Ask the experts: Thinking about going into TV?
The TV industry is pretty competitive. So what can you do to stand out? A panel of industry experts will be sharing their tips in a live Q&A on Wednesday October 5. Here is an article by ALISON WHITE published in the Guardian. Link to Alison -> Alison White
- guardian.co.uk,
What does it take to spot the next award-winning concept? Photograph: Stephen Butler/Rex Features
Love it or hate it, the success of The Only Way is Essex has opened the doors wide for constructed reality TV shows - as well as strange catchphrases such as 'reem' and 'well jel'. Since it first aired in 2010, we've been, erm, blessed with other takes on the genre such as Made in Chelsea, Geordie Shore and the forthcoming Desperate Scousewives. Whichever of the current crop eventually dominates, it looks certain that the structured reality format is here to stay. Daran Little, who has worked as a story producer on both TOWIE and Made in Chelsea, recently said: "Maybe, just maybe, in 50 years' time it'll be just as hard to imagine life without structured reality shows." Being a ratings winner is one thing, but a show even making it onto the box at all appears to be quite an achievement. Zai Bennett, former controller for ITV2, said when it comes to commissioning new shows, for every 500 ideas only about 10 get a maybe. And only one of those 10 maybes will eventually get made. Clearly, the world of TV is pretty competitive. But it does not necessarily mean extreme measures, and tans, are the only way to stand a chance of breaking into the industry... Managing director of ProductionBase Joe Mahoney says hopefuls have tried the extreme approach of hanging around the home address of a producer, waiting to confront them with an idea. In a Guardian Careers blog, he urges ambitious programme makers to remember that nobody likes to be confronted like this - no matter how charming you might be. So, that's what not to do. But where should you start if you want to break into TV? What sort of job will suit you and what skills and qualifications do employers want to see? What if you want to make your own programmes? A panel of experts will be online on Wednesday 5 October answering your questions - join them from 1pm until 4pm or post your questions now. This content was brought to you by Guardian Professional. To keep up-to-date with our regular Q&A sessions, you can now sign-up for our newsletter here. Our panel: Emily Smith is an producer and director who specialises in making observational documentaries with young people on the subjects which affect them. She was named a Broadcast Hot Shot in 2007 and has won a Royal Television Society Educational Television Award for her work. Emily is representing Directors UK, which was launched in 2008 as the single voice for film and television directors in the UK. Steve Ross joined Lime Pictures in February 2011 as line producer for Hollyoaks. Steve graduated from drama school and began working in theatre before moving into television as a runner. He has worked in film, children's drama, comedy, the corporate sector and a number of long-running drama series. Matthew Basham is a partnership manager for Skillset, which provides advice on management and leadership training across the creative industries. As part of his remit, he works with the Television Skills Fund, which provides funding for training aimed at people working in TV. Joe Mahoney is managing director of ProductionBase, a network for people working in TV, film, radio, theatre and commercial production. Joe is a former commissioning editor at the BBC. Liana Stewart is director of Step2TV.org, a social enterprise supporting the needs of emerging talent and contributing to the TV and film industry with creative campaigns and services. Paul Siegert joined the NUJ in 2010. This role involves helping union members within the BBC as well as negotiating national issues like pay and redundancy policy. He also works one day a week at the BBC as a news correspondent. He started his journalistic career working for various newspapers and radio stations. Linda Stradling is a production manager with 20 years of experience. She is also a professional trainer and author of Production Management for TV and Film: The Professional's Guide. Helen Jackson is a production manager who has worked across many different programme genres. Both Helen and Linda sit on the executive committee of the Production Managers Association, which is elected annually from within the membership.
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