Work Experience: Overview/Career Progression

So I've completed my work experience and I've almost completed my time at Bath Spa University. I have been very lucky to take part in many varied roles over the last few weeks, all of which pull me towards different factions of the media industry.

When I first started this course, I thought I wanted to be a film maker. I still have a great passion for cinema and I'm starting to appreciate television drama more as I become aware of the effort that goes into any production. I have had experiences that have dragged my thought process away from media altogether over the last two years and no-doubt, over my final year I expect I will be torn again between career paths.

When working on Loose Women, I had an insight into the workings of an extremely professional television company and studio. while working at Talking Issues, I was given the opportunity to perform within a media environment. And working on the Bath film office short film, I took the role of producer to a degree. In my first year, I especially enjoyed the advertising part of the writing for broadcast media module.

I'm not sure what I want in life yet, but these tastes of what I might expect in the future excite me. I just want to get my degree out the way first.

Work Experience: Casting Audition

A few weeks back I accompanied my lecturer Lesley as she held a mock casting session for performing arts students at a venue in Bath. The audition was to give the students an insight into a professional casting scenario, which Lesley has experience of. The actors were required to read a selection of scenes and have a brief chat with the production members running the audition about themselves and the role.

I filmed the auditions which were later compiled into a short video for the students to watch back to get an idea of how they look in the role.

I was invited by Lesley to take over her position at one point and interview a candidate and take them through the audition process. I really enjoyed this as it gave me the opportunity to express myself creatively as well as demonstrating my abilities with the technology. I can certainly see myself casting actors in future productions and as I want to direct in the future as well, being given the opportunity to talk to actors one on one really improved my communication skills.

I come form an acting background and so I felt comfortable in the roles I undertook during the day. I'm leaning towards the producing side of a production but feel that my background lends well to communicating with the talents in the production.

Work Experience: The Bath Film Office

Myself, Ved and Lance met with Maggie Ainley, recently retired from ten years working at The Bath Film Office. We were going to interview her and turn the footage into a short film for our event which we put on for students from City of Bath College.

I played the role of interviewer, Ved directed and Lance was on the camera. The shoot lasted about an hour and we asked a range of questions regarding what Maggie did at the film office and what the film office is in place for.

'Vanity Fair' Great Pulteney Street

I enjoyed the interviewing process, it gave me a chance to speak to Maggie one on one and ask some questions that people viewing the interview would not have been able to ask. I felt that we connected quite well and she said that I made her feel comfortable during the process. Journalism isn't really something I've thought about as a career as the writing side of it doesn't appeal to me.

Meeting Maggie was great, she's a lovely woman and has a wealth of knowledge relating to filming in public locations and the permission needed for such events. A job at the film office sounds interesting as the deal with hundreds of requests a year for permission to film and information about filming in the area. I probably wouldn't want to work in a film office, I'd want to be the one contacting the film office regarding a production I was making. I can see a job like this could be a great stepping stone into film production. It lends itself to location management and scouting. Also producing to some degree.

After we had finished the interview, Ved edited the piece and it was shown to the students during the event. Check it out here.

Work Experience: Talking Issues

About Talking Issues

‘Established in 2006, Talking Issues revolutionised spoken word audio download by producing and offering the first ever word for word audio download of the worlds leading business newspaper - The Economist.’

So far, I have spent two days at talking issues in Bath. (And I think I’m going back this week)
Talking Issues is located at the Locksbrook Trading Estate in Bath. It’s a very small company but professional nonetheless. They have three studios and editing suites to manipulate the recorded material. They have photos on the wall from some of the celebrities that have lent their voices to various projects. (Mine’s going up next week) There is a cute little green room as well.

Lesley (My lecturer) managed to set up this work experience for me by suggesting I go audition for a part in one of their productions. After communicating via e-mail with Julia (a producer at TI) I went along not quite knowing what to expect. I assumed I would audition for the role (a middle eastern man) and then be told whether or not I got it. It turned out that I pretty much went straight into the studio and recorded the voice. I was nervous at first I’d like to think obviously, then I felt more comfortable as I went on. There was another producer (Sue) who was very nice to me and reassured me that I was doing ok.

I spent about an hour in the studio and it take quite a few takes for me to get comfortable with the lines and the accent. On a separate occasion I provided American, Australian and UK accents and I believe I am due back just before I go back to London to provide one more set of voices.

I’m not especially interested in the sound side of production, however, as a career, voiceover is certainly appealing. I enjoy performing and I’ve always thought that being the voice of a cartoon character could be cool. It’s certainly something I’d look into and talking issues gave me a great credit towards my CV.

Work Experience: The Mill

Ok, that's that bit out the way...

But seriously, The Mill is wicked. Through my wonderful friend Jenna Powell, I was able to spend a day there over Easter having a look around, seeing what they get up to. It completely blew me away. Please check out their showreel, it's disturbingly impressive.

When I walked in, the first thing I was greeted with was an Oscar. (Best visual effects - 'Gladiator' 2000) I was then invited to take a seat by the very polite receptionists and offered a drink. I had an orange juice. The Mill boasted evidence of the kind of money to be made in media. All the furniture and decor in the lobby was amazing and obviously quite expensive. It certainly was not your regular office. It had a much more homely feel to it. There are reasons for this type decor, it often inspires the people working there and provides them with the comforts needed to produce the best work they can. Places like Pixar in California have equally extravagant work spaces to make sure that the the employees are as happy as possible.

Jenna came down from a meeting and we started my private tour round the facilities. We took the lift up to the top floor and went into her domain. Jenna is a visual effects producer, she runs a team of designers and animators (amongst other roles) and makes sure that the work is produced on time and to the highest possible standard. First went to one of the editing suites and had a brief discussion regarding her job.

We then went round the different departments within design and animation. I spoke to a guy who was a concept designer and used free hand and computer programs to draw concept art for programs like Dr Who and Skellig.

I also met 3D animators who were working on various projects from applying facial muscle structures to chimps and rendering giant scorpions. There were a few people putting together an animatic, which allows the team to have a look at a sequence before it is finally realised.

After the tour, Jenna took me aside and I interviewed her regarding what The Mill does and her role within it.

I loved the obvious creative flow that ran through this place. There was nothing cold about The Mill, it was full of creativity and people that were happy and felt privileged to have the jobs they had. I would love to work in an environment like that and feel that way.

I would have liked to have taken a closer look at the advertising side of the facility as advertising is something I'm potentially quite interested in. However, as Jenna worked on the program side of things, she was unable to show me in greater detail what they were up to.

Like The London Studios, I had a great time at The Mill. It's exactly the kind of place I want to work when I leave Uni and it makes me happy to think there are places like that for people that don't want a regular 9-5 office job.

Work Experience: The London Studios

Through my dad, I managed to secure six days at the London Studios on the Southbank in London. Dad has worked at the studios for many years now and as a result I have been there several times. Each time I go however, I always maintain the same excitement as when I used to go as a kid.

I think there are several reasons for this. For starters, it’s an incredible place. It’s enormous and a labyrinth of corridors lined with celebrities faces. It has three of the largest television studios in Europe. Some of Britain’s most popular (and hated) programs are made there. On a more personal level and at an age where I can approach a situation with greater maturity and respect, it offers an insight in to what I may expect down the line in my life, a fun professional, exciting place to fulfill my career.

I went in with my Dad on the first day on the train (just half an hour from my house, might put that in my CV) and got my pass for the day...



After a behind the scenes journey to studio, I met with Sean Moon, head of vision control. (And the man that told dad that mum was going into labour with my brother ironically)
Sean is a really nice guy, he is outgoing and kind and I get the impression he understands when someone is nervous and knows how to make them feel welcome. He introduced me to Julie who I would be shadowing. Julie graduated from Ravensbourne two years ago and went on The London Studios twelve week summer course. I during the couple of days I worked with her we built quite a good relationship although, at the same time, I think I probably irritated the hell out of her with my questions! I also met another lovely vision controller called Sarah who was just as skilled as Julie and was also a Ravensbourne graduate. I also met a guy called Phil who was the lighting director for the show. He was a lovely guy who came from a background in theatre, so I’d like to think we shared a common interest and got along well.

I realise at this point that I haven’t actually told you (the reader) what show I was working on. I was working on ‘Loose Women’, a fantastic show packed with intelligent, witty banter presented by four female scholars from varying intellectual backgrounds ranging from the study of ancient makeup’s to PhDs in bitching about ex-boyfriends and fad celeb diets. (Some facts altered) I also observed vision control for one episode of the Paul O’Grady show.

A loose Woman

Back in ‘the gallery’ the television term for the hub of a studio program. The Gallery holds the directors, lighting, sound and visual aspects of a productions. All of these factors can be altered from this room without even entering the studio. It was approaching 12:30 and the studio was preparing to go to air. I cold hear over the talkback system the PA (Production Assistant) communicating with ITV control who were feeding her countdowns relating to various stages of the program schedule.

I wasn’t actually aware that the job of vision controller existed until I completed this work experience. Vision controlling is the art of making multiple camera images of the same subject look the same by altering certain values, black level, contrast, and colour are some of these values. I assumed that vision controlling was handles by the vision mixer and it wasn’t until I saw the studio operating during live broadcast that I found out it would be impossible for the vision mixer to handle mixing and controlling. The vision controller is also responsible for basic maintenance of visual technology in the gallery and on the studio floor.
As the countdown for air started, my excitement grew and I felt important and that at that moment, I belonged in a studio gallery. The whole experience in fact rejuvenated my thoughts regarding a career in the media.

The countdown finished and I heard the program’s theme tune start, a pleasant little ditty composed by Patrick Duffin. When the show actually started and the team burst into action, my brain went slightly apeshit. For the first thirty seconds or so, all I could hear were lots of people shouting numbers. I looked around the gallery everyone was staring either at the forty or so monitors in front of us or at their consoles.

'The Gallery, excuse crummy pic'

The first show was a bit of a blur to be honest. During the other four shows I observed I did start to pick up how vision controlling worked. The controller will look at all the monitors to see if a shot changes. They will then select a shot that has just changed and compare it to all the other shots. If the shot looks ok, it will be discarded and they will check the other cameras. If the shot needs to be altered, it will be. The amazing thing is that all the camera’s shots are used on a regular basis and due to efficient use of the space and cameras, the shots change all the time. Therefore, the vision controller has to monitor and change shots during the duration of the show and with split seconds to do it in. The shot obviously cannot be manipulated while on air as it would change in front of the viewer’s eyes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The London Studios. Working in the gallery was fresh and exciting for me and it is an area of media I can see myself entering hopefully in the near future.
After my week in vision control, I spent a day shadowing the assistant floor manager also on Loose Women. I must admit this job did not appeal to me as much as vision control as it focused much more on the people than the equipment. That’s not to say that I’m not a people person, I just prefer the idea of creating using technology.

EVENT/CAREER DEVELOPMENT: After Bath Spa

As I come to the end of my foundation degree at Bath Spa University, I have to take into account all of my options. For a start, I'm not even sure if I want a career in media. I might choose to take up performing again.

At the moment however, my aim is to try and get into Ravensbourne media college to turn my foundation degree into a full honors degree. I have known about Ravensbourne for a few years now and always believed that I did not have the skills and ability to get in. Now I have completed my foundation degree, I feel I have better skills in video and sound production and a stronger grasp of media codes and conventions. I also believe my creativity and vision has been improved through practical assignments and working with my peers.

I had the opportunity ti continue at Bath Spa on its third year top up course based at paintworks in Bristol. I have decided not to accept my place as I feel that as I am set to start a career in the media and have studied with a mind to enter into television, I should attend a facility that can cater for studio practice.

I am also contious that my course at Bath Spa is new and still needs tweaking. Ravensbourne has a long established reputation and has prodcued many successful people who are currently working in the industry, I feel that if I am confident with my skills enough to apply, I am good enough to attend and complete my studies.

EVENT/CAREER DEVELOPMENT: Work Experience

Part of this module has involved us sourcing work experience. Through my dad I was able to obtain six days at ITV in the vision control department. I also managed to get in contact with one of my friends who works for a visual effects company. (her department won a BAFTA the other night.)

I have also spent two days providing voiceover for a company in Bath called Talking Issues, they turn documentations in to audio books and podcasts. I had to provide the voices for Australian, English, Americana and Middle eastern business men.

I helped produce The Bath Film Office short film for the event with Ved and Lance. And I also assisted my lecturer Leslie at a casting call outside of University.

I’ll first talk about my time at ITV. I have visited the London Studios many times. Each time I visit I am excited by something new, this time was no different. I was previously unaware when I arrived on my first day that the job ‘vision controller’ existed. I assumed that vision control was a responsibility of the vision mixing. Sorry, for those of you who don’t know…


(source tv technical operations)

From the minute I saw the job in action I was hooked. I loved the fact that the job required a mixture of technical and creative ability. Previously, my faith in British studio based television had been wavering. Those six days at ITV made me realise that I shouldn’t focus as much on content and that I should remember the skill and knowledge of the people working behind the scenes. The shadowing also reignited a flame so to speak regarding my passion for media. Intensely studying a subject can draw the life out of it, and that’s no ones fault. Working at ITV made me think that maybe the studio environment (especially the gallery) could be for me.


I was also lucky enough to visit The Mill in London. This place was AMAZING! When I arrived, the first thing I saw was the Oscar they won for visual effects on Gladiator (2000)
I met with my friend Jenna and she took me round the facilities. It was the kind of place that showed how much money there was in media. The furniture and décor in the lobby wouldn’t look out of place in a five star hotel and while I was waiting for Jenna to come from her meeting, I was offered a drink no less than five times. (I eventually caved in and had an orange juice) Jenna took me round each department such as 2D and 3D art, board rooms and editing suites. I was more than impressed I spoke to a couple of the artists and discussed the hardest things to animate, the answer was either water, vapour of some description and hair. They were working on a Dr Who (I’ll say no more) I had an absolutely great day a The Mill and would love to visit again.

I have also completed two days at Talking Issues providing voices. I was quite nervous as this was the first time I have provided professional voice over. It has been fun and I believe I am needed again towards the end of the month.

As I mentioned before, I helped produce the Bath Film Office film with Ved and Lance. Check it out a couple of posts below.

Finally I was a cameraman for Leslie during a casting call for performing arts students. It was a fun day as I was also invited to give creative feedback regarding the performances and how suited each actor would be for the part. This day was good for me as it reconnected me with my theatre routes.

As I am still not 100% sure what I want to do in life, the mixture of work experiences I obtained has been vital for me to help decide my career future.

EVENT/CAREER DEVELOPMENT: Early Planning

When the brief was first given to us I must admit I was skeptical. I still feel that the event has not really benefited me in regards to developing skills.

My initial reaction was, 'what does planning an event have to do with trying to get a job in media?' I could see the benefits of improving time management and organisational skills but other than that, I thought it did not have much relevance to the rest of the course.

We started the process by assigning roles and brainstorming ideas for content. We self analysed ourselves and discussed what we would have enjoyed at that age at that kind of event. We decided quite early on that there needed to be some sort of practical aspect during the day so that the students could get involved hands on rather than sitting and listening to someone for a couple of hours.

As the lectures went on and the content of the event started to bulk out, I started to feel slightly more engaged in the idea. I took on the roles of creating blue screen images (which were not used) and to talk to the students about careers in media.

My overall feeling about the event is that I still can't really see how it applies to the rest of the course. I felt it also distracted me from our other module and, on a personal level, made me neglect an assignment for the other module running at the same time.

EVENT/CAREER DEVELOPMENT

As part of the event and to help us learn the importance of local organisations when it comes to planning a production, we were very lucky to get an interview with a wonderful lady called Maggie Ainley. Maggie worked for the Bath Film Office for ten years and as a result is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to filming in public spaces and the criteria that must be fulfilled before this can take place.

Maggie comes from a background in television working in such positions (amongst others) as a producer and PA and location manager. She started working for the Bat Film Office towards the end of the 90s and one of her first major projects was Chocolat starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.

Maggie explained that anyone who decides to film on the streets of Bath must first ideally get permission from the film office and fill out a brief form detailing their shoot. She explained that the film office maintained an important relationship with the local residents living at the various locations around Bath. She said that without there cooperation, filming would not be allowed to take place.

We filmed the interview and compiled it into a short film which we used during the event to highlight to the students the importance of organisation when planning to shoot. Meeting Maggie was a pleasure as she was really easy to talk to and knew everything there was to know about filming in Bath and obtaining permission from local authorities.

EVENT/CAREER DEVELOPMENT

So during this module, we have been looking at networking and subsequently job hunting and interviews. We were lucky enough to have a mock interview with BBC producer extraordinaire (he saved Top Gear) Andy Batten Foster.

We were provided with two job profiles for junior positions in media. One was for a runner on Mastermind and the other, a junior researcher for Newsround. We had to choose one and then prepare ourselves for the mock interview.

We were advised to watch the programs that the jobs worked on and seems as I had chosen the junior researcher position, I decided to watch Newsround for the first time in about eight years. It was extremely fortunate that I did the next day during the mock interview, we were bombarded with questions not only relating to current affairs but also to do with the programs format, design and its cover of special topics. (In this instance, dealing with death at a young age)

The interview was extremely useful, we got some great advice from Andy such as be prepared to do any job to get into the industry and the importance of researching the company's product that you are applying to work on. I know that quite a few people in the group were embarrassed because they had not researched the program.

I was certainly humbled as I had stated in my mock application that I thought I was ready to move up a level from runner. I realise that in today's climate were people want to hang onto their jobs and few opportunities arise in media that I must be wiling to grit my teeth and bare remedial jobs and coffee and tea making if it means that I get a shot at a job that I really want to do.

EVENT: The Day of Reckoning

So the day of the event roles round, and I wake up a little late and have to get a lift with Reuben, Ved and Will. (The extra weight in the car makes the mud flaps grind on the road…very embarrassing)

At the beginning of the day I was feeling quite mellow and in some twisted way, looking forward to the prospect of talking to people near my age group about a common interest.

When we heard that the students were arriving it was action stations so to speak and I had a peak out the window to see if they were the hoodie wearing tracksuit bottom apparelled chavs I thought they’d be. To my surprise and relief they weren’t.

We started the day with an ice breaking game, which separated them into teams. The game was a well-conceived idea, however, the students were quick to discard the rules and form their own teams. We ended up with two reasonably evenly sized teams so it wasn’t a complete disaster.
After the groups had separated and we had our first group in the gatehouse, I began by introducing the Charlie Brooker clip. I had a couple of nerve pangs at the very beginning but soon slipped into a more comfortable chatty style of delivery.

Jake, Balve and Ved all talked about their topics as did I and there were a couple of genuine questions regarding how to get work experience and what it was like working in the various work experience locations. The second group seemed a little less enthused but did ask a couple of questions at the end.

The tour was a bit of a disaster and the CRB girls (Sian and Gemma) had to take over to some
degree to keep us on track.

All in all, I thought the day seemed to go really well in the gatehouse. If I were to change anything, I would have made more notes regarding what I was going to say and put more time aside for my edit about ‘The Mill’. I thought the students from the college were really cool about the whole day. Not to say that I was expecting a bunch of children. I was just happy that the seemed to be taking in what we were saying and enjoyed hearing about our experiences of work experience.