Media Parents

A first day back on any job is like a first day at school; full of anticipation and the unknown. Yet it’s good when you realise you haven’t lost the ability to ride a bike you once loved as skills and experience stored in a dusty section of your brain re-emerge, writes returning Production Coordinator Mike Ogden. This is what happened to me as I worked on ‘Curfew’, a HETV drama for broadcaster Sky, produced by Tiger Aspect and Frith Tiplady’s Moonage Pictures at Space Studios in Manchester.

Returning Coordinators Zenna Barry and Mike Ogden at Dock10 Studios, Mcr for their Media Parents Returners' Training

‘Curfew’ is huge and complex, easy to get lost or overwhelmed with if you haven’t experienced drama production. I’d had that experience and yet was full of anticipation of the unknown and new. Previously I was embedded in a camera team, my production management experience limiting me to the shorts and commercials I’d produced which felt like a long time ago.

As an assistant production coordinator, it was my task to help the team complete the mountain of paperwork needed to document their production day to day, to research ahead shoot locations, help with accommodation and travel requests and anything else thrown my way. Theirs is a twenty four hour production cycle, at times managing two full-on production location crews full of stunts, visual and practical effects, a big cast with many supporting artists all needing to be organised and looked after by a dedicated production team, with some staff walking through the door to begin their day as others are leaving for home after twelve hours managing.

Returning drama coordinator Mike Ogden is being mentored by Mammoth Screen's Howard Ella https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/4273/mike-ogden

You’ve got to love making drama to put up with this for several months. Dedicated. Do the work. For me that meant a tram and a train journey in to the studio and back home. Day by day. Helping to manage a shoot taking place unseen. Elsewhere. In a dark studio. On the pages of a call sheet. Unfolding slowly as you type in progress details, scene by scene, shot by shot from several departments. That’s what film making is. They don’t teach that in any film school. Lots of paperwork, but it helps to know what it contributes to and is aimed at. I found it fascinating. Maybe there’s something wrong with me? You have to be a little OCD in this job.

It was exciting to be involved with ‘Curfew’ in my small way, to contribute to a larger thing. It helped me restart, to show me I can be useful again. Like everyone else, I have ambition but it takes small steps to get anywhere. Re-learn old skills. Pick up new ones. Meet a bunch of nice people and do something creative. I miss that the most.

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

Media Parents’ Back to Work Scheme announces its 6^th year in partnership with Edinburgh International TV Festival. Thank you to every who has applied, we have heard from great returning talent. Details of winners will be posted elsewhere on this blog. We will hold drinks in September for all applicants.

Media Parents is re-launching its hugely successful sponsorship scheme to help parents and carers back into the TV industry after a career break. 100% of our sponsored applicants have been offered work after taking part in The Media Parents’ Back to Work scheme. Will you be the next?

Media Parents Back to Work Winners 2017 : Scripted Director Kate Cheeseman, SP Nicola Kingscote, PD Josie Besbrode & Edit Producer Emma Sayce

We are hugely grateful to our sponsors – and are delighted to say that Channel 4 has just come on board. Other sponsors are All3Media, ITV, Merman, Endemol Shine, Warner Bros, Sister Pictures and Raw TV for supporting this scheme for talented freelancers. PD Josie Besbrode and Edit Producer Emma Sayce have both returned to flexible work this year. Josie has been working part time and Emma has been job sharing – you can read their job share post here and look out for Emma’s latest job share piece. SP Nicola Kingscote has written about Edinburgh TV Festival, and Director Kate Cheeseman has written about returning to work to direct Call the Midwife.

Media Parents Back to Work Winners at Edinburgh TV Festival 2015

Previous years’ winners include a primary carer who had been out of TV for 8 years and has gone from directing EastEnders to now directing Emmerdale, other returners have secured commissions, and another successfully used the scheme to return to work in remission from cancer. 

We offer companies the opportunity to sponsor one of our applicants to give them the boost of confidence and contacts that will help highly skilled TV workers back into the industry. Through the scheme companies can increase diversity in the workplace, play a part in reinvigorating the career of talented individuals – and in the process garner great PR as a company – we have a track record of gaining national media coverage in The Guardian and on BBC Radio 4.

Successful applicants will be awarded sponsored places at this year’s Edinburgh International TV Festival EITF in August – applicants must be available in Edinburgh from 22 – 24th August. Our winners will be awarded a delegate pass plus travel to, and accommodation in, Edinburgh with bespoke mentoring sessions from the sponsors. Historically places have been sponsored by Endemol Shine, Channel 4, BBC, CDN, Sky, ITV, Warner Bros, BBC Wales, All3Media, Raise the Roof Productions and Endemol Shine.

Read more about the 2016 Media Parents Back to Work Scheme winners at www.mediaparents.co.uk

We work with mentees in advance t0 workshop CVs, and the onus is on mentees to formulate a back to work plan with Media Parents which they discuss with their mentor. Previous years’ mentors include Shine MD Tanya Shaw, ITV Creative Director of Programming, Mark Robinson, Sky Head of Comedy, Jon Mountague, ex Channel 4 Deputy Director of Programmes Ralph Lee, Channel 4 Drama’s Chloe Tucker, Wall to Wall MD, Richard Thompson, Ricochet Head of Production Lisa Cox, Boomerang Director of Programmes Sam Grace, PACT Chief Executive, John McVay, Channel 4 Commissioner Michelle Chappell, BBC Commissioner Catherine Catton and Nat Geo Commissioner Carolyn Payne among a brilliant array of execs from across the board in TV. We are told the experience is highly rewarding on both sides.

6 Media Parents Back to Work Scheme winners attended the Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival in 2014, seen here with Media Parents Director Amy Walker.

Applicants for the scheme are required to complete and submit an application form (click here to download : Media Parents Back to Work Scheme Form 2018), plus a CV and 300 word précis outlining their ambitions upon returning to TV to events@mediaparents.co.uk by July 29^th at 6pm. Candidates must have at least 3 years’ experience in TV and should not have worked in TV for more than 12 consecutive weeks since their career break. Applications are now open.

Ali McBride, Harriet Wallace, Kirsty Smith and Sidra Khan, media parents delegates waiting for Kevin Spacey's MacTaggart Speech at GEITF 2013.

Media Parents - join now for brilliant jobs and events at www.mediaparents.co.uk

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.

I have been in British Television for over 20 years and in that time I have been lucky enough to work on programmes as diverse as Peter Kays Phoenix Nights, Cold Feet and Dragons’ Den to the multi award winning “Ups” documentaries, writes Editor Ian Brown.

Editor Ian Brown : https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/11059/ian-brown

As a well respected finishing editor and colourist, the majority of my career has been spent working out of the regions’ top post facility houses, usually in big air conditioned rooms with fancy sofas and hot and cold drinks on tap but after the birth of my twins in 2012, I began to wonder if we could do things differently?

My youngest son Thomas has Cerebral Palsy and it became clear that if I could build a finishing suite at home, I would be able to have far greater control over my family’s work life balance.

A traditional finishing suite can easily set a facility back six figures but they all have one thing in common, without a skilled operator, they are worthless. I had the skills, I just needed to find a way to build a reliable home system.

In 2013 I began to forge a relationship with Matt Aindow at Scan computers in Bolton. As my plans progressed I spent time meeting the back room boys at Scan in their labs. Using a mixture of professional and gaming components we began to realise my dream of a facility class home finishing system. We added a Tangent wave control surface to give my system world conditions and it came up trumps.

Within days of me getting it home in February 2015, I was called on to grade a rock promo for Sitcom Soldiers, then edit a number of charity films, content for art exhibitions and a 5K grade on the British feature film “Off Piste”. It also allowed me to work from home whenever I was called on to edit TV programmes. Large parts of ITV’s Unbelievable moments Caught on Camera, Les Dawson Forever and Britain’s Darkest Taboo’s were cut in a cellar in Bromley Cross on my 3XS system.

Tom

Too often the demands of  working in Television combined  with the pressures of raising a young family lead to a talent drain out of the industry. I am reluctant to commit to working long unsociable hours especially when you add in a commute but as television fragments into more of a cottage industry I think this kind of home working is the future.

Send me a drive, discuss the brief and I can edit, online and grade around the needs of the schoolrun by picking up extra hours once my children are asleep. With high speed broadband, it is easy to do approvals over the internet. I consistently bring in my jobs on time and in budget whilst enjoying seeing my children blossom.

The way the team at Scan have worked hand in hand with me to see through my dream has been faultless and I am now often in the enviable position when I do go into town, of working on kit in high end facilities that cannot touch my home system for speed, grunt and reliability.

Yet much more important than that I am able to keep my skills as a high end finishing editor in the market place whilst juggling the family life balance that comes with having a child with complex special needs. Thanks to scan I am able to work on your project when you need me

https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/freelancers/11059/ian-brown

Media Parents has been helping the Hastings bid to become a smaller Channel 4 hub and now we’re hosting an update on the bid on Monday June 4^th, on Hastings’ iconic RIBA award winning pier.

Oh you do like to be beside the seaside, do you? Join us on Monday 4th June on Hastings Pier for Media Parents on Sea update on the Channel 4 hub bid

Do join us if you would work locally to Hastings, or if you just fancy a trip to the seaside. The event is free and open to everyone and Hastings Borough Council will update on the Channel 4 hub bid progress, plus good news for local filmmakers. And a lovely bar.

Media Parents on Sea event drinks will now take place in the PAVILION Bar, pictured, from 6pm on June 4th

Tickets are free and open to members and non members, parents or not. Please add your name to the guestlist here : https://mediaparentsonseaevent.eventbrite.co.uk

Who’s Coming so far…

polly gifford, Cultural Regeneration Manager

Hastings Borough Council

Polly Gifford is a senior cultural manager with a wide range of experience across the arts and public sectors.  She was Head of Education and Learning at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, East Sussex, and Director of Bridport Arts Centre in Dorset.  She is currently Cultural Regeneration Manager at Hastings Borough Council leading on how arts and heritage can most effectively contribute to the ongoing regeneration of the town.  She is also Interim Executive Director of renowned theatre company Complicité.

Jess Steele, OBE Community Activist

Friends of Hastings Pier

http://site.jerichoroad.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Jess-Steele-CV-2015.pdf Jess will update us on the pier’s fundraising efforts. If you haven’t already, please support the pier here : https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/fohp2018. We have 26 days left to raise 80K to keep the pier in community ownership. Every bit helps.

Amy Walker & Joanna Gretton
Media Parents

Amy Walker (left) and Joanna Gretton at Media Parents Summer Party 2017. Our 2018 Summer Party is on July 4th so save the date!ss

Media Parents Director Amy Walker is a factual series and exec producer who has most recently worked as Head of Talent for Raw TV, for Twenty Twenty at Warner Bros, and for The Garden Productions. Joanna Gretton is a Factual PD who has worked extensively for ITV, Granada and the BBC, and acts as Client Liaison Producer for Media Parents. The whole Media Parents team works as a jobshare, sharing an inbox to support experienced freelance TV talent across the industry. As well as an excellent jobsite, Media Parents runs monthly events and training, including the Media Parents Back to Work Schemes which have reintroduced many experienced freelancers to the TV talent pool.

Full Guestlist is updated on our watercooler at www.mediaparents.co.uk, here is the list as of 31st May – there are still places please join us :

Alice Trueman Writer/Director/Editor Freelance

Amy Kolb Writer/producer Freelance

Amy Walker Director Media Parents

Aristotelis Maragkos filmmaker aristotelismaragkos.com

Beth King Communications Manager Locate East Sussex

Callum Mair Producer Natural History Museum

Cath Pick Film Tutor and Archive Producer Brighton Film School

Catherine Donaldson Teaching Fellow in Film practice University of Sussex

Christina Lowry AP/PD Ex BBC

Colette Rouhier Media Service Provider Colette Rouhier

Dan Matthews Producer Hastings Pier Events

Dave Carr Creative Director/Copywriter Nomad Creative

Dave Thomas Writer / Director / Cameraman / Editor Mrs&MrThomas

David Bryant Producer Bryant Brothers Productions Ltd

David Jackson Writer/Director Nox Films

Dirk Nel Director/cinematographer Simba films ltd

Ed Bishop Producer / Director Scissorhands

Emily Booth Script writer voice over presenter AMC networks

Emily Thomas Archive Producer Freelance

Emily Wood Genre Assistant Channel 4

Graeme White Creative Director Alfol ltd

Hannah Collisson Journalist & Communications Specialist Freelance

Helen Dey Graphic designer Ex BBC, Sky

Helen Jacey Writer Producer Shedunnit Productions

Isabella Campi Freelance graphic designer Freelance

James Chang Spokesperson Friends of Hastings Pier

James Clarke Photographer Freelance

James Sadlier Producer/Director Lorraine, ITV

Jane Bruce Art Director Jane Bruce

Jason Ellis Designer/Art Director Decode

Jason Stevens Owner Simply Garden

Jen Smyth Casting Producer Flock London

Jenny Plummer Project worker Housing

Jess Steele Community Activist Friends of Hastings Pier

Joanna Gretton Client Liaison Producer Media Parents

Joe Kaufman Director Red Kite Films

Julia Andrews Clifford Artist

Keira Freeman Film maker Self employed

Kelly Mikulla MD Sussex Film Office

Kevin Vanbergen Music Producer / Mixer / Engineer Freelance

Laura Clarke Director The Eggtooth Project

Leigh Harrison Post Production Coordinator None

Lynne Boon Production Designer Lynneboon.com

Matt Holden Executive Producer Factual TV

Matthew Wheeler Shooting Producer Director Chalkman

Melanie Anning Journalist/ researcher/producer Prize LTD

Mick Watson Graphic & Motion Designer Studio. Smart Giant

Molly Midlane Producer/Director Blind Pew Media

Nell Garfath-Cox Writer Mrs&MrThomas

Nicola Pharoah Picture Editor Freelance

Nina Somers Production Manager Olobob Tops Ltd

Oliver Smyth Creative Director Flock London

P Gammon Architect Pga

Petal Felix PD None

Polly Gifford Cultural Regeneration Manager Hastings Borough Council

rebecca child Art Director Freelance

Rebecca Marshall director Electric Palace Cinema

Richard Buxton Storyboard artist freelance

Robin Hayter Actor/Director/Producer Perfect Pitch Prods

Robin Johnson Presenter / Set Builder / Project Manager Johnson Bespoke

Rowland Jobson Director Seefood

Rukhsana Mosam Creative Director Ten66 Television

Sally Greig Director The Eggtooth Project

Sarah Wilson Brand Manager Roots and All

Sedat Aral Documentary Maker Sedat Aral

Sharon Dean Director Respect Music

Simon Booth Filmmaker & Photographer Simon Booth Photography

Sophie Goldstone Footage/Picture Researcher Freelance

Stella Wilson Broadcast Compliance freelancing at Channel 4 Television

Steve Couch TV & film editor / post production F/L ex channel 4

Steve Wynne CEO Strawberry Blond TV

Sue Dawson Director Hastings media

Suzan Aral Designer ARAL ETC

Tilly Creed Marketing Media Parents

Tom Chown Founder & Creative Director Digitom

Tony Fox Director Clockhouse Productions

Will Freeman Freelance Video Game Journalist, Event Curator Freelance

Tickets are free and open to members and non members, parents or not. Please add your name to the guestlist here : https://mediaparentsonseaevent.eventbrite.co.uk

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

Huge thanks to everyone who supported our TV Job Share Event this week and made it a resounding success. We were particularly delighted to be joined by so many Production Executives who were thinking of ways to build job share into their schedules. Thanks to Hat Trick’s Joint Directors of Production Jessica Sharkey and Laura Djanogly who shared tips from their own job share, and have been supporting us since our first job share event in 2010 – read on…

"We wanted communication to be seamless" Hat Trick's Joint Directors of Production Laura Djanogly and Jessica Sharkey with Media Parents Director Amy Walker

“We wanted communication to be seamless” Hat Trick’s Joint Directors of Production Jessica Sharkey and Laura Djanogly commented at Media Parents’ TV Job Share event. “We wanted someone to be able to start a conversation with one of us on a Monday and pick it up with the other on a Thursday without having to repeat themselves”. Having a joint email inbox has helped with this, and it’s a trick that job sharing Edit Producers Emma Sayce and Nikki Ryan haven’t missed on Operation Ouch at Maverick TV.

Tamara Durnford, right, Maverick TV's Talent Manager with PD Colette Hooper

Maverick TV’s PM and Talent Manager Tamara Durnford job shares part of her role with Maverick’s Head of Production Maria French. When it came to finding a match for Edit Producer Nikki Ryan, Maverick took the process seriously and asked Media Parents to help. Media Parents PD and Back to Work Scheme 2017 winner Emma Sayce got the job. The pair had not met before they started working together but the match is going well nonetheless. Emma has even been given some work from home scripting on some of the days that she isn’t in the office at Maverick.

Cat Fox, Tiger Aspect's Head of Productions is open to job shares. Cat (left) is pictured with returning Line Producer Clair Carney from Channel 4's Bake Off

Tiger Aspect is a company which is open to job shares, although nobody is yet job sharing. Head of Production Cat Fox was in the crowd to pick up ideas. All companies at the event agreed that joint approaches are welcome, and using the Media Parents website, freelancers can find others to job share with and mark the pairings on their profiles. We also encourage freelancers to apply as job shares for our jobs – present a solution that includes the flexibility you need, rather than just asking for help. Where possible get a schedule before the interview so you can talk in practical terms about the feasibility of flexibility.

Kindle Entertainment Production Executive Keri Atkins was in the crowd to find out how to make job shares work at Kindle

There were several existing job shares in the crowd at the Media Parents TV Job Share Event, including PDs Alicky Sussman and Milla Harrison. Milla and Alicky have job shared as PDs, Development Producers and Edit Producers and have written about it here:

https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2017/02/5-minutes-with-pd-alicky-sussman-on-jobsharing/

Alicky Sussman (right centre) and Milla Harrison have job shared as PDs, Edit Producers and Development Producers - so far!

Milla and Alicky’s job shares were supported by the BBC, and docs Senior Producer Jenny Williams also spoke from the floor about her current BBC job share.

Producer Jenny Williams speaking about her job share, next to Raw TV's Sophie Milligan

Jenny Williams was approached for her BBC role and made it clear that she could only work part time. At which point her BBC Exec suggested a job share, and this is currently in its first month and working well. The pair did not know each other before the job share was set up, but they did meet in advance. All job shares emphasise the importance of communication, and Media Parents Director Amy Walker has written about a creative job share with someone she had worked with previously, here :

https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2018/05/amy-walker-on-job-sharing-as-a-pd/

All3Media's Head of Talent Anouk Berendsen (right) also welcomes approaches from job shares

All3Media’s Anouk Berendsen also welcomes approaches from job shares. Her advice was to be clear about flexibility needs from early on “If an Exec wants to work with you then we can make it work for you, we can be creative about the way we staff projects, I’ve just placed someone on a 4 day a week contract, and I work flexibly – the company is run by a woman and we are really good about providing what people need to make their lives work too.”

Exec Producer Matt Holden also spoke about the flexibility that Shine TV offer to freelancers, enabling work life balance and a happy workforce. Shine MD Tanya Shaw has been mentoring returning PD Emma Sayce as part of Media Parents Back to Work Scheme and Emma will be working at Shine once her Maverick contract finishes.

Exec Producer Matt Holden in the crowd at Media Parents TV Job Share Event

BBC Drama’s Talent Manager Noelle Bartlett and Production Executive Jacquie Glanville were at the event meeting freelancers and making it clear that flexibility is supported at the BBC. Jacquie is also mentoring Returning Drama Coordinator Paula Watkins on the Media Parents HETV Drama Return to Work Programme funded by the HETV Drama levy managed by Creative Skillset.

BBC Drama's Noelle Bartlett (left) and Jacquie Glanville were keen to meet Media Parents freelancers

Job sharing Talent Managers at Twenty Twenty TV have recently employed their first Edit Producer job share on First Dates and are looking forward to that paving the way for more. A great tip from the event is to use the Media Parents network to help you find job share partners, then to write for the blog about the qualities your job share brings, and the flexible work you want, as Post PMs Sarah Bell and Monica Rubio have here : https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2018/03/5-minutes-with-job-share-post-production-managers/

Jay from Jamie Oliver Productions (left) talked to freelancers including PM job share Sarah Bell and Monica Rubio

Media Parents Back to Work winner 2017 PD / Edit Producer Josie Besbrode has been working part time in edit recently, and has joined forces with job sharing Edit Producer Emma Sayce to write this informative blog packed with tips on job share, so please do read and share :

https://blog.mediaparents.co.uk/2018/05/5-minutes-with-pds-emma-sayce-and-josie-besbrode-on-job-sharing/

Flexible working PD Josie Besbrode (centre) has researched job sharing for Media Parents blog

Huge thanks to everyone who came and made some GREAT MATCHES in the crowd! Please keep letting us know about your job share progress and highlight companies who are supportive so we can keep the momentum going. Thank you so much for this feedback on twitter @mediaparents too, it keeps us all going!!

Senior Producer Jayne Hibbitt Smith from Kalooki Productions is looking for a PD at the moment so why not apply as a job share? See our jobs page at https://www.mediaparents.co.uk/jobs/

Our next event is on June 4th and our Media Parents Summer Party is on July 4th this year so SAVE THE DATE!

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

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