Media Parents is working with the BBC who are kindly hosting an evening of networking and discussion on how TV can work more flexibly, at Salford’s MediaCity on November 13th.

Media Parents will be hosting with BBC Manchester, and will be joined by Talent Execs, Managers and MDs from the BBC, ITV North, Title Role, Blakeway North, True North Productions and Nine Lives amongst other indies. The evening will include a brief discussion on flexible working in TV production, followed by an opportunity to network with local TV production freelancers, broadcasters and Indies.

Who’s coming so far? From the BBC – Daniell Morrisey, Victoria Roye, Paula Stringer, Jackie Barnett, Luke Frost, Victoria Goodwin, Helen Tonge from Title Role, Carol McKenzie from True North, Maire Tracey from Blakeway North,
Cat Lewis from Nine Lives and Katharine Oates from ITV North amongst others.

A quick reminder of the details:
Can TV Work More Flexibly in Manchester? will take place on Tuesday November 13th at 6:30pm at BBC MediaCity UK in Salford.

If you would like to join us at this FREE event we are sorry to say that applications have now closed, all successful applicants will be contacted on Monday 12th November with final details of the event. Priority will be given to Media Parents subscribers to attend this event, and please note that you need 3+ years TV experience to be a member of www.mediaparents.co.uk

Hope to see you there!

If you have more than 3 years' media experience see www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information.

On Tuesday 13th November Media Parents’ Claire Brown will be at BVE North.  Claire will be offering CV tips and advice on returning to work – FREE! Why not come along to meet us at this free event.  Here are more details of how to apply for a FREE pass. http://www.bvenorth.co.uk/

Claire Woodward, right, at the Media Parents Summer Party.

Following the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural event, BVE North 2012 returns to Manchester Central on 13-14 November 2012 with even bigger plans to inspire and educate broadcast and media professionals in the Northern regions.

With the continuing growth and development of MediaCityUK as the major hub for the region, opportunities for business have never been better and the run-up to BVE North is reflecting this optimism.

The show organisers are also pulling out all the stops to provide the expected 3000 visitors with more topical, informed and valuable free seminars, presented by the UK’s leading broadcasters, content creators and technicians. Visitors will be able to get the inside track on media industry trends, pick up insights into future broadcast technology and how this affects workflow, and learn key production and post-production skills from the practitioners at the top of their game. All seminars are free to attend and seats are allocated on a first-come, first served basis.

The Broadcast Theatre covers IT, Audio and Post Production issues, examining the latest infrastructure and tools for delivering broadcast quality images and audio in the new digital landscape. Visitors will gain valuable insights into the new tapeless workflows and how digital content is being delivered, how the lines are being blurred between production and post, and the new skillsets required by post professionals to integrate IT into everyday workflows.

Speakers include Tim Sargeant, Head of Technology, BBC North, examining how major broadcasters are developing their workflow and infrastructure around the challenges of managing data, moving assets around and working at scale;

Mike Thornton, Audio Meister, hosting an essential workshop session on handling audio post production for self-shot film, identifying the necessary tools and providing key tips and tricks for getting better results, faster; and Andy Wild, Technical Director, CauseandFX, discussing the crucial issues of managing meta data, from where it fits in the workflow to the benefits it brings for commercialising assets.

In addition this theatre will host sessions on the technical and commercial considerations of remastering projects, the issues surrounding the preparation of audio broadcasts, and the evolution and continuing challenges of best practice digital workflows and delivery.

For those interested in Production issues, the Production Theatre offers content creators a plethora of strategic and practical sessions, with experienced professionals from the commissioning world through to on-set and post-production professionals sharing their experiences and advice on how to create compelling, beautifully shot and highly marketable content.

Speakers include Louise Brown, Multiplatform Commissioning Lead, Channel 4, examining the implications for broadcasters of multi-screen viewing, Connected and Smart TVs and what content creators need to take into account when creating content for future audiences; Nicola Shindler, Chief Executive, Red Production Company, presenting a fascinating insight into what production companies look for in a script and how to develop your story while taking production considerations into account; Claire Brown, Media Parents, discussing CVs and Lynne McCadden, Head of Development, CREATIVE ENGLAND, Hugo Heppell, Head of Production, Screen Yorkshire, and Nicola Lees, TV Mole and WFTV share their considerable expertise on how to get the green light for projects, identifying new sources of funding and examining successful and innovative financing models;

In addition there will be sessions on LED lighting techniques, recreating a filmic look with digital content, and new creative opportunities offered by the latest digital cinema technology.

The IOV Theatre combines valuable practical advice with expert insights into current industry issues.

Speakers in the IOV Theatre include Richard Laurence, MD, Innsight Television, examining the opportunities available to videographers from the 21 newly granted local television licences; Jeff Wood and Rich Daly sharing their experiences and tips for good wedding cinematography; and Matt Hubbard, Director, Reels In Motion discussing the growth of video marketing and how to maximise the potential market of corporate videos. On the practical side, Adobe Certified Instructor Simon Walker will be taking a look at Premiere Pro CS6 and demonstrating some improved workflow strategies.

Something new for BVE North 2012 is the Skills Zone. These informal one-hour sessions are designed to give BVE attendees the chance to get valuable advice from expert practitioners in the industry. The topics up for discussion will be essential, everyday business concerns, from running your own business to career advisory sessions. Each session can be attended by 10–15 people at a time, and visitors will be able to express interest in advance or drop in on the day.

And of course, BVE North also offers a great opportunity to network with fellow industry professionals, catch up with old friends, reaffirm business relationships and make new contacts. 2,500 professionals from all stages of the broadcast workflow visited BVE North 2011 and that number is set to grow to over 3000 for 2012. No other show north of London offers the chance to meet so many key industry people all under one roof.

All the information you need about the show is available to view at www.bvenorth.co.uk

Why did I think having children would be the end of the line for working in broadcast? I can’t answer that, I just did. After 13 years of working with presenters on location, spending hours in the cutting room, hanging contestants from helicopters, placing cameras in every possible place and interviewing and meeting dozens and dozens of contributors, I shifted into corporate and charity work. It felt like the zeitgeist had moved on from me.

I wish there was a fitting translation for the word zeitgeist. A moment in time when everything is brilliant, the coming together of all our hopes and dreams and then amplified beyond our hopes.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4115/loretta-farrell

I continued to write, shoot and edit. I even directed a multi-camera music DVD at the Dominion Theatre and flew to Kenya, India and South Africa filming projects for a global charity. I also started a craft and gift market and organised a Health, Beauty and Fitness charity fundraising fair. My time management skills became well-oiled, juggling working around the kids. But something was still missing, something not quite right.

It was not until a few @lorettalikes twitter DM’s with a friend that I took the plunge and started the process of returning to broadcast. My friend tweeted: “Man Up, you’ve had kids, not a lobotomy”.  The gauntlet was down.  I set about the search for work with new skills acquired from motherhood: being a mother teaches you to enjoy every moment whilst it lasts, do what you love and be very very flexible.

With no family in the UK my husband and I decided to hire a full time live in au pair to look after the children to give me the freedom to shoot overseas for a few weeks at a time, take a last minute role or stay late to finish an edit without feeling guilty or be stressed about leaving on time.  A great plan, but I just needed a job to pay for it!

Fortunately I got my first returning TV job by following @MediaParents on twitter.  I joined the Media Parents site and less than 10 days after signing up, I had two interviews and the au pair had a start date, now I just needed that phone call.

Loretta Farrell got her first job in TV after having children through Media Parents. She followed @mediaparents on Twitter. http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4115/loretta-farrell

Mentorn were the first to call to say they would like me to join a team on a pilot for Channel 4. I admit that I did jump up and down a little (albeit quietly in public) but I was relieved. I was also chuffed and then a little bit sick, the kind of butterflies you get with a positive result on a pregnancy test. You know that you want it – but now it’s real.

It was a whirlwind seven days at Mentorn, my office days, aka meetings and location searching went fast.  I was nervous on the first shoot day as I was no longer used to having people around, but there was no need to be as the team were amazing. My camera arm got a good work out plus coffee and food were always on hand.By the last day of the shoot I could feel that the past had not forgotten me and was starting to breathe new life.

I’m now looking to put my 13 years experience into gaining more experience edit producing and AP self-shooting. l would also like to work more in development and am keen to pitch my ideas – so if you want to hear them, let me know.

If you have more than 3 years' media experience see www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4115/loretta-farrell

Wildlife Presenter and Fulbright Scholar Bryson Voirin is close to getting his doctorate. He has been studying sleep patterns in large mammals and birds at the Max Planck Institute for 4 years, and he breezes into our early morning shoot looking fresh as a daisy, despite having attended the Wildscreen Panda Awards ceremony for natural history programming the previous night.

PHOTO

Wildlife expert and presenter Bryson Voirin roped up for work in the canopy. http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/collaborator/4474/bryson-voirin

 28 year old Bryson is full of praise for the WildScreen Festival #wildscreenfest, the 6 day natural history film festival that’s just finished in Bristol.  “It’s the first time I’ve been to Wildscreen and it was really fun,” he enthuses, “I wanted to go to connect with natural history people in one central place, and it was great for that.  It’s a good medium to meet people in a social setting, in what is largely an academic field of study. Everyone from the natural history film world is there.”

I’ve met Bryson a couple of times now, and he is a pleasure to work with.  He has a breadth of zoological knowledge, and his love of the subject matter is a delight.  If he hasn’t studied a creature himself he generally knows someone who has, and peppers the interviews he does for our Channel 5 series with interesting examples and a lively turn of phrase.  Great TV.  I get the feeling that this enthusiasm and energy reflects his general approach to life.  When he was 16 years old, growing up in Florida, Bryson told his parents that he wanted more than his easy life in the sunshine, and took himself off to high school in Germany, where he’s been studying ever since.  Being bilingual has helped him to find work on German TV as well as on British and US channels.  “Brits don’t mind me because I’ve been in Europe so long I don’t seem offensively American,” he jokes, “But it seems that to crack American natural history presenting I need to be old and fat with a beard!”  Someone is clearly missing a trick somewhere, and it’s not likely to be Bryson.

Bryson Voirin is an expert in the BBC series The Dark: Nature's Nighttime World

“I also got to meet the head of just about every major natural history channel. Wildscreen publishes the delegate list ahead of time, which is brilliant because it meant that several people got in touch with me to set up appointments when they saw my name, and the rest came about organically.  I met people from Icon Films, Discovery, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, Wildscreen US…”  And those are the ones he can remember. “The Icon Films after party was pretty legendary”, he grins, clearly debating whether to tell me that it took two days to recover. (click here to see Icon Films’ Harry Marshall networkign with Media Parents https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2011/09/media-parents-networking-bristol-2/).

“Wildscreen was a great experience,” says Voirin, “I’m really hoping some of the projects discussed and projects I pitched will come off. I also met some really inspirational people from developing countries whose films I would not ordinarily have seen, and learnt tons about how TV works in sessions about filmmaking and scriptwriting.  I found it really exciting to learn about everything that can be done with GoPros.”  The series we are working on relies largely on UGC, so we too have a healthy respect for the GoPro’s quality and versatility.

The best part of Wildscreen "a surprise appearance by Sir David Attenborough!"

“I would definitely go to Wildscreen again.  Hopefully next time around I’ll be nominated for a presenter award,” he smiles.  The previous night’s partying doesn’t show, and Bryson has been smiling, engaging and delivering great lines and information throughout an on-camera interviews that take nearly five hours and cover ten different natural history subject areas.  I shake his hand at the end of the filming day, and congratulate him on a good day’s work.  “Not bad considering I got to bed at 5, eh?” Bryson smiles as he leaves to catch his plane.  I guess that’s a PhD in sleep research for you.

If you have more than 3 years' media experience see www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information.