Media Parents

Fast Train – the biggest TV freelance training event ever in the UK – brought a huge buzz to White City recently.  The event was hosted by the BBC Academy, sponsored by Skillset, involved 14 training partners and commercial training providers,  and Media Parents members were out in force!  Head of Public Partnerships for BBC Academy, Donna Taberer, writes here about the day.

Head of Public Partnerships for BBC Academy, Donna Taberer. Donna is in the Media Parents NETWORK section at www.mediaparents.co.uk.

Around 350 freelancers including several Media Parents members took part in the taster training sessions and master classes. There were a total of 1,457 attendances across 72 separate practical training sessions – everything from scripting, pitching, self shooting, editing to 3D, to multi-camera directing a band. The master classes  - with some of the biggest industry names including BBC Controllers Janice Hadlow, Zai Bennett, Richard Klein and Liam Keelan, pioneering documentary producer Roger Graef, Nic Morris, director of photography of Being Human, Shine’s Jamie Munro, Silver River owner and author Daisy Goodwin, Richard McKerrow of Love Productions, ITV commissioner Jo Clinton-Davis, Channel 4’s Andrew Jackson, So Television’s Graham Stuart, and Sky’s Stuart Murphy, were also fully subscribed.

The informal feedback from the day showed just how much training is valued by freelances. 87% of attendees said they found the day extremely useful and the other 13% very useful. 100% would consider booking more training after Fast Train and 100% would be interested in attending next year.

Donna Taberer, Fast Train organiser, said, ‘We were amazed at the response to Fast Train, and to the demand for places.  We’ve had nothing but positive feedback from delegates and contributors. There was overwhelming gratitude that the BBC, along with partners, could offer such a range of training and all for free. The day had amazing support from BBC programme makers and executives.  We’re now actively looking to see how we can replicate the event in other parts of the UK.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUCkLGrqXhE link to Fast Train film featuring Janice Hadlow, Roger Graef, Anne Morrison and others.  Please go here for further information www.bbc.co.uk/academy

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