Media Parents

Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8^th, there is a clarion call to creatives from several of this year’s longlisted BAFTA films, writes Media Parents’ Director Amy Walker. If you haven’t heard the call yet, it urges mid career (and later) creatives (women particularly, caregivers, creatives of all genders) not to give up on their creative calling, difficult though that may be. If you are feeling stuck reading this, rest assured you are in good company, and there are empathetic people cheering you on. You can read the Film + TV Charity’s recent Looking Glass Report (and get funding support) here. The secret of a sustained creative career isn’t always brilliance, it’s largely about not giving up, right?

Nightbitch is a dark, dark comedy starring Amy Adams, rising from the creative ashes of her lowest, lost moments of motherhood. You don’t have to be a mother or a middle aged woman to find yourself laughing out loud at this film that reflects most of our struggles at the moment. Adams’s character fights her situation, her husband, her heritage, her self – to rediscover self-expression. It’s not easy, it skirts insanity via magic realism, and – no spoilers here – it is a fight worth watching (and fighting)!

The Substance, if you haven’t already seen it, is a darker, Faustian dive into the extreme choices we may feel forced to make to maintain our later careers/ selves. And in The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson’s character Shelly grapples with society and her daughter’s condemnation for putting her now dying career in entertainment before motherhood. And for what? So interesting… Back in Europe (way, way back) Firebrand is about agency. Please watch it if you haven’t seen it, I imagine you will be cheering.

These powerful, funny, important films imprint on you. We need to sit exhausted and uncomfortable with the themes of resistance and persistence – if we can, we need to dig deep – and act.

If you can’t find work, create. You can create opportunities for work or meetings via our online Development Meet coming up on March 19th. If you are taking work outside TV to pay your bills, there is no shame in that. You can still say you work in TV even if you’re not right now, you have earned that through your previous experience. If you’re determined to get out or reinvent yourself, we have a great blog coming up that is going to inspire and empower you.

Even if you do none of the above, come for a drink at our London drinks on May 1^st. Inertia never helped anyone. Do whatever you need to pull yourself out of the hole. Creativity doesn’t have to be paid. If it makes you feel better to rest, rest. But if it makes you feel good to be creative, create.

If you would like to discuss anything related to TV work, you can log in and use the Media Parents watercooler (anonymously if you like) – request collabs, share inspiration, have a moan…

Our next event is on March 18th, see mailing list for more details. Scroll down the blog for more info 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, join here:https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/signup/?t=freelancer