Media Parents

Join Media Parents on Weds 24th July in the leafy garden at West Digital for a glass of rose and a spot of networking… Hopefully you will find your job share life partner if that’s your thing, or you could find out about the Media Parents Back to Work Scheme launch! Either way you’ll meet some great people in lovely surroundings at West Digital.

Join us for pink drinks in West Digital's leafy garden

West Digital is an independent, boutique post house that’s been providing creative and innovative picture and sound post production for almost 18 years.

Some of last year's Back to Work Scheme Winners at West Digital celebrating their return to work

Set in a relaxing building in the heart of Shepherds Bush, with it’s wide range of entertainment, cafes, bars, restaurants and shops, we have light and airy contemporary cutting rooms and fantastic finishing suites spread over four floors.

You're invited to enjoy the convivial atmosphere at West Digital - take a tour on the night if you'd like to

To help make you feel at home, we also have a tranquil garden and a relaxing cafe-bar reception – with friendly faces and great coffee.

West Digital MD & Lead Editor Peter Zacaroli and the team are really friendly. Nobody wanted to leave last time - thank you for inviting us back!

We pride ourselves on the quality of our work and our supportive company culture. Our talented creatives and fantastic support teams have a wealth of experience working across broadcast, theatrical, corporate, commercials and branded content.

Make sure you're signed up to the guestlist to attend Wednesday night's event: https://mediaparentsjobshare.eventbrite.co.uk

Recent broadcast credits include, ‘Edwardian Britain in Colour’ (Ch5), ‘Great Green Wall’ (doc feature), ‘Chris Tarrant’s Extreme Railway Journeys’ (Ch5), ‘A Place in the Sun’ (Ch4), ‘Final Say’ (Sky Arts), ‘The Last testament of Lillian Bilocca’ (BBC4), ‘Coast v Country’ (Ch4), ‘Up For It’ (Film4).

Click image to join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events. Summer Party June 19th; Flexible Working Event July 24th and more...

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Media Parents Summer Party and made it such a good laugh. And of course thanks to the lovely ClearCut team for making the atmosphere so warm and welcoming. Our next event is the brilliant Media Parents Job Share Event on July 24th so please join us at that – click the link https://mediaparentsjobshare.eventbrite.co.uk – invite friends, the more the merrier. Photos of the summer party are here:

It was great to welcome Dragonfly's new Talent Manager Gayl Paterson, here with Raw Cut's Tina Lohmann and freelancers

BBC Scripted Head of Talent Jacqui Taunton Fenton with BBC Children's Exec Ros Attille and freelancers

Curve Media's new Talent Manager Catherine Mabb meets freelancers

Renegade's Director of Production Ed Nissen with Emporium Productions Exec Matt Holden

Back to Work Scheme Winners Hannah Williams and Melissa Bishop are currently looking for work to fill gaps - grab them while you can!

Huge thanks to Joanna Gretton from Media Parents and to the ClearCut Team for hosting so well and making everyone feel so welcome

Thanks to everyone who made it - it was great to catch up with old friends and meet some new people. Join us on July 24th for our JOB SHARE event - the more the merrier!

Click image to join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events. Flexible Working Event July 24th - sign up now

https://mediaparentsjobshare.eventbrite.co.uk

We’re delighted to announce our summer party on Wednesday June 19th, courtesy of our kind hosts Clearcut Pictures. Media Parents members are cordially invited to join us for an evening in the garden, please sign up to the guestlist on the Media Parents watercooler. After the success of our recent Bristol Media Parents Flexible Working Event we’re also gearing up for our London Media Parents Flexible Working Event on July 24th so save the date and watch out for that guestlist opening following our Summer Party. Here are some photos from last year’s summer party, with thanks again to Rowan Bray and the Clear Cut team.

Media Parents Summer Party last year was a glorious affair on a warm summer evening in Bloomsbury thanks to the Clear Cut team.

Huge thanks to all the companies and freelancers who attended last year's summer party and made it such a good laugh!

ITV's Back to Work Scheme Winner Geoff Dibben with Media Parents' Joanna Gretton

Renegade's Director of Production Ed Nissen with Dragonfly Coordinator Danny Leitch

Baby Cow's Head of Production Judith Bantock with Media Parents freelancers and returners

Clear Cut Pictures MD Rowan Bray with Media Parents members

Maverick's Head of Production Maria French

Tiger Aspect's Comedy and Entertainment Exec Cat Fox

Outline Productions' Production Exec Emily Freshwater with Sister Pictures' Back to Work Scheme Winner Jenny Madalura

BBC Scripted Drama & Comedy Head of Talent Jacqui Taunton-Fenton with Media Parents freelancers

Barcroft Media Exec Jude Parker

Series Producer Gayl Paterson with Katherine Bovey

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us - we look forward to seeing you again this year!

To sign up to the guestlist for the Media Parents Summer Party on June 19th see the link on Media Parents watercooler

To sign up to the guestlist please see the watercooler at https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/

Click image to join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events. Summer Party June 19th; Flexible Working Event July 24th and more...

We’re delighted to be working Bristol indies, Films at 59 and Outline Productions for an evening championing flexible working in Bristol on May 23rd, hosted at BBC Bristol. In addition to welcoming employers from Outline Productions, Films at 59 and BBC Bristol we’ll also be joined by employers from Aardman Animations, Icon Films, Love Productions, RDF West, Plimsoll Productions, Off the Fence, Mustang Films and Transparent Television.

If your company is working flexibly with staff, can offer or would like to explore possibilities, then this is the event for you! If you are a freelancer working flexibly or interested in it then this event is a great opportunity to find out more, and even find job share partners. To see photos from our recent Bristol CV event, go here: https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2018/12/bristol-media-parents-event-gallery/

We’ll be sharing results from our flexible working survey so please fill it in and share it.
COMPANIES: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DLZXF8N
FREELANCERS: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/X6Z5KV7

Helen Veale, Creative Director, Outline Productions, sponsor at our last event.
At the event we’ll hear from Films at 59′s job sharing producers, Media Parents’ flexible workers, Bristol companies with flexible roles in play, and find out how to make flexible working work for you! We’ll be posting the guestlist on the Media Parents watercooler ahead of the event so you can connect with attending talent.
Get your ticket using the link on the watercooler at  www.mediaparents.co.uk
Freelancers please ALSO send CV in an email titled with your name, job title and genre to events@mediaparents.com. You will need to sign up for a ticket too.
Thanks to Films at 59 and Outline Productions for sponsoring this event and making it possible. Thank you to the BBC Club for hosting again.

Thank you to Rob and Jasmine at BBC Bristol Club, and Clare Adams for all their help at the November and current events. See you on Thursday!

Thursday’s companies are specifically looking for these job types:

Production Managers, Co-ordinators, Shooting PDs, Series Producers, Shooting APs, Researchers, Runners/DITs, Editors, Nat Hist PDs.

There will be an opportunity to talk about flexible working at the beginning of the evening too, and to connect with potential job share partners in the crowd. If you need any help finding someone please ask Clare Adams on Thursday.

Sign up for a ticket here and send a CV to events@mediaparents.com to gain entry to the event:

https://bristolmediaparentsflexibleworkingevent.eventbrite.co.uk

Media Parents celebrated International Women’s Day this year by launching a survey about flexible working in TV. It’s your opportunity to tell us – as a freelancer or an employer – what you’re doing flexibly, what you want, and what you want to know.

For the Media Parents FREELANCER flexible working survey CLICK HERE

For the Media Parents EMPLOYER flexible working survey CLICK HERE

Thanks for taking the time to fill it in, together we can change things for the better.

SAVE THE DATE for our late late International Women’s Day Celebrations on March 28th, see site emails for details. To sign up to our mailing list go here:

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/

Click image to join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events.

When I go into a production office or when I look at the staff page of production companies I am constantly dismayed to see the lack of diversity, writes Petal Felix.  Some seem to be entirely staffed by white people and that feels quite off-putting to see nobody who looks like me. If women are under represented in the media, then that is an even greater problem for black women.

Petal Felix with Media Parents' Joanna Gretton at Back to Work Drinks

When there was such a furore about the gender paygap I read with interest the features in the newspapers but, the reality for many like me, is if we can’t even get through the front door it is immaterial what the pay is.

There is a very clear cultural disconnect between the people who make TV programmes and the millions who watch them.  Creativity needs diversity in thinking and for that to manifest onto the screen you need a diverse workforce, which I just don’t see at the moment.

Petal with HoP Mags Scholes and Skillset HETV Drama Returner Fred Archer, celebrating his placement at Tiger Aspect

After several years out I have decided its time to go back to doing the thing I trained to do and the job I loved - TV production. Most of my working life has been spent as a journalist, first in radio and then TV making films for the BBC and independents. But I haven’t worked in TV for ten years, and although the experience can’t be taken away, aspects of production have changed. Although I am happy to upskill I already feel at a disadvantage

A friend said I must join Media Parents. So I go to the Media Parents ‘Back to Work’ drinks, which is initially daunting but turns out to be hugely enjoyable and gives me a boost.    Meeting people who are in the same boat as me, having taken time out for family, albeit most have young children where I am at the other end, having just seen the last child off to college.

There’s another chance to network, a  Media Parents CV event,  hosted by Shiver and there are a number of other production companies represented there. I talk to the companies I think best suit my interests and skills and the following day email the contacts I made.  I have been given  good advice on how to rework my CV  and also been told I have good experience and my training as a Journalist should stand me in good stead.

Petal Felix talks to the Raw TV talent team at Media Parents CV Event

Still, getting my CV ready to send out, it looks woefully inadequate compared to the many I see with very recent TV credits.  It does feel good networking, entirely different to years back when I would avoid any work-related social event. Now I am much more confident and also eager to speak with others going through the same experience.

I have started emailing production companies and meet with Heads of Production, Creative Directors and Talent Executives. All seem interested in my experience and are generous with their time, but there is still a slight nagging feeling, which I am constantly battling with.

Eventually, after meeting with the Managing Director and Creative Director of Factory Films in Brighton I go in, initially for two weeks unpaid work.  I am given several programmes to work on  for the  BBC and Channel 4, short films and documentaries.  I love it and it reminds me I can do this. It’s the week before Christmas and they ask me to stay on for another weeks paid work. I am ecstatic, and its not about the money.

So  here we are in January. I am applying for jobs and I don’t mind taking a job below my Producer scale but I also know I’m more likely to be successful if I can get across the threshold and meet people face to face. I have great skills and experience  and am always full of ideas so I hope TV can deliver for me.

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/15825/petal-felix

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Warm thanks to everyone who attended our Bristol Media Parents at BBC Bristol at the end of November. The evening was kindly sponsored by Wall to Wall Television / Warner Bros Television Production U.K. Head of Wall to Wall West, Emily Shields, Deputy Head of Production Emma Fenton and Head of Talent Susie Worster met freelancers, and Wall to Wall’s Media Parents Back to Work Scheme mentee Melissa Bishop is Bristol-based and attended the event. We’d also like to thank Outline Productions for sponsoring and attending, the EndemolShineUK team and PACT. Thanks to Seadog TV & Film and RDF West for supporting too. Here are some photos from the night, the majority kindly taken by Clare Adams https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/15905/clare-adams.

"It was great to meet new people and to reconnect. I met some people in person for the first time who I'd wanted to meet for a while." Emily Shields, Head of Wall to Wall West

Helen Veale, Creative Director, Outline Productions: "I just want to say a huge thank you for the Bristol event. We met so many such great people who we’d love to work with. And it was a really fun evening. We’re so grateful to be hooked into your network and thank you for organising things so brilliantly."

"Thanks for organising it. There seemed to be a good mix of people there" Susie Worster, Head of Talent, Wall to Wall Television

"I wanted to say a huge thank you for hosting the Bristol event. I’ve felt very ‘out of the loop’ over the last few years and realised I’d lost a bit of confidence about working in TV. The Media Parents event was such a tonic for me, I bumped into a few friends, chatted to people who said they’d felt the same and all your representatives were really friendly and encouraging. It has really lifted my confidence and I really enjoyed it." Carolyn, Returner

Tanya Gottlieb, Talent Manager Endemol Shine "We crew across the board in Bristol in factual, fact ent and specialist factual (for Tigress) so it's great to meet talented grown-ups."

"Just wanted to thank Media Parents for putting on this event, and thanks to Wall to Wall and Outline and the other companies for taking part. It was a brilliant evening. I met so many new people and as Ive only been in Bristol a couple of years it was really useful for making contacts with South West media companies as well as fellow workers. Really excellent night! Thank you!" Graciela Watson, Edit Producer

"We had a great night. We'll definitely be using Media Parents at Seadog when we're next crewing up" Linda Stephens, Head of Production, Seadog TV & Film

"Thank you - it was definitely worth the journey from Wiltshire to be a part of the evening." Donna Bernard, Presenter

"As a Bristol-based Exec it was great to meet people outside my network and catch up with other freelancers I know. There was so much talent in the room, it was brilliant." Katy Fryer, Exec Producer, Outline Productions

"What a brilliant night, and what a great organisation Media Parents is. I'll be telling all my friends!" Philip Jones, Story Producer

"Thank you for organising the event, it was great to catch up with my Back to Work Mentor Emma Fenton from Wall to Wall, and also other Bristol production companies that were new to me." Melissa Bishop, Returning AP / Researcher

"I made some really great contacts and have signed up to Media Parents". Maddi Knibbs, Series Producer

"It's always great to come to your events, thank you, it's so good to meet the talent". Emily Knight, Talent Manager, RDF West

"Thank you so much for connecting me to other freelancers at the event. We have already been in touch and are talking about collaborating on a project". Jon Nicholls, Composer

Thank you to Rob and Jasmine at BBC Bristol Club, David Postlethwaite and Matt Holden for all their help at the event. Thanks also to Clare Adams for the wonderful photos. Until the next time!

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Join us and be merry at Media Parents Christmas Drinks, kindly hosted by Clearcut and sponsored by Alias Hire! Hurrah! We’ll be joined by freelancers and companies including the BBC, Dragonfly, Merman, Kantar Media, Renowned Films, Lime Pictures, Outline Productions, CTVC, Maverick Television, Raw TV, Rawcut TV and Media Parents. No CVs this time, just drinks and chat.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Media Parents Christmas Drinks last year - we will raise a glass to Trevor Showler this year!

Drop us a line c/o www.mediaparents.co.uk to join us at Media Parents Christmas Drinks

Alias Hire is a multifaceted company providing excellent service across three divisions; Equipment Rental, Training and Live Services.

We’re based in the ever-expanding creative world in Hackney, East London, where we service local, greater London and national clients. We supply cotemporary camera stock and associated equipment as well as provide in-house training on a wide range of technical, production and post-production courses. We boast the highest-spec for live streaming and we can stream from ANYWHERE there’s a mobile phone data signal

Alias Hire really is a one-stop shop for all your production needs!

Click image to join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events.

Media Parents presents a brilliant FREE opportunity for freelancers to network with companies hiring in Bristol and South Wales on Thursday 29th November, thanks to support from production companies.

Major sponsors Wall to Wall / Warner Bros Television Production UK Ltd are keen to meet experienced factual, specialist factual and fact ent freelancers working in production and editorial in Bristol – SPs, (shooting) PDs, edit producers, PMs, LPs and more. Head of Wall to Wall West, Emily Shields, Deputy Head of Production Emma Fenton and Head of Creative Talent Susie Worster will attend to meet freelancers.

Drop us your CV c/o the address below to sign up for this FREE event

Outline Productions wltm factual PCs, PMs, SPs, shooting PDs and edit producers, as well as freelancers working in other roles in South Wales or Bristol. MD Laura Mansfield and Creative Director Helen Veale will attend with Executive Producer Katy Fryer and Production Executive Emily Freshwater.

Tigress Productions’ Production Executive Isa Snow Campbell and EndemolShine‘s Talent Manager Tanya Gottlieb are looking for PDs and DV Directors with natural history / story telling experience, as well as experienced edit producers.

PACT will be represented by Media Parents Director Amy Walker, if you would like your CV passed to Anjani Patel, Head of Diversity please let Amy know.

The event will be kindly hosted by the BBC. Due to unforeseen circumstances no BBC staff are able to attend, but freelance Series Producer Jane Lomas, currently working at the BBC will pass on CVs.

Seadog TV & Film Productions‘ Head of Production Linda Stephens and Operations Director Suze Scott will attend. Seadog are not currently crewing but are keen to meet freelancers for future shows. RDF West‘s Emily Knight will also attend. Freelancers should bring paper copies of their CV and email them in advance to events@mediaparents.co.uk.

Media Parents Director Amy Walker (right) with freelancers at a Media Parents event in Bristol

To support Media Parents please join by clicking the photo below.

Click image to join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events.

Huge thanks to ITV Shiver‘s job sharing talent managers Ros Malthouse and Emma Astaire for hosting Media Parents’ October CV event, and to everyone who attended for creating a great buzz on the evening. BBC Scripted Production Exec Jacquie Glanville and Talent Manager Noelle Bartlett met scripted talent, along with Kindle Entertainment‘s Production Exec Keri Atkins. Back to Work Scheme sponsors Raw TV were represented by Nicky Searle and Didem Gormus, Expectation Factual‘s Anna Bonnadio joined us unexpectedly, in addition to Two Four‘s Vanessa Colosi, Fremantle‘s Jenny Spader and of course the Shiver and Media Parents teams met freelancers. RDF West’s Emily Knight was unable to attend due to problems at Paddington but she has sent a PDF of RDF’s CV tips that can be downloaded at the end of this article. Here are some photos and testimonials to give you a flavour of the event if you missed it. Click here for more CV tips from the attending companies.

Thank you to ITV Shiver's Ros Malthouse and Emma Astaire, job sharing talent managers, for hosting the event and meeting freelancers "We really enjoyed meeting lots of new people and have been following up..."

“Thank you for the event last night, it was really useful and I made a couple of good contacts.” Petal Felix

Thanks for arranging last night’s CV event. It was a great opportunity and for me to start mingling again. A lot of the work I do these days is solitary, so it was great to put faces to names. It was also good to get so much positive feedback about my CV. Thanks again for this event and I look forward to coming to another one in the future. Justine Sullivan, Celebrity Producer https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/10118/justine-sullivan

"Media Parents has completely changed the way I look at my CV. Thank you" Ash Smith https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/3309/ashley-smith

Back to Work Scheme Winner Melissa Bishop with TwoFour. https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/14397/melissa-bishop

Media Parents Back to Work Scheme Winner, Coordinator Jenny Madalura with Shiver. https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/15655/jenny-madalura

"Thank for you, for a very busy and interesting evening last night! Think the collective noun for Freelancers must be a swarm." Shanti Ramakuri, PM https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/14771/shanti-ramakuri

Returner Hannah Williams was celebrating her new flexible job at Merman. https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/11460/hannah-williams-lovell

Please click here for RDF West TV CV Tips. For information about Media Parents next event please sign up to our email list or see our watercooler at www.mediaparents.co.uk

Click image to join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events.