Media Parents

Emma Reeves is an award-winning writer working across stage and screen. Her TV Children’s credits alone include The Worst Witch, Eve, The Dumping Ground, Young Dracula and The Story of Tracy Beaker. She has won Writers Guild Awards, RTS Awards and been nominated for both Children’s Baftas and a Broadcast Award. We have worked together before and there’s very little this lady doesn’t know about Children’s drama, writes Returning Script Editor Becky Evans. I was extremely pleased to learn that Becky had agreed to be my mentor courtesy of the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme.

The Worst Witch (Credit : CBBC)

A nice lunch in the bar at BAFTA gave Emma and me the perfect chance to catch up, reminisce about past projects and begin plotting a return for me. Emma is the perfect mentor because she has been able to offer the relevant names and contacts from a variety of companies within the Children’s field. It certainly hasn’t done me any harm to mention her name as my mentor either! She has made my CV mailout a whole lot easier and it’s been really encouraging to link to the right people straight away without feeling like your CV is floating across a lot of the wrong departments. New contacts in hand it’s been left to me to do the ground work so the last 6 weeks has been emails, calls and the odd meeting to refresh old connections and make some new ones. It’s fantastic to know that Emma has her ear to the ground on my behalf too and always at the end of a phone if I need a pep talk!

Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme Script Editor Becky Evans in conversation at BAFTA

So far the reaction to my CV has been very positive and it’s been a great boost for my confidence to know that my skills are still very relevant and of interest to Producers. My recent placement at Kindle Entertainment, also organised by Media Parents, has really helped bridge the parenting gap on my CV. An expression I’ve heard a few times after various meetings and chats is ‘Good Script Editors are thin on the ground! Looking forward it’s now all about the wait to be remembered when the new drama pitches have been signed off and the productions start crewing up. The Script Editor is usually the next port of call right behind the Producer once a drama leaves its development home. Make your CV memorable enough, impress where you can and with a bit of luck the phone will ring when they need someone with your skills!!

Emma Reeves, Writer

Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Mentor

‘I worked with Becky a few years ago on a British / Australian co-production for CBBC, ‘Dead Gorgeous’. I very much appreciated her talent and attention to detail as a Script Editor. The demands of the business, especially on continuing drama, can make it particularly hard for working mums (mums are still too often the “default parent”). Good Script Editors like Becky are hard to find and it’s time the industry recognised that they need to move to more flexible working conditions if they are not to continue to experience a major talent drain. Script Editors can work effectively from home a great deal of the time, making it easier for working parents to fit work around school runs, etc. I know that the response to Becky’s CV has been very positive and I’m sure she’ll find the perfect job’.

The Worst Witch Writer Emma Reeves

Join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events. Media Parents Back to Work Scheme 2018 is opening soon.

Click here to apply for the Media Parents 2018 Back to Work Scheme Media Parents Back to Work Scheme Form 2018.

Having reluctantly left Production many years ago to bring up 2 children, it was unfinished business. I always intended to go back but a teaching career suited being a working mum and so it took until August 2017 to see if it was still possible to get back into TV, but instead of commercials, move into Drama, writes Paula Watkins.

Returning Production Coordinator Paula Watkins networking at Broadcast Commissioning Forum

In truth I thought it highly unlikely that anybody would want to employ someone who had been out of the industry for over 14 years. A lot has changed and with no up to date training or experience I questioned what I had to offer and almost gave up before I had even started. On a whim I made a phone call to a Producer I used to work with and a week later I began work experience on Silent Witness for the BBC.

Silent Witness (Picture Credit : BBC)

Walking in on the first day was terrifying, what would the production team make of me and what exactly did I want from the experience?  Within a very short amount of time it felt extremely familiar and comfortable and it was easy to ask millions of questions, take notes, offer help and be honest about my desire to learn everything I could to eventually be employable again within a production team. Much of the job was the same but the particular demands of TV Drama as opposed to Commercials needed to be learnt alongside all the current practices. Overriding all of this however, was a feeling that maybe there was work out there and that I did have skills to offer but just needed a way in. Being accepted onto the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme a few weeks after some further work experience on The Durrells for ITV, really felt that the universe had a plan for me.

Paula Watkins with Tiger Aspect's Cat Fox at Media Parents Job Share Event

The Media Parents course was so brilliantly supportive and helped me to realise that I could do this ‘returning to TV thing’ that I had originally thought too ambitious. There was much to thank Amy Walker for during that week but the day at the BAFTA Commissioning Conference was a highlight. Not only were many of the speakers inspiring but it affirmed that there is so much exciting TV being made and waiting to be made. I came away wanting to be part of it.  As it happened by the end of the same week I was! I started a four-week placement with Fudge Park Productions.  Within 3 weeks of sending off my Return to HETV application form I was starting work on a Comedy Drama.  All thanks to Media Parents.

So now I just had to do it. I arrived on the job on the last day of prep and therefore into an existing team. This made it more nervewracking as the relationships and working practices were already established. On the first day of filming I made my way to set before everyone else, found the Production Bus and set myself down early to settle the nerves. There was plenty to do but the challenge was to find how to be as supportive as possible and seek out things to do without interfering or usurping anyone else’s role. But I also needed to learn as much as I could. This was a golden opportunity and I wanted to make the most of every second.

Fudge Park's White Gold (Picture Credit : BBC)

PACT contracts came my way and that gave me something that I could take control of, keeping myself busy whilst getting to the know the team and, most importantly, them getting to know me. The long days and journey to and from various locations were gruelling, but this was outweighed by how much brilliant experience I was getting. Once the contracts were done it was about being there for anything to support and help with the daily challenges that always occur in Production. Towards the end of the placement, I was delighted to be asked to stay on until the end of the production. This was really exciting and gave me the confidence to believe that my skills were useful and that I had become part of the team.

The back to work plan is currently taking shape with the help of my mentor BBC Production Exec Jacqui Glanville, and Media Parents. I need to stay close to home until my youngest daughter finishes her A levels so I’ve been fortunate enough to work from home as a Production Coordinator for Merman thanks to Media Parents. When that contract finishes there is plenty to do: developing excel skills, Albert courses, getting to know Movie Magic, Final Draft and anything I can find close to home.

Returning Coordinators Paula Watkins (top left) and Zenna Barry with Sister Pictures Coordinator Maja Wlodarczyk at Media Parents IWD Drinks. Paula attended every networking event possible to get back in to TV.

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/14684/paula-watkins

Join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events. Media Parents Back to Work Scheme 2018 is opening soon.

We’re really delighted to be announcing the 2018 Media Parents Back to Work Scheme sponsors at our summer party this week, where talented freelancers will be joined by  Channel5, MTV, ITV, Sister Pictures, Merman, The Garden, Raw TV, 360 Production, Barcroft Productions, Warner Bros, Tiger Aspect, Fosse Films, Outline Productions, Wadell Media, Boulder Creek International, Seefood and more.

Clearcut MD Rowan Bray and guests at Media Parents Summer Party 2017. Good times!

Clearcut Pictures are sponsoring the Media Parents Summer Party for the second year running – huge thanks to Rowan Bray and her team for supporting us again. We’ll be enjoying Clearcut’s hospitality in a leafy garden on Wednesday July 4^th. http://www.clearcut.cc/

We’d also like to thank the Schedule32 team and Cornish Insurance for sponsoring the event too.

Media Parents Summer Party 2017 - join us in a Bloomsbury garden!

“We take away the time-consuming job of finding and booking accommodation for TV crews.”

Schedule 32 was founded in 2005 by Jo Clement. After organising many location shoots over 15 years in the industry, Jo saw a clear need for a TV-friendly hotel agency – a 24/7 operation, that’s always keeping the budget in mind, while offering a reliable personal service so that clients don’t have to rely on online bookings. http://www.schedule32.co.uk/

Thank you to everyone who joined us last year, we look forward to seeing you this year!

Cornish Insurance has built up an enviable reputation over 28 years providing unparalleled service to TV clients. Steve McNally, Rob Smith and the team are able to understand any risk presented, with experience and market insight. Cornish take great pride in dealing with clients, from individuals to Blue Chip Companies, with a personal touch. No other Broker or Insurer will be able to offer Cornish’s niche market products. By listening to customers’ needs Cornish have created products designed specifically for you and your business. To discuss your insurance needs please contact http://cornishinsurance.co.uk/

Please sign up to the guestlist via our watercooler at www.mediaparents.co.uk to join us on July 4th!

If you would like an application form for our 2018 Back to Work Scheme, please click here Media Parents Back to Work Scheme Form 2018

Join Media Parents www.mediaparents.co.uk for great jobs, training and events. Media Parents Back to Work Scheme 2018 is opening soon.

When we met on the Media Parents Back to Work Scheme we had both just spent a good chunk of time at home with kids, and were on the point of returning to work (specifically, to PD / Development Producer / Edit Producer / Senior Producer roles) in factual telly, write Emma Sayce and Josie Besbrode. We had a frank chat about what our worries were: how would we find a way of working that would be fulfilling, and would advance our careers BUT would not involve us having to make unbearable compromises at home?

Josie Besbrode & Emma Sayce (right, far right) with other Media Parents Back to Work Winners 2017

When Amy Walker, who runs Media Parents, suggested we think about job sharing, our initial thoughts were: ‘how would that work?’ We wondered if it is even possible to job share a creative role. The answer, as we have since discovered, is that it absolutely is. In fact, job sharing can be a great way of doing the kinds of jobs we do because, arguably, it fosters creativity.

Amy suggested we talk to Alicky Sussman and Milla Harrison who’ve job shared successfully as PDs (on Horizon), as Edit Producers (on Eden) and as Development Producers (read more here). Read all about their experience here.

Alicky and Milla said two really striking things to us, and the first was a word of warning: “job sharing does not necessarily mean half the work”.  They said you will spend a lot of time (mainly out of hours) on communication with each other, talking about things you’d never normally spend much time even thinking about. On the positive side, they thought job sharing had produced great results – e.g. that their edits had progressed quicker than they would have done otherwise, that problems were solved more easily by two brains, and that their days off gave them a useful perspective that the films benefitted from. It sounded like the experience had been enjoyable and creatively satisfying, and had allowed for a work/life balance they were both happy with.

Next we spoke to Sunshine Jackson, founder of http://amplifyproductions.co.uk and former Series Editor on Eden.  It was Sunshine who employed Alicky and Milla, as job sharing Edit Producers. She saw the whole deal as a bargain, two brains for the price of one. With her background, as an offline editor, Sunshine could immediately see the value of that time out / perspective on the edit that a job share enforces: ‘I’ve been in edits for 20 years, and I know that if you can maintain a level of distance from the material it’s a massive advantage editorially. You make better decisions, and do things in a quarter of the time.’ Sunshine said that Alicky and Milla’s job share worked very well from her point of view, and that she wouldn’t hesitate to hire them again. Sunshine will be attending Media Parents’ TV Job Share Event on Wednesday, along with Milla Harrison.

Finally, we spoke to the team at Ricochet where, on Food Unwrapped, they used job sharing Series Producers and would do so again. It was an idea the producers and Ricochet came up with collectively and pitched to Channel 4. Working three days each was ideal they felt, because it minimised handovers. Although the company were paying for an extra day, the benefits of two creative minds and fresh eyes made it cost effective. Both job sharers worked on Wednesday, had an entire team meeting and split the work for the coming week. An important message was to act, and be treated as, essentially, one person, to trust and support each other, and therefore instil confidence in the team. The job share was facilitated by Ricochet’s Director of Production, Lisa Cox, who will be attending Media Parents’ TV Job Share event this week.

Having chatted to job sharers, and to those who have employed job sharers, we now feel it’s definitely worth a go! To us, it seems that the disadvantages (mainly financial for us) are outweighed by the fact that it could be an enjoyable, productive way of working that leaves us with time and energy for our families. It could also mean that we take on more contracts, and work continuously, rather than doing intensive stints, and then having to have time off to recover / catch up with our kids.

While we’ve been researching and writing this blog, Josie has been working as a PD 4 days a week and Emma has started a job share Edit Producer role c/o Media Parents at Maverick TV, alongside Nikki Ryan who will also be attending Media Parents TV Job Share Event.

PDs Emma Sayce and Josie Besbrode (right) are Media Parents Back to Work Scheme Winners

Nikki Ryan, Edit Producer Job Share

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/10764/josephine-besbrode

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/13729/emma-sayce

Media Parents job share event takes place on May 16th please scroll down this blog for more information.

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

Curious about job share in TV? Think creative jobshares can’t work? Think again. Join us on May 16th for an evening at Hat Trick, hearing from supportive companies (see guestlist below), existing job shares and meeting potential job share partners in the crowd. If you’d like to attend please send a CV to the address on this link when you sign up to the guestlist : https://mediaparentstvjobshareevent.eventbrite.co.uk

who’s coming?

Jacquie Glanville

Production Executive, BBC Drama

Three Girls' Production Consultant Jacquie Glanville will be joining us at Media Parents TV Job Share Event

Jacquie Glanville is mentoring returning Drama Production Coordinator Paula Watkins as part of Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme. Both will be attending our TV Job Share event, read more about Jacquie’s credits here.

Jessica Sharkey & Jessica Djanogly
Joint Directors of Production, Hat Trick

Jessica Sharkey with Hat Trick's Joint Director of Production Laura Djanogly at a 2010 Media Parents Job Share Event

Jessica Sharkey and Laura Djanogly oversee the whole range of programme output from the Hat Trick Group from initial development and budget negotiations, through production to delivery. Jessica and Laura will share job share tips at the event.

Laura joined Hat Trick as Head of Production in 2001 before joining forces with Jessica in 2004. Prior to this she was Programme Finance Manager at Channel 4 looking after Arts, Sport and Entertainment, a role which followed 14 years in the freelance production world working in Comedy, Entertainment and Documentary.

Jessica joined Hat Trick as Joint Head of Production in 2004.  Prior to this she was Production Executive at Alomo Productions, a role which followed 14 years in the freelance production world working in Drama, Comedy, Children’s and Documentary

Clare Voyce
MD, Minnow Films

Clare joined Minnow as Head of Production in 2008, looking after their output : http://www.minnowfilms.co.uk/filmography/index.html.

Prior to this Clare was at Blast! Films where she production managed various documentaries and drama docs including Accused (BBC2), Boys from the Brown Stuff (BBC2) and A Very British Sex Scandal (Channel 4). Clare also production managed Blue Suede jew, Hair Wars, Million Dollar Pigeon and Beautiful Young Minds.

Lisa Cox
Director of Production, Ricochet

Lisa Cox is Director of Production for Ricochet.  As such she has supported all kinds of flexible working including job sharing Series Producers.

Lisa joined Ricochet back in 2000 and has worked across all of Ricochet’s output, and her credits include Supernanny for C4, the long running documentary series Born To Be Different, returning formats such as Cowboy Builders (Five) and Food Unwrapped (C4) as well as popular BBC daytime series like Britain’s Empty Homes,  Family Finders and Channel Patrol.

As well as supervising all of Ricochet’s production, Lisa is a key part of the management team, responsible for the company’s financial planning and oversees all operational aspects of the business. Lisa has also been a mentor several times for Media Parents Returners.

Cat Fox

Head of Production, Comedy Entertainment, Tiger Aspect

Cat Fox, Head of Production Comedy Entertainment, Tiger Aspect

https://www.tigeraspect.co.uk/career-pathways/cat-fox/

Keri Atkins
Production Executive, Kindle Entertainment

Keri has worked in the TV industry for many years. She’s been involved in a broad range of TV programming for a variety of broadcasters since she started as a Production Secretary on C5’s first ever children’s commission in the late 1990s.

Working on a variety of drama, children’s, factual entertainment, animation, live and documentaries, Keri originally arrived at Kindle Entertainment as a Production Manager on the first series of the popular BAFTA award winning series for CBBC, Dixi.

Sunshine Underhill Jackson
Senior Producer & Co-Founder, Amplify

Previously an award-winning documentary film editor (twice BAFTA nominated), coming up through the cutting rooms Sunshine worked with a great many directors, and became adept at finding their strengths and supporting their weaknesses. She has supported, amongst others, job sharing Edit Producers.

In 2013 Sunshine made the leap to editorial producing, and in 2015 was Series Editor on the first series of ‘Hunted’ for Channel 4. In March 2016, as Series Editor on ‘Eden – Paradise Lost’ for Channel 4, Sunshine took challenging rushes and created the ‘utterly extraordinary’ and ‘stand out’ second series. In 2016 she dipped briefly back in to the cutting room to cut the first episode of the multi-award winning ‘Exodus – Our Journey to Europe’, a series about the refugee crisis.

Sunshine has 2 children, and during her maternity leave authored ‘Little London’, a book about adventuring in London with kids.

Anouk Berendsen
Head of Talent, All3Media

Anouk Berendsen, centre, with Media Parents HETV Drama Returners at BAFTA

Anouk joined All3Media in June 2016.   She is the point of contact for all senior creative talent within the Group and for talent looking to join All3Media.   Anouk has a unique insight into programme-making, spanning multiple genres and multiple broadcasters. She is passionate about creating new opportunities for established creative talent.

Before moving into talent management, Anouk worked as a freelance TV producer for over 15 years across a range of genres, from popular documentaries, factual entertainment and reality TV shows to prime-time entertainment. She started her career at ITV launching the hit daytime show Loose Women. She has subsequently produced large-scale ambitious projects such as The Match (SKY1) and Only Fools On Horses (Sport Relief, BBC One) and also helped launch BBC One’s new Saturday night format Last Choir Standing.

Tamara Durnford
Talent Manager & Production Manager, Development, Maverick TV

Maverick's Tamara Durnford (right) at Media Parents CV Event in April

One half of a job share herself, Maverick’s Talent Manager Tamara is responsible for helping find off-screen talent. She oversees Maverick’s talent database and network, building and developing relationships with all levels of production and development staff from runners to series producers. She work closely with executive producers and production management to staff projects and help develop the skills of our talented staff. Alongside, Talent Managing Tamara is also the Production Manager for Maverick’s Development team; supporting them in the day to day running of the department.

Sophie Milligan
Talent Coordinator, Raw TV

Sophie Milligan (left) at Media Parents Christmas Drinks

https://www.raw.co.uk/work

Emma Sayce
Job sharing Edit Producer

Job Sharing Returner Emma Sayce (left) at Edinburgh TV Festival with her Media Parents Sponsor Endemol Shine Global HR Director Bella Lambourne

Emma Sayce won one of the Media Parents Back to Work Scheme places at Edinburgh last year. She is being mentored by Shine MD Tania Shaw, and is sponsored by Endemol Shine. Emma is currently job sharing as an Edit Producer at Maverick TV – a role she won through Media Parents – ask her about it at the event.

Milla Harrison
Job Sharing PD / Edit Producer

PD Milla Harrison (left) with job share partner Alicky Sussman

Ask Milla how it’s done at the event – read more HERE.

Amy Walker
Director, Media Parents

Media Parents' Amy Walker and Joanna Gretton (right) who job share!

Amy Walker has job shared as a Producer Director and as a Series Producer. Find out more about it at the Media Parents TV Job Share Event and here.

If you’d like to attend please send a CV to the address on this link when you sign up to the guestlist : https://mediaparentstvjobshareevent.eventbrite.co.uk

To see job types attending please scroll down this blog or click here :

https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2018/05/media-parents-job-share-event-may-16th/

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

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

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