The idea for www.mediaparents.co.uk came as a result of the BBC / TRC Media Series Producer Programme.  It’s a long story for another time, but if you’re a regional Series Producer, or would-be Series Producer, please read on, and tell your colleagues about it… If you’d like to learn more please contact Denis Mooney through the link below or on the Media Parents NETWORK, or respond to the discussion on the watercooler at www.mediaparents.co.uk

SERIES PRODUCER PROGRAMME 2012

Applications are invited from experienced network television producers based in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the North of England for the 2012 Series Producer Programme (SPP), a strategic partnership between TRC media and the BBC Academy.

The SPP is a blue chip training initiative designed to hone the skills of network TV producers to the level of series producer. Over the course of 10 months, the SPP will provide a range of top flight masterclasses and specialist training in series producer skills and offer unprecedented access to commissioning editors and key decision makers within the BBC.

The programme begins on 23 May 2012 and is open to freelance, independent and BBC staff producers with a strong track record in network television. It is aimed at indigenous talent in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the North of England and those who wish to relocate to live and work in these regions.

Download details and an application form from www.trcmedia.org

Closing date for receipt of applications is Thursday 15 March 2012

SERIES PRODUCER PROGRAMME 2012

These guidelines for the Series Producer Programme (SPP) have been drawn up to help you decide whether this high-end talent initiative is appropriate for you.

The SPP is a strategic partnership between TRC media and the BBC Academy aimed at developing the skills of network television producers outside London to the level of series producer. It is open to talented freelance, independent or internal BBC producers with a strong track record in network television production. Applications are invited from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the North of England.

The training scheme is comprised of 10 sessions lasting one or two days per month which take place in centres around the UK. The programme will deliver a range of high-level masterclasses which will focus on honing skills across key areas including below:

Creative ideas

• Writing programme proposals

Audiences

• Diversity

• Multi-platform

Pitching skills

Legal, ethical and editorial

Performance management

Access to BBC decision makers

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

Television producers with a track record in network programming based in the Nations and the North of England (or wishing to relocate) are eligible to apply. This covers experienced producers, producer directors or new series producers.

WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA?

The scheme is intended to support and grow production for the BBC in the Nations and North. Final decisions on the scheme will be taken by TRC media and the BBC. Choosing which candidates to invest in is a challenging process and the selection panels will consider a combination of related factors including:

• An assessment of the applicant’s potential to take this step up in their programme-making careers
• Network credits and experience
• The mix of candidates in terms of genre and location
• The needs of BBC production centres as a whole – in-house and indie in accordance with the Corporation’s network supply strategy – priority will be given to talent in these areas/genres.
• The scheme aims to attract a diverse range of participants.

HOW TO APPLY

Submission is by application form (see foot of this document) and your submission should cover the following areas:

• Why do you want to participate in the SPP?
• How do you feel your experience equips you for the programme?
• How will your participation on the scheme support your company/department/region?

In addition, for those candidates who plan to relocate to the Nations and North we will look for evidence of a commitment to live and work in the chosen area.

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT

If in current employment we will need a statement from your line manager supporting your participation on the programme and acknowledging the time commitment involved. If you are not in current employment a previous employer or referee should give a view on your suitability for the SPP.

HOW IS THE PROGRAMME FUNDED?

The Series Producer Programme is 100% funded by BBC Academy. Reasonable travel costs for attendance at the sessions will be reimbursed. Overnight accommodation is provided by the SPP.

TIME COMMITMENT?

The programme will require the successful candidates to commit to sessions lasting on average one or two consecutive days per month for the 10 months of the scheme. In applying to the scheme, producers should be aware that attendance at each of the sessions is not discretionary and consideration should be given to how the monthly sessions will be factored into working schedules.

WHO WILL RUN THE SCHEME?

TRC will be responsible for the design and management of the programme working in partnership with the BBC Academy.

TIMETABLE

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Thursday 15 March 2012. Applications will be assessed by a selection panel and a shortlist will be drawn up of candidates for interview. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held on the following dates at the locations listed below:

• 17 April – Salford
• 18 April – Glasgow
• 19 April – Belfast
• 20 April – Cardiff

NB: Unfortunately we cannot pay travel expenses for interviews

The 2012 SPP will start on Wednesday 23^rd May and the inaugural session will be held at TRC media’s Glasgow office.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

We hope we have given you most of the information you need to help decide if the Series Producer Programme is right for you at this stage in your career. However Denis Mooney who leads the programme for TRC will be happy to answer any further questions you may have. Contact denis.mooney@trcmedia.org.

TRC is an independent charity working in partnership with international and UK broadcasters, creative producers and public agencies to provide training, research and business support to the creative content industry. To find out more about our work visit www.trcmedia.org

SERIES PRODUCER PROGRAMME – APPLICATION

Send together with your CV to: TRC media, 227 West George St, Glasgow, G2 2ND or email apply@trcmedia.org. Remember the deadline for applications is: 12 noon on Thursday 15 March 2012.

Denis Mooney, who runs the SPP for TRC Media can be contacted through the NETWORK section of www.mediaparents.co.uk

Jules Seymour, PD, Chris Brown, Editor, and Amy Walker, SP, are in the TALENT section of Media Parents. Matt Holden, EP, is in the NETWORK section of www.mediaparents.co.uk

I’m a very experienced Producer/Director and Series Producer. Over my career I’ve worked on numerous documentaries, factual and factual entertainment programmes. I’ve made a lot of ob-doc style programmes from “Trawlermen” to Police docu-soap style series. I’ve also worked with numerous presenters on a wide variety of factual and fact-ent style programmes. I have a lot of experience in the Edit having cut numerous hour and half hour programmes, and I’ve SP’d a returning series for ITV three times.

I am also an experienced self-shooter with numerous credits on a variety of programmes working with a variety of cameras. (Z1-DSR and others).  Being an experienced self-shooter was important for the World’s Greatest / Scariest series for Five that I recently made, and am returning to work on Series 2 of at Mentorn.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/126/jules-seymour

I’m married and live in Shepherds Bush with our two daughters who are five and eight, so I was keen to work at Mentorn for geographical reasons, as well as liking their output. I would obviously prefer to take on work that cuts in London, but of course for the right project I would be prepared to commute.  Cutting this series in-house at Mentorn in Hammersmith meant a short cycle or an easy walk into work for me every day, which is a rare delight in TV as you know.

Being a PD on the Series meant we all had to work co-operatively together because of the limited time and budget at our disposal.  Much time and effort was spent in preparing for the shoot in the States, in providing shooting schedules and interview questions for the stories filmed all over America.   Fellow director Jim Shreim and AP Hannah Eastwood shot four stories that made it into the final cut, and over on this side of the Atlantic I shot three stories for other episodes as well as the core stories for my programme “Near Misses”.

Fortunately Jim Shreim and Hannah Eastwood are both wonderfully talented and diligent and managed to come back from the States with what we wanted and more !!!

As this was the first series there was an element of finding exactly what worked for us and Michelle Chappell, the commissioner, as we started to put the programmes together.  The subject of “Near Misses” was tricky in the sense that it was difficult to come up with over-arching themes, when they were by their nature random events.  It became clear as we started cutting it that we were dealing with personal testimony of near death experiences, and that the randomness actually worked within our general theme. …making for a very diverse but hopefully gripping programme.  Please watch this evening on Channel 5 at 8pm.

See www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information. To contact anyone on the Media Parents blog please go to the NETWORK part of the Media Parents site. To join us please go to www.mediaparents.co.uk

Jim Shreim, Hannah Eastwood, Jamie Matson and Amy Walker are in the TALENT section of www.mediaparents.co.uk. Matt Holden and Amy Walker are in the NETWORK section of www.mediaparents.co.uk

Media Parents talent worked flexibly in production across this new series for Michelle Chappell at Channel Five, made by Mentorn Media.  In order to make the overseas budget go further, Jim Shreim, PD, and Hannah Eastwood, DV Director, shot material for all four shows in the series on a single trip to the U.S.A.  We had extensive discussions with all directors on shooting style, and created a shooting style bible, in advance of shoots in order to keep consistency.  [If you want to indicate that you have worked with anyone else on the site, or could jobshare with other people on www.mediaparents.co.uk please use the collaborator button on your profile.  It's near the one that says "I've had work through Media Parents".  If you don't know anyone on Media Parents to collaborate with then please come to our events to meet people.  They are good.]

The World’s Greatest Daredevils episode, which TXes on Channel Five TONIGHT, Thursday 26th January 2012 at 8pm, contains some of the most spectacular footage I have ever seen, so if you’re at home with the children tonight, please watch.

The series was immediately recommissioned on transmission of the first episode, so as the final ep is being delivered to Five, the show has gone back into production again.  What this has made me realise is that if you get a job through Media Parents, it may well not be a single gig, but repeatable business.  Freelancers have been telling me since Media Parents started that companies who found them through us have re-employed them, and, recently, another Series Producer working independently at Mentorn told me that she was on her second job at the company through Media Parents, which is great to hear.

Media Parents has a wealth of experienced top-end talent.  We also have great APs and researchers, but not many, so many of our advertised jobs at this level go unfilled.  If you know good researchers, APs, co-ordinators and production secretaries who have 3 years’ or more TV experience, please tell them about www.mediaparents.co.uk.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/3150/jim-shreim

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/3019/hannah-eastwood

See www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information. To contact anyone on the Media Parents blog please go to the NETWORK part of the Media Parents site. To join us please go to www.mediaparents.co.uk

Zoe Fryer was one of four Media Parents PDs (and other team members) who worked on Mentorn Media’s World’s Greatest… for Five.  Zoe’s show, World’s Greatest Heroes, TXes tonight at 8pm on Channel Five.  Zoe shot the image featured below.

Zoe Fryer, PD, is in the TALENT section of www.mediaparents.co.uk

Zoe, who is a mum to Amber, 2, worked flexibly on this series initially as she was finishing another contract.  She also negotiated slipping her hours so that she could work her prep around childcare, and whilst a new series is never going to be particularly flexible, Zoe retained a degree of flexibility until the edit.

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/23/zoe-fryer

Huge thanks to Reuben Milne from Spark Creativity for running this informative and enjoyable session and to ENVY post production facility for hosting in their bar. Photos below, tips to follow shortly!

Reuben Milne of Spark Creativity addresses Media Parents in the session How to Market Yourself

See www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information. To contact anyone on the Media Parents blog please go the the NETWORK part of the Media Parents site. To join us please go to www.mediaparents.co.uk

New Series : Channel 5 8pm TONIGHT Thursday 12th January 2012

I used www.mediaparents.co.uk to crew up for the 4 new Channel 5 docs I’ve just series produced for Mentorn.  We had 3 months from crewing to delivery to make 4 very diverse programmes, shot all over the world.  I needed really good people – fast, and using Media Parents was the fastest, most painless crewing experience I’ve had.  I had to look at no more than 10 applicants per position and all of them were more than qualified for the job.  Because we only had the resources to send one out of the 4 PDs to the States to shoot for us over there, I knew I had to work with PDs who could shoot for each other and would be happy to do that.  In the event, in order to deliver all of the programmes on time, each of the 4 PDs shot items for each others’ programmes.  You can see the results tonight, and every Thursday for the next 4 weeks, at 8pm on Channel 5.  Here’s who was involved from Media Parents…

to be continued…

Media Parents is really lucky to have a great session on Marketing Yourself coming up on January 17th.  It’s run by Reuben Milne from Spark Creativity who has recently run this course at Channel 4.   Here’s a taster of what to expect from the session… and Reuben’s biog.

Reuben Milne from Spark Creativity will be teaching Media Parents how to market themselves on January 17th.

Reuben’s company – Spark Creativity – provides PR consultancy and creative support to marketing agencies and blue chip organisations across the UK.

Alongside this, Reuben also operates as an accredited Mind Gym coach, delivering hundreds of training sessions every year to companies throughout the UK and Europe. 

He also delivers his own creativity, presentation skills and personal branding coaching for media organisations such as Channel 4, TRC Media and UKTV.

 Over the last couple of years, Reuben has started to explore how the techniques involved in brand communications can be applied to individuals to achieve the same results – raising awareness and creating a more compelling case to ‘buy’.

The session:

The session will offer you the opportunity to reflect on how you are perceived and how well you are currently managing and influencing that perception.  By the end of our time together, you will have: 
· Gained an understanding of what you need to know about yourself in order to maximise your impact 
· Explored how to make the most of the opportunities to promote yourself 
· Experimented with content, delivery and structure to ensure that you create an authentic, memorable and lasting impression in front of others 

If you’d like to come along to this session please email events@mediaparents.co.uk for more details. 

See www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information. To contact anyone on the Media Parents blog please go the the NETWORK part of the Media Parents site. To join us please go to www.mediaparents.co.uk

Che Charles (right) networking at the Media Parents Christmas Party 2011.

I started my career as runner on BBC2′s iconic 90s drama This Life. After that I went north to work on Granada TV in particular Manchester United TV and Men and Motors on these channels you were expected to shoot, script and go into the edit at researcher level it was a fantastic experience and I was definietly thrown in at the deep end.

I then got the opportunity to AP so I went back to London and worked on a whole raft of programmes from Car Booty, Property Ladder, Family Bratcamp, Wedding Stories, Jimmy and The Farmer and, The Ultimate Popstar to name a few.

Che Charles, PD networking at a Media Parents evening with Toby Ward, Head of Production for Comedy & Entertainment at Tiger Aspect.

In my spare time I started up an online music TV show “Musio MusicTV” with my sister. It was a weekly show that contained interviews, performances and chat. We interviewed everybody from Mark Ronson, Florence and The Machine etc it ran for 4 years.  In 2010 we gained commissions with Soho House, Babelgum and Universal Records.  I was able to juggle my love of music with my online music show, as well as work at ITV as a producer/director.

I then moved to the BBC to work as a director on Crimewatch Roadshow which was great and very exciting. Whilst out shooting with the police my only protection was my camera and a big burly copper.

I now have a baby who is 16 months old called Joseph and just when I thought I would never get back in after my year and half out I was given a lifeline by my faithful old employers ITV.

Che Charles braves the weather at the Media Parents summer BBQ.

My first baptism of fire was edit producing on new ITV1 Simon Cowell Brainchild Red or Black.  It was great to get back at first, but it was very upsetting leaving Joseph with the childminder and watching him cry. But as he got more used to his surroundings so did I.

After that I moved on to a cookery show for ITV1, edit producing. Tight schedules and long hours were the order of the day but it was definitely worthwhile and a good viewing with the exec made it rewarding.

I finished just before Christmas and the usual fear of “will I ever work again?” looms heavy in the mind. It’s back to sending lots of CVs to jobs@…. and as it stands, I don’t even get a response for the chance of an interview. It seems my CV is dismissed at the first hurdle.

[If you feel like this please check out CV tips by scrolling further down the Media Parents blog].

Nowadays you can send loads of CVs out a day but still not hear a word, when I started in TV many years ago, before email you would send letters out and would be grateful for responses back via letter. Now with email people just can’t be bothered unless they know you.

[Read Steve Wynne’s tips on how to create a connection with an employer in your covering email by scrolling down the Media Parents blog].

The media is like the lottery you have to be in it to win it.

Che Charles is a member of the TALENT section at www.mediaparents.co.uk  Sign in to the site and click this link to see Che’s profile and connect with her:

http://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/918/che-charles

See www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information. To contact anyone on the Media Parents blog please go the the NETWORK part of the Media Parents site. To join us please go to www.mediaparents.co.uk

Huge thanks to BAFTA and to all who came along to the Media Parents Christmas Party and made it such good fun.  Happy holidays one and all!

Media Parents founder Amy Walker would like to thank everyone who came to the BAFTA party. It was a lot of fun.

Raising the roof at BAFTA!

We’ve had some great parties – see the first photos of our Christmas one
here https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/

Please help us to make next year a great one for Media Parents too by
spreading the word about us, our top talent and jobs to employers and
freelancers you know. Email us for literature to pass on.

A merry Christmas, and very happy holidays to all our readers!
 

Since writing this blog Sammy Todd has found flexible work through www.mediaparents.co.uk  Please read on for her experience as a single media parent.

Sammy Todd is an AP / Production Co-ordinator in the TALENT section of www.mediaparents.co.uk

Being a single parent is challenging at the best of times but if there’s one thing that a Production career equips one for, it’s dealing with the challenges that come with being a single parent. Sadly though, for all the cross-pollinating skills, they don’t make particularly compatible bed partners.

My leaving lunch at CNN was the day before my baby was born. I was massively pregnant, had the best job in the world, and was convinced that as soon as the babe arrived I’d trundle back into work and pop her under the desk like a little cat. Being a Freelancer, maternity leave wasn’t an option and naturally, my position was filled pronto – and as it transpired, neither cats nor babies were permitted under desks.

As soon as Mahala arrived work was the furthest thing from my mind, it was such a beautiful time. I was grateful that I didn’t have to rush back – I had my project and my own production to attend to – my little girl and my new life.

Fast forward four and a half years, and this January Mahala is starting school. Suddenly, there is a window and the potential of resuming a career.  Life has changed radically for me since she was born – my Mother passed away when Mahala was one, and during her illness I separated from my now ex-husband. Needless to say with grief, responsibility, and chartering unchartered waters, it would have been impossible to juggle any more of a load – let alone realise a wage needed to cover childcare and living costs.  Staying home wasn’t a hard decision to make, as there really wasn’t much of an option.

I have been extremely lucky though, in that we still live in our home – just about. I’m a resourceful type and I realise I have a lot of personal strength.  I also realised it wasn’t just a case of ill-affording childcare as, even if I could, it seemed a false economy. The past four years have been the best investment I’ve ever made – all my time, money and love being poured into this little being – and I am pleased to say, my daughter is confident, bright, creative, strong, healthy and happy.  And I feel quite secure, when I wave her away at the school gates, that she’s going to be okay.

So, where will I be rushing off to, once the drop off,  the kiss goodbye and “be a good girl” is out of the way? CNN would have been great – but they closed down the Creative Services department a couple of years ago. Not unlike so many of the great production companies I’ve worked for – here today, gone tomorrow.

Sammy Todd is in the TALENT section of www.mediaparents.co.uk

I’ve worked on incredible programmes: Millennium (a history of the last thousand years for Jeremy Isaacs Productions/BBC/CNN) and The Face (the story of the image of Christ/PBS) to name a couple of highlights.  But as the last letter to contributors was dispatched,  the lights of the office would be turned off and with a final “thanks – you were great”, there ended another chapter, turfed out, looking for the next gig – and as we know, one is ‘only as good as one’s last project’.  Months between jobs was never a good look.

In terms of taking out my little black book and heralding a rallying cry to all my ex-colleagues – to be honest, there are only a handful who are still in the game. I look towards all the incredible AP/Producers on Millennium and sad to say, less than a quarter of them still work in Production. Which is criminal, as this team was the crème de la crème – handpicked by Sir Jeremy Isaacs to bring their collective talent to a legendary series. And I can only surmise that gradually, the job insecurity, the disproportionate demands on the workforce as budgets squeezed, the nature of the projects changing with the nature of times, all contributed to the burn out. Big budget documentary fast became a dinosaur, in favour of the ever more lucrative world of ‘format reality shows’ – the colossal docs too expensive to make, particularly as most of the budget nowadays goes to the commissioners requirement of a ‘Celebrity’ presenter in favour of the “scintillating academic”.

For my time in production, the glory days are over. How can I compete with a Media Graduate (of which there are 35,000 such disillusioned youngsters flooding the marketplace each year) in an Industry where there are only 32,000 jobs available? The Media Graduate who is available days, nights and weekends with all the passion that goes with landing an illusive ‘media’ job – and who is willing to do the work for little or no money – and doesn’t need to leave the office to cook supper and help with homework. I have years of experience, have skills that have taken decades to acquire and yet, daily rates have remained unchanged since I was running at 15 – and with inflation, for the hours that I would be putting in – my earnings, now, are less than I would receive as an immigrant cleaner.

As for job security, well, if I was looking for that, I wouldn’t have been a Freelancer, but the costs have been high. I naively thought that I would be able to break out of my support roles and move into Producing /Directing – not only do I have the talent and capacity for it but I reckon I would have been good. But who had the time or money to nurture or mentor that young blade?

I eventually sold my PD-150, as I never managed to afford the ‘final cut pro’ master-class – and thought I might better my chances of existence on a paradise island in Brazil. It was a bold and rather daring move – and it changed my life in the way I had hoped – but not in the way, I imagined. It was there, that however tough things seem here, you realise quite how finely balanced things are. One didn’t need to worry about heating bills but god forbid your child is sick, as the boat only goes to the mainland once a day. And you realise that the location you are born in the world determines absolutely and utterly everything about your potential and possibilities.

I know now, that I can bring so much more to the table, in terms of talent & experience than ever before. I am in my creative element  as I progress through life with the confidence, self-belief and ability that maturity brings. I have focus and ambition, but the motivations are different from my twenties – my needs are those of having to create stability and long-term security for my child, rather than accolades and BAFTAs. But I need a job that doesn’t mind if I leave by 5. That understands, that parent meetings are just as important as production ones. And school holidays – where will Mahala go, now that Granny isn’t here?

As for solutions, the whole culture of the Industry needs to change.  Perhaps there are solutions – a case of enough ‘old-timers’ and impassioned folk coming together, creating forums where the issues can be tackled, solutions realised and an Industry ‘formula’ suggested – and with enough clout behind it, implemented. Media Parents is a prime example of such a force – we’ve been called to arms but now the troops need to be rallied, create strategy and effect change.

Perhaps new roles need to be created – Production Mummies – who support all areas, make the tea, pick up the slack, plug in creatively and are the epicentre for all the whines and traumas of the job, before leaving in time to make most of the school runs.

IT Managers (my god, what luxury) – but with that investment, remote working wouldn’t just become possible, but the norm. Not only that, they would offer brush ups on the skills, show the shortcuts, examine how to file things uniformly so that anyone can find and access the work, the odd course in Excel formulas and social media techniques – bringing Production up to the Century and as a result, making it a far more efficient and well-oiled machine.

Wages becoming public and salaries being forced to be Industry standard – that would surely level the playing field. And then, maybe, just perhaps, people would think differently when they demanded unreasonable requests, or an intern wouldn’t need to feel guilty leaving the office at 6pm. And perhaps the Commissioners would be forced to offer healthier budgets, exposed as the perpetrators of an exploited workforce – resulting in a drained talent pool, diminished programme quality – and surely, lower back-end sales?

I would love to work on a project now, and would relish the thought of being part of a world I so know, love and understand, with knowledge that my contribution genuinely makes a positive difference. But, who is going to take on a coordinator or AP/researcher that needs to leave the office at 5? Why choose me, over the 1000’s of wonderfully, talented folk out there who can leave at 7 and are expected to?

If anything prepares one for being a single mother, it’s a career in Production. One knows intrinsically, there is always a way – there really are no problems, just solutions. Being a single parent or working in Production require one to live expecting the unexpected, to roll with the punches and ride the waves, to be challenged so physically, emotionally and mentally, that one becomes as strong as an ox. Creativity, positivity and a broad life experience, are all essential to the role. A dash of intelligence is helpful, and being flexible is key.

It has always been a privilege to work in the Industry but now, more than ever, one has to be privileged to be able to afford to. It’s a depressing day, when, at an Industry forum on career and parenting,  a talented series producer (and parent), in all seriousness offers this solution to the issues and problems raised: “I would suggest, marrying an Investment Banker.”  If that’s not a statement to lose heart over, I’m not quite sure what is.

See www.mediaparents.co.uk for great networking, talent, jobs and information. to contact any of the people in these photos please go the the NETWORK part of the Media Parenset site. to join us please go to www.mediaparents.co.uk

Since writing this Sammy has worked flexibly through Media Parents, and has accepted a project with regular hours.  Sammy can be found in the TALENT section of www.mediaparents.co.uk and on the watercooler within the site.