Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our recent CV event, it was great to see so many connections being made – and even job shares being discussed ahead of our May jobsharing event. Special thanks to companies who joined us including jobsharing talent managers from Twenty Twenty TV, Maverick TV’s Tamara Durnford, Brinkworth Films, Outline Productions and Haresh Patel, who is looking for a flexible producer / business getter for his new VR / AR venture. A good time was had by all. If you’d like CV tips please scroll down, and in the meantime here are some photos of the event, also see our twitterfeed @mediaparents.

Many thanks to everyone who joined us for another great Media Parents evening

Twenty Twenty's job sharing Talent Managers Kate Farnaby and Sophie French have also job shared as Series Producers

Zoe Russell-Stretten from Brinkworth Films (left)

Well done to all those who attended their first Media Parents event, we know you'll be back!

PM jobshare Monica Rubio and Sarah Bell were networking as a pair https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2018/03/5-minutes-with-job-share-post-production-managers/

Thanks to Maverick's Tamara Durnford for meeting so many freelancers

Outline Productions' part time Production Exec Emily Freshwater came into town on her day off for the event - thank you Emily!

RDF West's Emily Knight took the late train back to Bristol after meeting freelancers who will work out of Bristol and Cardiff.

If you'd like to know more about Media Parents events drop us a line and scroll down the blog.

Media Parents' Amy Walker offers free CV advice at any time to Media Parents members.

"I've never seen so many cocktail sausages in my life". Let's leave it there.

FOR MORE CV TIPS PLEASE GO HERE https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2014/01/new-year-new-cv-new-job/

Join Media Parents for training, events and great jobs - www.mediaparents.co.uk

I’ve been a member of Media Parents for about 4 years since they helped me get back into TV after an 8 year break. I was a Media Parents Back to Work Scheme winner, and was mentored by Katy Brewer. I had to start again as a Production Co-ordinator but I didn’t mind, I was just happy to back in telly!

Helen Landeau's latest production is the landmark BBC series on Stephen Lawrence.

Since returning I’ve production managed for CBeebies and CBBC, a single doc on The Mersey Sound, and had the most wonderful opportunity of being the Production Manager for ‘Stephen: The Murder That Changed A Nation.’

It was hard work but ever so worth it and I’m so proud to be part of this creative team. We were often filming last minute and getting a cameraman and oh – those backdrops! Getting them to France and finding a suitable space in France to film with them – and also getting them into Downing Street was no mean feat! Finding the locations for drone filming in built up areas was a particular challenge, as was NATS paperwork. Filming protocols in Eltham meant working extensively with Greenwich Council, and filming drama recon with kids during the Beast from the East – working around snow in March – was unexpected to say the least!

The reaction even surpassed the production team’s expectations! Twitter was on meltdown and we were trending No 1 in the UK. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see all three episodes, you still can on BBC iPlayer.

Helen Landeau will be available in May.

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/9357/helen-landeau

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/9357/helen-landeau

Join Media Parents for training, events and great jobs - www.mediaparents.co.uk

Join us on Wednesday 25th May for a Media Parents networking event – CVs at the ready! Meet companies including Warner Bros, All3Media, RDF Media, Outline Productions and Brinkworth Films over a glass of wine to discuss vacancies or bring a CV and gain valuable CV insight from industry experts.

Companies attending are looking to meet Series Producers, Shooting PDs, DOPs, PMs, PCs, strongly editorial Producers and APs, people for development roles coming up, Line Producers, Event Producers, part time researchers, part time project manager / business development person for a start up company. Anyone (variety of roles) with Fact Ent experience especially experience in any of the following: food with big talent, art based shows, rig shows, big event style fact ent ie. formats which are big set-ups. People who will work out of Bristol / Cardiff / West Country. Details of the event and the guestlist are on the watercooler at www.mediaparents.co.uk.

Join us on Wednesday for another great Media Parents event in Central London

Details of the event and the guestlist are on the watercooler at www.mediaparents.co.uk.

Join Media Parents for training, events and great jobs - www.mediaparents.co.uk

I’d dreamed of working in the creative side of TV for many years, writes returning Script Editor Jaime Caruana. In November 2000 I took a week off work to write a script, and after sending the unsolicited script to Shed Productions with a storyline idea (twice!) I got a fairy tale break in the industry. A few weeks after resending my script, my phone rang, and it was Shed, inviting me along to their production offices for a meeting.

Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme Script Editors Jaime Caruana (left) and Becky Evans in conversation at BAFTA

From that meeting with Brian Park, I was offered a 3-month Trainee Storyliner gig on series 3 of ‘Bad Girls’. A dream come true!  I immediately quit my day job and thus began a decade-long career in scripted TV drama, with roles including Storyliner, Scriptwriter and Script Editor, working alongside great talent including Sue Breen, Joanna and Matt Strevens, Cameron Roach, Malcolm Campbell and Daisy Coulam.

I cut my teeth on ‘Bad Girls’, series 3 and 4 for Shed Productions, before working freelance on projects in development, both independently and collaboratively, for Granada and ITV.  I then moved on to the challenging but rewarding, fast-paced world of continuing drama at ‘The Bill’, for talkbackTHAMES, Fremantle Media and ITV. I was proud to have been a part of BAFTA and RTS award winning teams during my time at ‘The Bill’.

I strive for TV drama that constantly moves and surprises me, and am dedicated to working collaboratively with new talent, as well as established.  I particularly champion female talent.

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/7402/jaime-caruana

After 10 years in the industry I took a conscious career break, for my family.  Now that my children are in full time education, I am itching to get back into the business that I love.  I am thrilled to finally be working with Media Parents, via the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme, seeking a work placement.  I want to get my creative juices flowing and make an impact in people’s living rooms, once again!

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/7402/jaime-caruana

I started my career in film and television in post-production and then worked freelance for all sorts of production companies and projects, writes Megan Toogood. I was a production co-ordinator for Complete Fabrication Special Effects and Modelmakers who specialised in high speed liquid effects and leatherwork, and whose credits included the Harry Potter films for work on the Quidditch costumes. I was a production co-ordinator, then production manager for their production company, Completely Fab, and made commercials for clients including Kinder and Ferrero Rocher. I produced short films and volunteered at the Greenwich film Festival.

Megan Toogood worked as a Production Coordinator for the Quidditch props company Complete Fabrication

My children and my part-time MA in Screenwriting led me to a portfolio career, hopping from project to project, always interested in the novelty of doing something new. But as clients recommended me on to other clients and new opportunities presented themselves, I gradually drifted further and further away from the TV jobs I really wanted and I’ve realised it’s time to steer the ship in the direction I want to go! My varied experience means I’m looking for something like TV researcher, marketing manager, PR, communications, brand manager, publicist, events organiser, conference producer, festival producer, production coordinator, or maybe sales and distribution.

And who can argue with promoting pirate takeover day as a really fun job? asks Megan Toogood

Some of my jobs have been really fun, with a massive sense of achievement. I’m proud of the research I did into communities that are under served by arts and museums – it contributed to a major funding bid from the Heritage Lottery Fund that resulted in a travelling museum project – the Maritime Memories Machine. And who can argue with promoting pirate takeover day as a really fun job?

I was delighted to be shortlisted for the content marketing awards for work with publisher Wiley on their ‘Backfiles’ – a digital product that provides access to research going back to 1791.

It was a buzz to get a very technical product launch featured in industry press. Working with publishers has opened my eyes to the weird and wonderful, from astrobiology to medical devices.

Portfolio freelancer Megan Toogood is now looking for TV projects

Freelancing has helped to become a quick-study, working out what lies at the heart of a project and how best to communicate it to audiences. I’m a strategic marketing and communications planner and a very experienced copywriter. I am happy juggling an enormous array of different projects, in one month last year I worked simultaneously in museums, engineering, higher education, pharma, and the charity sector on a variety of projects that included copywriting, PR, social media promotion and print commissioning. I never miss a deadline.

I’m usually involved in communications work, but I also get projects off the ground and make things happen – I was the convener for a TV industry event for LCC alumni and am a Co-Producer for a series of theatre nights in Waterloo.

With child number one at secondary school and child number two about to follow its time to consolidate the many different experiences into a single role, that I really want, and stop my talent for being headhunted leading me in the wrong direction. I’m not sure what the perfect job will be, but I do feel sure there’s an organisation out there with a strange skills gap to fill and once we meet we’ll be perfect for each other!

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/8957/megan-toogood

They say “Two heads are better than one.” Post Production Managers Sarah Bell and Monica Rubio couldn’t agree more. (Since this article was published Sarah and Monica have been job sharing as post production managers – congratulations!)

This is us: Monica Rubio on the left and Sarah Bell on the right. Looking for an opportunity to job share in post production

Between the two of us, there aren’t many situations we haven’t dealt with in the world of post-production. Both born organizers, we run a tight post ship.

So why should you work with us?

We both have an excellent grasp of technical specifications and workflows, the ability to problem-solve under pressure and a wealth of experience in post-production scheduling.

We also share a solid understanding of archiving processes and understand the importance of utilising media management best practice.

Both of our collaborative natures and working together on projects mean we are a great job-share match.

With over 30 years of experience between us, we are a team who wish to job share for a healthy work-life balance. We have collaborated successfully on projects, and now wish to expand this to a job share.

Monica Rubio, Post Production Manager

Monica Rubio, Post Production Manager

Monica has a background in Editing and Colouring. She has been involved in Post- Production from the beginning of her career and has worked with a variety of post facilities from boutique to big houses. She particularly enjoys being involved in the process of programme-making from the pre-production stage. She is extremely interested in new formats and follows with passion the current and constant changes on formats and deliveries including HDR and ACES.

Monica’s experience includes the management of short form for online content to Audio assets and budgeting of serial scripted TV on the likes of Law and Order and Street Fighter as well as different Languages including British Sign Language.

Sarah Bell, Post Production Manager

Sarah Bell, Post Production Manager

Sarah began her broadcast career in Australia, in the fast-paced world of News; Editing and as a studio operator. This was followed by many years of all things post and long-form at the BBC’s in-house post-production facility for Factual programming, working on flagship programs such as Horizon, Louis Theroux and Sky At Night.

Sarah’s can-do attitude and eye for detail meant that she was rapidly promoted to Workflow Manager. She also has solid experience of short-form and TVC workflows having joined a busy creative agency as Post Production Manager. She has an extensive knowledge of deliverables for both broadcast and online. Her experience in News in particular means she can calmly work to a deadline.

Please contact Monica and Sarah through Media Parents using the links below. You can also meet them at Media Parents job sharing event in May.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/10780/sarah-bell

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/14229/monica-rubio

Join Media Parents for training, events and great jobs - www.mediaparents.co.uk

After a snowy start to the month I began a four week placement as a Development Script Editor on the Children’s Editorial team at Kindle Entertainment, writes returning Script Editor Becky Evans. Kindle are a multi award-winning independent who amongst others make shows like Jamillah & Aladdin, Hank Zipzer, Treasure Island and Dixie. The placement set up by the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme has been a fantastic first step back into the industry.

Script Editor Becky Evans is #backtowork and available from April

It has been hugely encouraging for me to be offered a flexible working plan. Kindle agreed to two full working days on site with three days from home. This has restored my faith that the TV drama industry does and can offer flexibility for their professionals with young families. It’s also been fantastic to know that my parenting gap of seven years doesn’t affect the value of the professional skillbase I developed prior to taking mat leave.

A typical day – it’s an early start for me as I battle Southwest trains from my home base in Hampshire up to Waterloo, and on to Kindle’s home base of Gainsborough Studios in Shoreditch. I have now mastered the exact spot to stand on the station platform that lines up beautifully with the carriage door. Sadly about 50 other people figured that out too. The hour-long journey gives me quiet time to read and I’ve started using the travel to help cover the workload. These are precious child-free hours in my day so I’ve learnt to make use of them!

Returning Script Editor Becky Evans is placed with Kindle Entertainment via the Media Parents Children's Drama Return to Work Programme

My office days tend to be very busy working to sometimes tight deadlines re-writing pitch documents, creating new stories or adapting longer-form ideas to shorter-form concepts.  It’s quite a challenge to be able to switch your headspace from project to project but one I’m thoroughly enjoying.

My home days have been on call for the Head of Children’s Development in case she has anything she needs me to look over. I also have a general workload of novels and scripts to read with a view to identifying new writing talent or particular voices suitable for up-coming projects. It’s been encouraging to know that briefing sessions with writers are as common via SKYPE as they are face to face.

Overall it’s great to be back in London and amongst the buzz of a busy production company. Kindle Entertainment are a welcoming team and it continues to be a privilege to be working across a variety of drama development projects on their Children’s slate.  Thank you to Amy Walker and the Media Parents team for putting all of this together. The experience has also encouraged me to get my CV out there and start looking for future editorial roles – I’m available for interviews from April.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/15097/becky-evans

Join Media Parents for training, events and great jobs - www.mediaparents.co.uk

Mike Ogden is a returning Production Coordinator on the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme. He is being mentored by Mammoth Screen’s Joint Head of Production, Howard Ella (see below). Mike starts as a placement as trainee assistant coordinator on Tiger Aspect’s latest drama Curfew with Sean Bean for SKY on Monday.

Mike Ogden is taking up a placement on Tiger Aspect's drama Curfew with Sean Bean

I’d stepped away from TV to be a carer for family. It was a hard decision to make at the time as I was juggling a career in TV camera operating and assisting as well as a burgeoning career as an independent film-maker. I do love making filmed drama. When I can’t be making it for someone else, I’ll make my own. However, when a massive life event happens, no matter how much you try and plough through to continue your career, it can stop you. That’s what happened to me. I had to face life, deal with things and try to heal.

Returning drama coordinator Mike Ogden is being mentored by Mammoth Screen's Howard Ella

Last year I decided it was time to come back to being a useful crew member. However, as an ex-camera person I knew I couldn’t just pick that career up so I re-appraised my skillset, taking in to account my experiences in production. I’d gained a place on a production management course at Pinewood Wales with Sgil Cymru / Skillset for two weeks. The course was great, reminding me that I am one of those oddball people who likes to solve a problem, organise and watch a plan come off successfully. Yet I needed more mentoring guidance and support.

In mid 2017, it felt like my life was too uncertain. Maybe it was time to think of something else to do. I had built up some excellent skills and experience, having managed what I’d consider several high end and complicated short films I’d learned tons from, and also the professional experience I’d had working for years in television on a lot of shows. It seemed a shame to throw that away, but also an impossible task to get seen in a new light and restart my crew career. I applied to Media Parents to see if they would support my relaunch as a Production Coordinator.

Media Parents pressed the button on the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme. Quickly we were fixing our CVs, making a plan of approach for HETV drama then attending the BVE London expo. Networking like mad, I even met someone from my previous career from Technicolor and discovered that someone from Media Parents was the daughter of a cameraman I’d worked with at Granada. I immediately felt less isolated and supported.

Meeting Ros Attille, Head of Development, CBeebies, with fellow returning Coordinator Zenna Barry

Being accepted on to the Media Parents High End TV Drama Return to Work Programme has allowed me a second chance. Now I can aim for my goal of being a production manager via co-ordinating for high end television drama with support and mentoring. After several years of being mentally clobbered, the positivity of being on this course and the support from so many gives me hope that I do have a useful future in production, doing the thing I love most : helping make filmed drama the best it can be.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4273/mike-ogden

media parents mentor : howard ella

joint head of production, mammoth screen

Mike Ogden’s mentor Howard Ella joined Mammoth Screen having spent the last 15 years Producing and Line Producing dramas such as ‘An Inspector Calls’, ‘Lewis’, ‘Monroe, ‘Mount Pleasant’ and ‘5 Days’.

Howard started in the industry as a runner at Yorkshire Television and has worked in most areas of production. Outside of Mammoth Howard sits on the board of the Milton Rooms, an arts venue in Malton and writes and directs pantomimes and charity murder mysteries in his native county of Yorkshire.

Media Parents is hugely grateful to Howard and our other mentors for their support for the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Scheme, funded by the HETV Levy managed by Creative Skillset.

Join Media Parents for training, events and great jobs - www.mediaparents.co.uk

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2018, we are also showcasing the film-inspired work of photomontage artist Julia Andrews-Clifford. Using fragments, cuts, splices, paint and glue, she creates surrealist portraits and landscapes of real and imagined people’s lives. If you would like to nominate your own “everyday icon” for Julia’s new work please email Julia a good quality photo and some information about the work your icon does or has done. See below for contact details.

The Female Gaze, Julia Andrews-Clifford

Inspired by film and feminism, her work explores the tensions between public/private life and the personal/political, and sometimes re-presents hidden herstories from the film industry. She exhibits through art galleries, pop-up shows, public installations, and site specific works on advertising columns, billboards and bus shelters. You can buy Julia’s work as originals or limited edition prints through her website shop.

Cut, Julia Andrews-Clifford

Julia is currently working on a project for International Women’s Day 2018 with a series of large-scale works or ‘Everyday Icons’ that will appear on billboards and bus shelters across Hastings, East Sussex and explore the disconnect between domestic work and public recognition.  Her ‘Feminist Artwork of the Week’ challenge will also run until December 2018 in celebration of Suffrage100, the centenary of the first UK women getting the vote. It’s going to be a busy year!

#EverydayIcons

Portrait of the Unknown Editor, Julia Andrews-Clifford

Short Biog

Julia started off as an English teacher in inner London secondary schools, then moved to New York to study film and photography before returning to London to become an education officer at the British Film Institute.

A Step Up, Julia Andrews-Clifford

While at the BFI, creating cinema events and film education resources for kids and teachers at BFI Southbank, she developed an innovative network of after-school film-making clubs which led to her starting her own business, Cineclub – The Young Filmmakers’ Network. With this company she worked with professional filmmakers and actors training them to adapt their expertise to teach kids in primary and secondary schools – to help them script, shoot and edit their own films for exhibition at local and national cinemas. The company ran very successfully for 10 years and worked with over 5,000 young people with Lars Von Trier as patron and the BFI, EMPIRE Magazine, City Screen Cinemas and Film Council support.

In 2009, Julia devolved her managerial responsibilities to return to her own creativity, studying Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art and Design as a part-time mature student, and then taking a career break in 2011 to have a baby. She now works as a practising artist with a studio in Hastings, part-time as an art and film teacher and full-time as a parent.

www.julia-andrews-clifford.co.uk

@jacphotomontage

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The Three Ps – Passion.  Patience.  Perseverance. Director Jon Dunham writes – these were the words of advice given to me by the late Oscar winning director Robert Wise at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where I studied film.  I’ve never forgotten this.  After 18 years of making mostly independent documentaries his words ring more true than ever.

My latest film BOSTON narrated by Matt Damon tells the story of the more than 100-year-old Boston Marathon including the 2013 bombings and the race’s emotional return one year later.  It is a feature-length documentary, which required a lot of passion, patience and perseverance.

Click to view Boston trailer. Photo credit Michael J. Lutch

Having run marathons myself and always very interested in history, I combined these two loves with my passion for filmmaking.  Honestly it would be very difficult for me to imagine attempting to make a film about a story that I am not passionate about!  Filmmaking is too difficult.  You have to love it.

My journey to making BOSTON actually started 15 years earlier when I began developing and eventually was successful making my first feature documentary “Spirit of the Marathon”, centered around the Chicago Marathon.  It took me five years to make the film and I was fortunate that it was both a critical and box office success grossing $1 million in cinemas in the U.S. and Canada in three nights.  While I never had any intention in becoming the guy who makes films about marathons, this production did indeed put me on the map so that when it came time to make BOSTON following the attacks I was a proven filmmaker in this particular genre.  It took a lot of patience to get there.

From the get go, BOSTON was anything but easy.  Similarly to my first film, it took four years to reach the finish line as we were constantly searching for funding.  At one point I even ended up selling my car to keep going!  But we persevered, and in a lot of ways it’s a better film because of the time it took to create, as we were afforded more opportunities for interesting storytelling along the way.

Today we are fortunate to be working with Lionsgate on the distribution of BOSTON with transactional video on demand however the journey continues as we continue to release the film via other channels and in more parts of the world.  The film has yet to be released in any way in the UK and we are actively seeking a distribution partner.  The trailer can be viewed at:  https://vimeo.com/225479641

In the meantime I’m looking for new projects to be a part of as well as focusing on another subject I am passionate about… Italy, and in particular Naples, where I had the incredible fortune of living for two years.  Continuing to apply the principles of the three Ps, I look forward to the process of telling the story of this most complex, beautiful and mysterious place in our world and continuing to make non-fiction film.

To contact Jon Dunham log in to www.mediaparents.co.uk

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/15147/jon-dunham

Join Media Parents for training, events and great jobs - www.mediaparents.co.uk