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.

A Couple Of Six Word Story Ideas...

Some 6 word story ideas...

Man of God lead her on.

His ill father shapes his career.

A plumber is employed in heaven.

In the bedroom, everyone joins in.

Now Get Out Of That One

Now get out of that one!


Andre entered the church and sat down three rows from the front. She remembered she needed to buy some stamps after the service.

On the road down to the shops, a youth shoulder barged her knocking her on the ground unconscious. Dazed, confused and with blurred vision, Andre woke up with someone looking over her.

She immediately recognised the man that was looking over her and it was an ex-boyfriend that she used to date 5 years ago. His name was Reuben and he still looked as handsome as he did 5 years ago.

Andre the woman and Reuben caught up over a cup of coffee, Andre learnt that Reuben was developing a new drug that could make humans turn into animals which she was immediately intrigued by.

A wave of panic swept over Andre as she remembered she had yet to buy her stamps. Reuben offered his ex girlfriend a lift to the post office.

All seems to be going well, until Reuben pulled out a needle and injected it into Andre’s neck. She began to screech like a chimp in pain.

Andre escaped from the Car, ran into the Post Office but caught a glimpse of a chimpanzee in the window. She remembered Rueben was a prankster and realised it was a PG Tips promotion and she had just been injected with a harmless substance.

Relieved at realising it was an advert, she walked into the shops with a view to purchase some second class stamps. Save the pennies she thought.

She entered the shop and went straight to the counter where she got out her purse.

“One book of second class stamps please.”

She took the book of stamps and placed some change on the counter.

“You’ve given me five pence too much dear.” Said the shopkeeper. “Here you go.”

“Oh keep the change.” Said Andre.

“No please I insist.” Said the shopkeeper.

“Erm…put it in the lifeboat charity box, I love it when you make the little boat wiggle around when the coins fall on it.”

“Ok then dear. See you next week.”