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Production Apprentice: Robert Taylor's adventures and experiences working with �� News

2017-08-03T13:33:13+00:00

Thrilling. One word to describe the whirlwind that has been my first two months into placement on my production apprenticeship as a cameraman (or as it’s more officially titled, a broadcast camera journalist) in �� News.

I’ve been up and down the country with my mentor covering a whole plethora of stories, whether it be doing lives onto the One O’Clock News amid the 100mph wrath of Storm Angus on Brighton Beach, filming GVs (general views) at a restaurant in Soho due to its norovirus outbreak or Prince Philip and Prince Harry opening the Field of Remembrance, it’s been a fantastic start to my placement.

Way back when - or so it seems - in October, we had a whole variety of training at �� Park Western to get us ready to hit the ground running on our first day in the job, this ranging from news camera training and specialist iPhone training, to a News Assignment Location Safety course, amongst others.

Following that informative and useful week, I was thrown right into the deep end going on deployment for a week to cover our Southampton network bureau with a News cameraman, covering stories such as the opening of The Etches Collection in Kimmeridge. For the remaining weeks of the month, I worked with a UK specialist cameraman and correspondent on a special piece titled How Babies Brains Work. I was given the chance to shoot some GVs on location at a nursery in North London, some of which were actually in the final edit and aired on the 6 O’Clock News the following month! My final job was assisting a cameraman in filming the Opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey.

In November, I worked with a camerawoman and correspondent on the Wahaca norovirus outbreak, where GVs I shot were used network wide for the whole day during the headlines and the actual package (my debut as it were). Shortly after I finally had the chance to meet my mentor Tony, and from then on our schedules were married up in order for me to make the most of his knowledge and 33 years of experience as a �� cameraman; switching from the typical office hours of a Monday-Friday to a varying 4 on/2 off shift a week.

Straight off the bat, he gave me an in-depth 2-hour three point lighting course, where I learnt the fundamentals of lighting for a sit down interview and the usefulness of a key light, back light and fill light - which have been incredibly useful for me on daily basis when assisting setting up lighting scenes on shoots.

Fast forward to December, I was back on deployment in Southampton, with Tony this time and for two weeks, covering stories such as the conversion of a double-decker bus into a homeless shelter on the Isle of Wight and doing production lives from Horsham amidst the Southern Rail Strike.

The highlight of this trip was filming F1 star Mark Webber at Silverstone Race Track. With Tony at the helm of his crew car, we shot a piece to camera and some GVs alongside Mark's Porsche 911 Turbo S on the full 3 miles of the Silverstone race circuit with correspondent Duncan Kennedy in the passenger seat interviewing as they went!

Using no less than 3 GoPros, a PMW-500, a JVC camera and my iPhone for behind the scenes, plus a DJI Osmo for those Top Gear-style, super stabilised angles of the sports car. While it was all hands on deck for the rest of the team, being relegated to the back seat of Tony’s car didn’t faze me, as it gave me the chance to produce a Behind the Scenes film of the day, which was featured in the departmental newsletter and received rave reviews from management and my colleagues in the department, to my amazement.

The rest of the time mainly consisted of edit days, where I came handy to Tony and the Southampton network team with my tracking/blobbing skills in blurring sensitive data using �� News’ edit software. I was also able to see how packages were put together and then spent the last two days of deployment learning sequence shooting, which involved a LOT of trial and error and patience, however with Tony’s invaluable guidance I managed to crack it after those two days. I’ll be putting that all into practice when I come back onto placement in January.

And that has not been all... In order to keep making contacts and to fulfil my aim to keep furthering my experience, I’ve been dipping my toe in other genres across the business; over the past two months I’ve been a shadowing camera assistant on Later... with Jools Holland, a production runner on Gospel Christmas and a camera assistant on an arts shoot for The One Show (with the Canon C300 I was using pictured).

I hope to continue this where work schedules allow in order to expand my credits further, such that I can have the best chance possible when competing for jobs come September next year.

Production Apprentice: David Winfield on his developing confidence, communication skills, and cold fingers.

2017-05-12T10:09:38+00:00

I can’t write a blog. No seriously I can’t. I’m standing on the South Bank, it’s 16 February, I’m freezing my socks off… and I’m on the set of Red Nose Day Actually. So dear reader, I will try to relay insight into this exciting experience but my fingers are cold, and- ACTION!

Production Slate - Red Nose Day Actually

OK so I’m not actually on set right at this minute, but I was - and I feel I should take the time out to give you a real, honest, overall picture into what being a �� apprentice really means - ironic, seeing as I work in radio.

I want to talk about people and opportunities. You can’t possibly get more than you do inside the ��. It’s not that I’ve been handed everybody on a plate, I’ve had to go out and find producers, script editors, researchers etc. But being a �� apprentice has given me such a confidence boost that I’ll quite happily introduce myself to people, or speak up in a production meeting.

For the first time, I’ve had the confidence in myself to submit a script to �� Writers Room. Yes I had confidence before (my friends and family would probably say that’s an understatement) but now I have the confidence to approach those big �� people that you’ve heard of before but never dreamed of having coffee with!

Recently, I met with a story producer from a long-running �� series to discuss working in a story department; in particular script editing and story-lining - something I’m really interested in.

Now in all honesty, this guy is a hundred miles away from radio drama and I came across him on Twitter. So I did a bit of Googling and found he’d worked as a junior storyliner, storyliner, story editor, script editor and so on, basically all the jobs in a CDS (Continuing Drama Series) story department. Tip: if you're going to meet anyone, Google them first. Find out what they’ve worked on and in what capacity, because honestly you can get so much out of the meeting if you really want to know about a particular role.

So, I emailed this guy and he agreed to meet with me. It was one of the best conversations of my career so far; he wasn’t just telling me everything I wanted to know, but he was telling me everything he knew that could help me in my career, however big or small. One of my favourite things about this industry is the camaraderie between people: how they want to help you and give you advice. You have to show you’re willing to take the initiative and, if people see that, they’ll do everything they can to help you succeed.

That’s what I’ll take most out of this year, the �� has prepared me to work in the industry and work with the people. Yes my average day consists of script reading, researching, casting - all those really fun and exciting things. But you’ve got to do more, talk to people outside what you’re currently doing.

I know long-term I want to work in both television and audio drama in some kind of writer or script editor role. I can only do that if I continue what I’m doing now, meeting new people and networking! If people see your passion, your commitment and your resilience they’ll want to work with you just as much as you want to work with them, they’ll want to help you succeed so the amazing programming making that we have now will continue long into the future.

You’re the future of the ��, of the industry, and everyone wants it to be amazing.

You will make it amazing.

Production Apprentice: Olivia Nielsen on working at CBeebies, Sports Personality of the Year, and standing in the cold dressed as a pirate

2017-04-24T11:00:00+00:00

It’s safe to say that when I was 19 and 20 minutes away from starting a shift at my part-time retail job, I was more than stunned to receive a call telling me I’d secured a job at the ��. If you had told me that after going to a state school, college, and then making the decision not to go to university, that a year later I’d be working for the ��, I would never have believed it. I was completely overwhelmed with shock, happiness and pride that I could tell my family I now worked for the ��. I was ready to throw myself into the deep end and grab the opportunity with both hands!

My background is mainly in theatre, and after college I spent a year working as a young director at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. I have virtually no media experience at all except a GCSE in Media Studies, so on walking into my �� office on my first day, I had no idea what to expect. My apprenticeship is split into two placements, working as a runner on CBeebies for six months, and then as a production management assistant on C�� for another six months, which allows me to get a feel for the editorial and production side of TV. It’s a completely new way of working for me, and I’m still adjusting to the steady and then suddenly rapid schedules of TV production, but I’m lucky enough to have a kind and supportive team behind me to help me learn and grow.

Last year, in November, less than a month into the job, I got the chance to work on the CBeebies Christmas Pantomime The Nutcracker at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The �� had created a Santa’s Grotto worthy Winter Wonderland for 2000 of our youngest audience members to enjoy just outside the theatre, with the live performance being filmed and streamed in the square for families to watch.

There’s something incredibly special about being able to interact with the audience who directly receives the content your team works so hard to create. It was wonderful to see the excitement and impact it has on them and their family’s lives. I had so many grateful parents approach me, and there’s nothing like knowing you’ve contributed to a family’s happiness for the day to make you forget you’re stood in the freezing cold dressed as a pirate.

A month later, I got an opportunity to work on a huge �� event outside of my department – ��'s Sports Personality of the Year. The event was filmed in the Birmingham Genting Arena; and we were there for two 12 hour days to act as celebrity stand-ins, allowing the camera operators to rehearse for the live show. We were rehearsing with Claire Balding, Garry Lineker, Gabby Logan and Robbie Williams!

It was incredible to see the huge amount of dedication and effort that goes into planning for a live show. On the final day, we were lucky enough to get to watch the actual live show. The whole arena was electric, and I’ll never forget the feeling of being surrounded by Olympic Champions and to then turn around and see the arena we’d been rehearsing in for two days filled with 10,000 people, all ready to be broadcast live across the nation to six million viewers.

Production Apprentice: David Winfield looks back on his adventures throughout the �� so far

2017-04-16T15:19:44+00:00

Spot Effects - Cooking In a Bedsitter, Radio 4

Having worked in Radio Drama as a Production Apprentice for around three months, some people feel I can transcend everything I’m learning into a 500-600 word blog. In reality this is a very difficult task, yet I shall attempt...

Within a month I had gone from performing spot effects in the 1950s for Cooking In a Bedsitter (see photo) to playing a grunting Viking in the background of Gudrun’s Saga to visiting Northanger Abbey in the 1750s. But it’s not just about the cool stuff (though I did get to cover the production coordinator for The Tidebreak - that was cool).

The department I work in is full of hard-working, lovely and dedicated programme-makers, and every single one wants you to learn, experience and enjoy. I cannot express how much insight I gained through people who give up their time to just sit and chat about their work, the industry and all those little things you won’t find in a book, or you won’t hear in a studio. This doesn’t just apply to the production staff, it’s the writers and actors that we have come in every week - the stories they might tell, or the inspiration they might give.

I've always been a firm believer that I will work in TV and Audio Drama in some way, shape or form. I wouldn't have it any other way. But from being here in the �� you get to do things you haven't thought of before. I never imagined I'd get to work on 'Festival of Remembrance' for �� One, and be entrusted with looking after 119 choristers! Being here at the �� you get to do everything you've always wanted to do. It's not "Pllleeeeasssssse let me see The Archers" anymore, more likely someone says "Can I introduce you to the producer of The Archers, she's got time to have a chat with you…”

I'm not gonna lie, there are some tough days. Days when you don't think you're learning as much, or when you don't feel like you're contributing to the team as you want to be. But if you stick through that day, it's almost certain tomorrow will be amazing. And that's happened to me several times, some of the best things I've done or the best conversations I've had with people have happened 'tomorrow'.

If you stick with it, it's surely going to be amazing. I've stuck with it and this year I'm a production coordinator on The Tsars Series 2 and Tommies Season 7. What was this meant to be about again? I'm not sure either it just sort of typed itself. But if you're looking for a reason to join the �� Apprenticeship Scheme here it is: you're inside the ��.

Production apprentice: Alex Owen on his time at the Archers

2017-01-23T01:28:09+00:00

For the past couple of months I have been working on The Archers and �� WM. During my time I have learned an awful lot about the ��, how it works, how to communicate with people and the technical aspects of the job.

On The Archers I have been working as a spot effect assistant/assistant studio manager. This means helping out in the studio and working with the actors to create background sound effects. I'm also responsible for keeping the studio safe, taking care of health and safety.

During my day to day activities I read through scripts, make notes on the setting and how the sounds will play out within scenes. Here's an example:

"The scene is a village shop and some characters are stacking shelves, others are shopping and people are having a general good chat.”

For this scene I would ask the director and studio manager about mic position. (It's always helpful to have good communication between you and the directors.) Then I'd place the scene around the microphone. The shelves would most likely be a wooden box on its side and I will have a script in front of me while I follow the actors' lines.

I'll be the one stacking shelves which gives the illusion that it's the characters doing it. The actors don't tend to perform actual tasks as they are holding scripts. So I have to be mindful of loose wires, broken props and everyone's spacial awareness to make sure the scene plays out smoothly with no trips, falls or bumps.

When I'm not on The Archers I'm working at �� WM. I had an amazing experience desk-driving the Sunny and Shay show when they were on an outside broadcast. I was expected to use the desk, control the mics and keep the timings. It filled me with a lot of confidence knowing that the �� can trust me with these responsibilities and I hope that I will have a lot more in the future.

One of the ��’s values is being “One ��” and I really feel this is true. I have felt very welcomed into the organisation and I'm very much looking forward to greater opportunities in the year ahead.

Production apprentice: James Payton on his first weeks working at �� Radio

2017-01-18T11:26:48+00:00

Faders and switches, presenters and countless cups of coffee (often decaf because I cannot handle the buzz). What a ride this has been so far, and a very enjoyable one. I’ve gone from marching to the beat of left right, left right in the military to working at the biggest broadcasting corporation in the world.

If you are reading this, and you are thinking of joining us, then do not hesitate for one minute. I can promise it will be the best thing that you ever decided to do, and worth every moment that you contribute.

I started working for the �� on 26 September 2016. I'd styled my hair to the best of my ability (yet I can guarantee a llama would pull off a better hair style than me). I put on my best suit, polished my shoes and headed for the Mailbox in Birmingham.

It was a fantastic day meeting my new colleagues, learning stuff about the corporation and what would be happening on my scheme, about �� values and various other things. I also got to experience the great foods of Birmingham - a £3 meal deal from Tesco. Every little helps, eh?

For this position, I braved the 50mph zones on the M6 and moved north from a small town called Redditch to Manchester. Leaving home was nothing new. Before the �� I served in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. But it was nice to live in a new home this time instead of a small university style box room, with a cramped en suite, loud neighbours and the distant echo of the firing ranges. I work at MediaCityUK and I am part of an excellent team.

Media City UK at sunset

I work predominantly on �� Radio Four's You and Yours with the wonderful Winifred Robinson. I always compliment Winifred on her show and tell her how much I love listening to her present, but she thinks I say it to every presenter! If only she knew I don’t...

In my time so far, I have learned so much about engineering sound. We use some great software to edit packages that become part of a story on a radio show. I’ve spent a good amount of time working the desks, too (the audio desk that is), which is an excellent experience.

I am already really looking forward to working on the live programmes, and being the actual studio manager for a show. I think when I'm doing live shows, I will probably drop the decaff coffee, and move on to the real stuff! You've got to remain focused when you have that kind of responsibility.

What I've certainly learned - taking the audio part aside - is how closely you work with each other. Teamwork is a big part of all of this and if you end up working here, you’ll understand how crucial it is. For example, in a studio, a presenter isn’t a presenter without a studio manager. Studio managers can’t do their role if the production team aren’t there to come up with ideas. You get the idea.

It has been excellent to see how much everyone collaborates. It is an amazing feeling when things go as planned because you get a real sense of achievement.

The days can be really busy sometimes, which is great. You’re always on your feet, you have to think proactively about what is coming up next because having a radio-based role, there is no time for after thought, especially on a live show.

I am still in the early days of my time at the ��, but I have never been so proud about working for a company before. I absolutely love my role. Every day is challenging, fun and interesting and I cannot wait to see how much more I develop over the coming year. Exciting times ahead. So go on, get stuck in! It’s the best decision you’ll ever make.

Production apprentice Jess Panchani, runner on Rio 2016: Parade of Heroes

2016-12-20T16:59:32+00:00

Gabby Logan interviews Olympic heroes, including Sir Chris Hoy

When I first started in this position, even when I got the interview, I was petrified and still am. I am not quite sure how I got here. When you get an opportunity like this one you don’t want to let it go to waste. This apprenticeship programme is all about me learning on the job and getting to know the company. I want to keep everyone updated on this journey I've had the opportunity to tag along on.

A little bit of background knowledge about me first: I’m newly turned 19, finished college last year, have no media experience and needed a change in perspective. Not everyone’s the same and uni just wasn’t for me.

Having done three weeks training in Birmingham and London, it was nice to be home and back into a routine. I can tell you now that I have made lifelong friendships. We’re working for a production company that has millions of people around the world tuning into its programmes every day. It’s astounding. The amazing thing about these training weeks was that the skills and information we learned are transferable to any department.

When I applied for this course I had no idea what I was getting into but the support and guidance I was given from the word go has been amazing. In my first week on the job I was able to work on a fantastic outside broadcast, which was the Manchester Olympic Parade.

My day started at nine in the morning and ended at around seven when we came up for air. My role that day was a runner, basically giving a hand where ever needed, from picking up make up mirrors to helping the talent get to where they need to be.

I met incredible Olympians such as Chris Hoy and Steve Brown and got to know a lot of different people. I may have only been a runner but it was nice to have the chance to prove to myself that I could do this. The great thing about this job is the amount of people you meet and everyone’s unique journey. It’s only been a couple of months and I have already had the opportunities to work on Match of the Day, Cbeebies Pantomime, RTS Awards and Sports Personality of the Year. Each programme had taught me different aspects of the industry in different departments. The great thing is none of these programmes saw me as an apprentice, they see me as someone who is willing to learn and widen my horizons.