ITN, All3Media, Dragonfly, Yes Yes Media both in the room and live from the event on zoom. We were so well looked after by the ClearCut Pictures team led by Rowan Bray and Phil Knowles – thank you! Watch this space for more, join us at Media Parents to join in!

www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in TV

October 18, 2024 @ 5:35 pm Posted in Events, News, TV Returners Comments Off

An Introduction to Edit Producing with Jo Woolf

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Edit Producing is one of the more family-friendly roles in TV and one that TV Trainer and Exec, Jo Woolf, decided to move into over 15 years ago when she started her family.

Edit Producer Trainer Jo Woolf, left, at Media Parents Autumn Drinks in Bloomsbury - a good time was had by all

Jo now runs Edit Producer training as well as working on productions and on Wednesday 6th November she is running a special session for Media Parents members with her top tips about Edit Producing, including a Q and A. If you are new to edit producing, or want a refresher, then this 1 hour free session, hosted by Media Parents Director Amy Walker, is for you. Contact Media Parents for the booking link.

www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in media. For free events for subscribers go here: https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk

October 21, 2024 @ 8:49 pm Posted in News Comments Off

5 minutes with Edit Producer Heidi Perry

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Returning to TV as a Producer/Director after my second break in 25 years seems like a bold move when 60% of the industry is still out of work writes Edit Producer Heidi Perry. I’ve tried to reinvent myself as a charity communications manager and PR a few times but I always find I’m longing to do what I do best; collaborating with contributors and finding the gold in hours of rushes to tell a powerful story. Unscripted TV of any kind – I actually love it all – is in my DNA. On a shoot or in the edit, everything makes sense. And I know that the more experience I have of life and of other kinds of work, the more I become a better Producer/Director or Edit Producer. To this end I attended Media Parents Autumn Drinks and had a surprisingly great time, meeting some great hirers and freelancers.

Heidi Perry, centre, was on great form at Media Parents Autumn D. Pictured here with ClearCut MD Rowan Bray, hosting

While travelling with my family last year, I made 5 episodes of Shamba Shape-Up, a popular farm makeover show that goes out to 8 million viewers across East Africa. Filming with a Kenyan crew was an incredible experience and made me want to go back to TV more than ever. So I’m jumping back in! So far I’ve had some feature doc development work with Blackbox Multimedia and I’m putting feelers out for edit producing or directing. The commissioning landscape has changed considerably since I last left, but adaptability is a superpower possessed by anyone working in TV, and I have it in spades. I also have a passion for TV that I can’t shake and valuable experience I know I can put to great use.

Heidi Perry on location in Kenya

The first time I left TV, after a trip to Cameroon undercover filming Crime Scene Wild for Animal Planet, it was because on my return, my two-year old daughter Nina gave me one look and strolled nonchalantly away. It was clearly time to stop going away all the time and luckily, alternatives came along: the first at Immediate Films directing charity fundraising films that would raise £1 million at high-profile events. The second was making films for the Ministry of Justice about the issues faced by vulnerable women in the criminal justice system. Making films with a purpose honed my storytelling fast and I learnt how to impact an audience in different ways.

Heidi Perry shooting in the Cameroon for Animal Planet

When my daughter was older, I tried TV again. I’d missed the camaraderie and collaboration of team-working across a series. I did some development in BBC Specialist Factual, a Hairy Bikers’ food history series, an Antiques Roadshow spin-off obs doc, a few series of Bargain Hunt. Then I fell in love with fixed rig filming as a P/D on One Born Every Minute and The Hotel for C4.

Although bouts of edit producing made TV more compatible with parenting, when my relationship ended, I struggled as a single mum on freelance contracts. So I took an offer of a secure job in a national children’s charity. People asked if I missed TV and I’d call to mind squeezed budgets and crazy hours, trying to convince myself and them that I didn’t, but in truth I missed it unbearably. Now it feels wrong not to be doing what I love so much. So here goes again…fingers crossed!

@ 3:00 pm Posted in Freelancer Profiles, News, TV Returners Comments Off

5 minutes with Edit Producer Sarah Mckenzie webb

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Back in the Game: My journey as a new Mum and job-sharing Edit Producer

Juggling life as a new mum and diving back into the world of TV post- production felt daunting! writes Edit Producer Sarah Mckenzie Webb. But after 10 months of maternity leave, I was eager to return to work, and ideally I needed something that would let me be the mum I wanted to be while still flexing my creative muscles. That’s when luck stepped in – I landed a job share on a show I know like the back of my hand: Married at First Sight UK.

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/18399/sarah-mckenzie-webb

This opportunity was perfect for dipping my toes back into the TV pool. I was paired with Lydia Akonas, another lovely mum and very established Producer and together, we had all the ingredients to whip up something great. I brought my seven series of MAFS UK/AU experience to the table, while Lydia added her fantastic background in big entertainment shows and reality TV.

Our setup was pretty ideal: Lydia took the reins from Monday to Wednesday, and I wrapped things up on Thursday and Friday. Working consecutive days gave our editor, Will Porter, the continuity he needed and kept our workload smooth and steady. We kept in sync with phone calls, WhatsApp messages, sharepoint documents and by cc’ing each other on every email. We made sure that every note or piece of info was shared between us, so no one was left out of the loop, nor needed to repeat themselves.

One of my favourite parts? The voice notes Lydia would send at the end of her days – long, detailed updates that got me pumped to jump back in. It’s a system that worked brilliantly for us and, honestly, made me realise that job sharing is my new secret weapon for balancing work and motherhood.

Between Lydia and me, with our combined experience on shows like Britain’s Got TalentI’m a CelebCelebs Go DatingLove is Blind, and Big Brother, we managed to craft an episode that was even better than before. Two producer brains (plus our awesome editor) really do make magic!

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/18399/sarah-mckenzie-webb

This gig has shown me that I can have the best of both worlds – doing what I love while being there for my daughter. It’s a balance I’m excited to keep in my future projects.

Now, I’m on the lookout for my next Edit Producer role. Ideally, another job share with a fellow talented producer. If you’re reading this and want to chat, whether over a real or virtual coffee, hit me up via Media Parents. Let’s make some TV magic together!

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/18399/sarah-mckenzie-webb

Our next event is Autumn Drinks in London www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in media. For free events for subscribers go here: https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2024/08/event/

October 11, 2024 @ 11:35 am Posted in News Comments Off

5 minutes with Senior Producer Jodie Chillery

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September is synonymous with the back-to-school rush when reality slaps us hard in the face as summer memories fade and we resume our 9 to 5 timetable writes Senior Producer Jodie Chillery.

September is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, giving us an even harder dose of reality faced by an increasing number of families worldwide, many of whom would do anything to endure the routine slog of back-to-school preparation. So would you settle in on a cosy September evening for a 90 minute documentary on the subject?

You’d be forgiven for finding alternative viewing, but if Nile Rodgers and Joely Richardson can throw their weight behind it, then perhaps so can you. If you need further persuasion this opening paragraph from The Telegraph’s TV review might do it.

“A documentary about children with cancer might sound like punishingly grim viewing. A sort of misery safari for rubberneckers to wallow in tragedy. Kids Like Us (Sky/NOW) defies all such expectations. This feature-length film is uplifting, frequently funny and really rather beautiful.”

I wrote about my experience working on this project here (https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2024/03/5-minutes-with-senior-producer-jodie-chillery/) back at Easter. Now I can shout about it, and it is possibly the most shouted about film I’ve been involved with. When I started out on BBC’s Watchdog, long before social media and when BBC1 primetime consumer affairs shows regularly courted 8 million viewers, I used to get a bit excited, butterflies as the title music rolled and we went live to the nation’s households.

As the years went by, traditional TV audiences diminished along with the novelty of my career, that buzz I felt as a fledgling runner never quite replicated. Last week, Kids Like Us, a 90 minute feature documentary produced by Echo Velvet in association with Children With Cancer UK and available now on SKY/NOW TV was played out on Leicester Square’s IMAX screen with over 700 people in attendance. A VIP red carpet event sponsored by pladis Global  and hosted by Cineworld was a spectacle that the factual documentary genre rarely enjoys. If September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, what more awareness could you want with Nile Rodgers, Sophie Capewell, Ashley Cain, Tracey Ann Oberman and Brentford manager Thomas Frank all making an appearance.

Jodie Chillery's profile: Jodie Chillery Senior Producer (also available now for job opportunities!) Jodie has had work through Media Parents and now wants more! To contact Jodie log in to Media Parents and click here: https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4945/jodie-chillery

This glitzy affair must surely be a career highlight worthy of that kind of juvenile excitement first felt back on Watchdog. Yet, amongst the glitz and glam of the evening, something way more significant occurred, perhaps the real career highlight and most definitely the reason you should tune in.

One of our contributors hugged me and whispered “Thank you, you’ll never know how grateful we are for giving us a voice, filming with you has been life changing for all of us.” I don’t recall a contributor saying anything quite like that to me before, not with so much emotion for sure. For me it cements the importance of documentary programming and if we were able to give these kids a voice, they now need to be listened to, it’s the least they deserve. Available now Kids Like Us on SKY/NOW TV.

Jodie Chillery Senior Producer (also available now for job opportunities!) Jodie has had work through Media Parents and now wants more! To contact Jodie log in to Media Parents and click here: https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4945/jodie-chillery

October 1, 2024 @ 9:28 pm Posted in News Comments Off

5 minutes with Media Parents Amy Walker

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How have you been filling your time when not working? Asks Media Parents Director Amy Walker. (Media Parents is running a series of free courses for freelancers so job applications hit the spot and it’s been great to meet so many talented freelancers through those. Make sure you catch the networking workshop before Media Parents Autumn Drinks!)  I love wild swimming and as well as all the sh*t in TV, I am infuriated by what’s happening in our waterways, so I’ve signed up to Surfers Against Sewage A Dip a Day in October largely to raise awareness of how often we cannot swim in the water these days due to dumping. I’ve enlisted champion wild swimmer Doon Mackichan (Toast / Two Doors Down / Smack the Pony) to help me face the brown water problem.

Actress Doon Mackichan will be cold water swimming with media parents Amy Walker in September

This weekend Doon is running her annual wild swimming and writing retreat in Scotland. I’m heading there to try to get my creative back after this soul-destroying period in TV, and partly as a way to limber up for October’s Dip A Day. Scotland, in my experience, is always a season ahead of England, so I figured if I can swim in a loch in “skins” in September, the English Channel in October is going to feel practically Mediterranean.

If you know me you know I don’t do things by halves, but actor and stand up Doon Mackichan is way beyond me in those stakes. Her book My Lady Parts details her dynamic progression from cold water to cross channel swimmer; motherhood successfully raising a child through leukaemia; and countless freelance career battles that anyone in TV can relate to and be inspired by. All this with a sense of humour and a strongly feminist punch.

Amy Walker, Media Parents Director looking warm and dry. Brace yourself for October's Dip a Day (photo: Robert Ludovic)

The TV situation, the sewage situation – both cr*p. No real solutions in sight yet. So let’s face it, if this slightly risky experiment to boost creativity and immunity doesn’t work, at least with Doon I will hopefully die laughing.

To sponsor Amy’s Dip a Day go here. Actually we have raised more than the target already so if you would like to join me in supporting a charity that gives families Christmas Dinner and Christmas gifts who would not otherwise receive them then please go here: https://survivingchristmas.co.uk/ I’ll swim for that!

www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in media. For free events for subscribers go here: https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2024/08/event/

September 15, 2024 @ 4:36 pm Posted in News Comments Off

Event: Ace Your Job Applications with Media Parents

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Back to School comes with its added pressure of Back to Work for some of us, writes Media Parents Head of Talent Amy Walker. Media Parents is offering subscribers brilliant free coaching workshops, online and in person, to make sure your online applications hit the spot. Participants are a mix of freelancers looking to improve their applications and returners working on their application tactics for relaunch. It’s always a friendly and supportive group online and in person.

Join Media Parents for jobs, masterclasses and networking

Join us on Friday September 20th at 10:00 for a cracking overview session : Ace Your Applications – and get (back to) work. The 45 minute online / in person event will be led by Media Parents’ Amy Walker. The session will be followed at 11:00am by a second online / in person event focusing on TV CVs. This small interactive event has big ambitions to help you navigate best practice in TV CVs and gives us the chance to workshop. Led by Media Parents Head of Talent Amy Walker it is one in a series of events giving an overview of TV applications – cover letter, CV wins, Zoom presenting and interview tips – so you nail the opportunities that are out there.

Amy Walker leads Media Parents freelancers in an Ace Your Job Application Masterclass online

To find out more and sign up to sessions go here. All sessions are free to Media Parents subscribers – if you are not yet a subscriber go here to subscribe, or message us here for more information.

Friday Oct 11th Event

Click here for a ticket to Ace Your Applications General Event 10am Friday 11th Oct

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1014480196577

Click here for a ticket to Interviews and Networking Masterclass Friday 11th Oct 11am

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/interviews-and-networking-friday-11th-oct-ace-your-job-application-tickets-1014508651687 As this session is also about job interviews please bring a list of questions you anticipate at a job interview.

If you would like to join Amy Walker in person for this final training event, you can book a place at no extra cost in the gorgeous private room at renowned gastropub The Crown, Hastings. Taking a day out by the sea can be a great way to clear your mind and bring a fresh perspective to your career path. The food at The Crown is great so I highly recommend booking for lunch afterwards. Email for details.

Events are free to subscribers, informal and in a small group. You can join camera on or cam off and ask questions in the chat. If you are not a subscriber or you have questions in advance hit us up via the contact button on Media Parents website.

Keen beans can prep in advance for the event by reading and working with Media Parents CV blog with tips from loads of industry employers, and Amy Walker and TV friends’ cover letter tips.

If you’re looking for work at this point and some extra support would help see the links below for the Film + TV Charity’s FREE Counselling service. Having worked with and interviewed many returners I would urge you to talk through the barriers of getting back to work before your interviews, so these feelings have been aired and are not the focus of your interview conversation. This helpline from Film + TV Charity 0800 054 0000 is not The Samaritans – it’s for people who want to talk and offload the problems of TV, or not working in TV, yet. https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/get-support/get-help-now/

Media Parents Autumn Drinks in London Tuesday October 15th

www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in media. Join our latest event on Friday 11th October from 10am til midday.

August 26, 2024 @ 9:10 pm Posted in Events, How To, News, TV Returners, TV Training Comments Off

5 minutes with set photographer Samuel Dore

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My name is Samuel Dore and I’m a UK-based Unit Stills Photographer who’s worked on a range of TV dramas and feature films. I’ve often been asked by various production companies and publicists on how to work with me as I am Deaf / BSL (British Sign Language) so I made this little video below to explain how easy and straightforward it is.

Michael Sheen as photographed by Samuel Dore on the set of Best Interests. https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/18241/samuel-dore

I want to try and encourage non-disabled people to see there are effective ways of working with Deaf and Disabled crew.
Please click to watch the Video – https://vimeo.com/953060055

kit connor and joe locke looking to the left in Heartstopper

Samuel Dore unit stills Heartstopper Kit Connor and Joe Locke


Blackwater Lane poster

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/18241/samuel-dore

www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in media. We offer free CV advice for subscribers


August 13, 2024 @ 11:29 am Posted in Freelancer Profiles, How To, News, TV Training Comments Off

5 minutes with Director Anthony Willis

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I started editing TV back in the late 90s, writes Director Anthony Willis. I always intended to become a director at some stage, but that took rather a long time to become my main work. I edited films for dozens of genres including live multi camera music shows, obs docs and TV commercials. I had (and hopefully still have) a great reputation as an editor.

Anthony Willis directing on the Connections set

My first proper regular directing job was in 2010. I worked for a year as a PD for a music TV prod co. Perhaps unwisely, I went back to editing in 2011, as I got offered the editing role on a feature film.

I wrote and directed my own short film, a sci-Fi drama called Escapement, in 2013 – 2014. I paid for the production myself, but it would not have been possible without an incredible amount of favours from tons of my friends and colleagues. Their generosity really gave me a boost, as after this the directing work became more regular.

Editor turned Director Anthony Willis

In 2018 I started working as a director with my chums at Bigger Bang. Over the last six years we’ve made tons of amazing films about science and history, which are huge interests of mine. I’m incredibly proud of the films we’ve made, like Emmy-nominated Secrets of the Solar System and Connections with James Burke.

I love making Science & History films and I hope to make many more. However, many production companies that make these kinds of films have really struggled over the last couple of years and are now chasing commissions in other genres, as there seems to be an unwillingness to commission Science & History right now.

As a consequence, I would like to be able to get jobs in other areas of TV…

I’ve had a lot of experience of changing disciplines and it makes me wince when I read job descriptions that are overly focussed on finding people who have already worked on similar films.

“Must have medical obs-doc experience…”

“True Crime experience essential…”

I would like to encourage those posting a new job to avoid insisting that the candidate must have already done the same thing. Should we carry on like this, our industry will become balkanised – with everyone trapped in their own genre silo!

Anthony Willis encourages TV hirers to be more bold with their choices

A good filmmaker can easily jump to a different genre and do a great job. After all, the processes really are pretty universal across all of TV production.

This last six months without much TV work has also made me think more clearly about what I want out of my career. I would like to find a more happy work / life balance from now on.  Maybe a bit more diversity of the kind of work I take.

As a result of all of this, I have started teaching for editing and animation for Soho Editors Training. I’m going to get involved in academia a bit as well – I’m due to teach two filmmaking classes for the university of Hertfordshire from January.

I think this diversification is a good thing and I’m really excited about the future, but I still want exciting new opportunities to make films, no matter what the genre!

To book Director Anthony Willis click here.

ScreenSkills is running a course for freelancers who want to diversify to keep their careers going: https://www.screenskills.com/bookings/embracing-industry-change-diversifying-to-future-proof-your-freelance-career/48eaa175-35c4-4144-a2df-b8f0c3d54e5d/

www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in media. We offer free CV advice for subscribers

August 6, 2024 @ 8:23 am Posted in News Comments Off

5 minutes with Producer Donna Harry

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A Storyteller’s Journey Through Uncharted Waters

Before the industry’s recent turbulence, I was no stranger to navigating uncertain waters, writes Producer Donna Harry. With a passion for adventure, I often found solace in travelling to exotic locales during short bouts of downtime. These experiences not only broadened my horizons but also instilled in me a resilience that proved invaluable during times of professional uncertainty. However, as the industry landscape shifted and I faced the reality of unemployment, I found myself grappling with basic needs rather than the pursuit of adventure. Without a partner or parents there is no safety net and it’s scary to think  my career could be over before I’ve really achieved my ambitions.

Donna Harry, 4th from left on ScreenSkills' Edit Producer for Future SPs Scheme

When the tides turned and industry prospects dimmed, I doubled down on my craft. Through ScreenSkills’ Edit Producer for Future SPs scheme led by Jo Woolf, I’ve secured a work shadowing placement on The Apprentice. Lecturing at the National Film and Television School fueled my passion for nurturing the next generation. These endeavours kept me positive and focused on the long game – because even in the darkest moments, I trust brighter days are ahead.

But let’s be real – even in the darkest moments, hope can feel like a distant beacon. So, I embraced a Plan B – a 3-month marketing bootcamp to potentially pivot if the landscape remains uncertain. After all, versatility is key, and these new skills will only add another string to my bow.  However, pursuing this pivot comes at an emotional cost – potentially sidelining a hard-fought career I’ve poured my soul into.

Nothing has come easy on my journey. As a woman of colour from working-class roots, the odds felt perpetually stacked. Yet I’ve consistently risen above setbacks through sheer grit and an unwavering vision, carving out a space to work on programmes I’m truly proud of. Walking away from that hard-won path to start anew is a daunting prospect. But I’ve never shied away from a challenge.

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4855/donna-harry

Amidst chaos, my passion for authentic storytelling remained constant. Grounded in 15+ years uplifting diverse narratives, I’ve embraced multifaceted roles – producer, casting producer, welfare producer, editor producer – whatever the project required to bring incredible human experiences to the forefront. Whether unearthing extraordinary tales for the BAFTA-winning McCullin, discovering imaginative artists on The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge, giving a voice to disparate realities on Rich House Poor House, or forward planning on brand new build format Stacey Solomon’s Renovation Rescue,  my mission has been uncovering the extraordinary in the ordinary.

As a welfare producer, creating an ethical space where people feel safe and empowered to share their truths is paramount. On the casting side, I have a knack for identifying singular talent and pitching them in a way that lets their authenticity shine through nuanced protocols and evocative tapes. Securing institutional access is also key.

As a producer my versatility spans a range of genres – from the high-wire logistics of Stacey’s renovation series to uplifting character-driven narratives like The Farmers’ Country Showdown through edit producing.

I’m ready to chart a course through these turbulent waters. Brighter days may be on the horizon, but until then, I’ll navigate with resilience and creativity, determined to leave my mark as an enduring storyteller.

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4855/donna-harry

In an ideal world my dream scenario is for my TV career to keep evolving. Over the next few years, I’d love to really hone my storytelling skills by spending some dedicated time Edit producing. Bringing  character-driven narratives to life – that’s the kind of work that truly fulfils me. And  if I can avoid getting pigeonholed along the way, even better! Branching out into fresh formats like renovation shows, food programs, maybe even dipping into true crime…that freelancer versatility would be amazing for satisfying all my creative cravings.

But at the end of the day, what really drives me is that bigger picture goal of eventually levelling up to Series producing, nurturing the next generation of diverse filmmaking voices. Guiding them to craft their authentic perspectives and visions…that’s the dream.

Donna Harry is currently in work through Media Parents! Woohoo!

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4855/donna-harry

www.mediaparents.co.uk - the jobs and social networking site for short term, part time, job share and regular hours jobs in media. We offer free CV advice for subscribers

August 2, 2024 @ 11:42 am Posted in Freelancer Profiles, TV Training Comments Off