To find the photography credit, click the image.

Chris Polding – Facilities Technician
Chris joined Maverick TV four years ago and is in charge of the smooth-running of all the edits that go on in-house here. The edit is the final stage of programme making and is a vital part of the process, but as with all important jobs this doesn’t come without its stress, long hours and weekend shifts. In Chris’ four years he says that no two days have been the same; in an industry that is always evolving, you have to be adaptive and willing to embrace changing technology. At Maverick Chris has got crucial on the job training that he couldn’t have learnt at university, so work experience is essential for getting your foot in the door.

Donna Mulvey-Jones – Head of Facilities
Donna talks us through her first steps into the world of TV as a Production Secretary to her role now as Head of Facilities. After sending a barrage of letters and CVs, Donna eventually got invited for an interview at Maverick TV, being offered a three month contract she took the bold step to leave her current permanent position, risking her mortgage for this opportunity. There’s a role for everyone in TV, you don’t have to be creative, if you are good at management, like Donna, you could find your dream career here too.

Patrick Flavelle, Senior Producer in digital media and Head of Content for the NHS West Midlands digital media service, talks us through the roles of his job, and how digital media has developed since he first began way back in the 80’s, before mobile phones even existed! Patrick discusses the benefits of technological advancements, as well as the benefits of the job in general, such as the variety of tasks, the relaxed working environment, and the lack of a formal dress-code! Patrick also reveals his best and worst working moments, and unveils some top tips on how best to break into the industry.

Rich Payne, Deputy Editor of the 4Homes website, explains what New Media is all about and reveals the duties of his job and his typical daily routine, from creating websites and games to tweeting during shows! After giving us a more in-depth look at what he does on the 4Homes website, Rich tells us a little bit more about himself; from his education to his work-experience, before exposing the hitches and perks of the job , and suggesting who might be well suited. If you’re interested in working in New Media, Rich advices not only how best to get your foot in the door, but how to wedge it there firmly!

General Information

Television in the UK
TV People
BBC New Talent
TV Jobs

Job Descriptions and activities

Runner
Production Assistant
Researcher
Camera Operator
Sound Technician
Editor
Producer

Organisations and Regulations

Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television
BECTU – Broadcasting Entertainment, Cinematography and Theatre Union
Advertising Standards Authority
OFCOM
Office of the Adjudicator (CRR)
Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator
Skillset

Colleges

Birmingham City University
Bournemouth University
University College Falmouth

Short Courses

BBC Training and Development
National Film and Television

UK Terrestrial Broadcasters

BBC
ITV
Channel 4
Channel 5

4Talent Resources

Assistant Producing
Wale of a Time: Assistant producer Julia Cartwright is “happy working in Wales”. Elle Davies uncovers why the region puts a smile on her face.

Behind the Screen: From Stars In Their Eyes to British Film Forever, assistant producer Jonathan Kelly talks to Stuart Wright about breaking into TV.

Editing
Edit on: Video: Don’t know your Avid from your Final Cut Pro? Get yourself in the know.

On the Edit Son: Nicky Ager has worked as an editor on everything from Embarrassing Illnesses to feature film Confetti. He tells Simon Harper how to go about building a successful career in editing.

Power Up: We chat to internationally-renowned editor, director and trainer Larry Jordan.

High Definition
Clean ‘n’ Clear: Five times sharper than ever before, a HD picture demands perfect production.

3DTV: With the wide range of high-end flat screen plasma TVs on the market at the moment, it’s easy to believe that the potential of the televisual medium is peaking.

Misc TV jobs
Word for Word: Kate Connolly works as a subtitler with Red Bee Media in Glasgow. She tells Eva Blassat about working up to ‘Live’ and the challenges of fast-talking celeb chefs.

Making History: Video: Head of the family, it’s Production Manager Adrian Kelly’s role to keep things running smoothly for the cast and crew of City of Vice.

Producing/Directing
Serial Filmmaking: Few would associate the edgy work of indie director Sarah Walker with the glamorous and decidedly blonde world of the UK’s most-watched teen drama serial.

Produce/Direct: Video: So you want to work in TV? We talked to professional producer/directors to find out how they did it.

Reality TV
Am I Real? Video: Brendan Deeds talks to Lisa McGarry on her unlikely journey from mother of three to internet entrepreneur.

Big Brotherly Love: “When I was a runner I made fucking good cups of tea” – the reality of reality TV.

The Case For… Jade Goody, Rebecca Loos… outstanding ambassadors for reality TV are thin on the ground. The genre may be scratching the bottom of the barrel, but Love Productions’ Richard McKerrow believes the format can still be resuscitated.

Researching and entry level jobs
TV Researcher: Video: Behind the scenes of the seemingly glamorous world of TV production. We scrutinise the role of the researcher – from sourcing contributors and filming recces to dressing up as comedy animals.

Work Experience: Audio: It’s experience that counts in the dog eat dog world of broadcast media.

Spy Games: Investigating crack addiction, high profile murders and the worst housing estates in the UK might not sound like the stuff of TV dreams, but BBC researcher Arifa Farooq thrives on such gritty, real life subject matter.

Archive Addict: Freelance researcher Stuart Brown thrives on extreme pressure and intense study.

For Love or Money: Richard McKerrow is the creative and managing director of TV production company Love Production. He talks to Stuart Wright about his role, breaking into television and the importance of nurturing new talent to the industry.

The Real Star: Terence Gibbons talks to one of the lynchpins in TV production – the person who make it all hang together … the humble production co-ordinator.

“It’s Not Just A Hobby!” Who would have thought that copious amounts of TV watching and blogging would pay off? Acquisitions and digital media assistant, Edward Barnieh, talks to Ijeoma Ndukwe about keeping his eyes on the prize.

TV Drama
Talent Refuge: How More4’s almost Adult is a one-off drama that follows two girls who arrive as refugees in Britain, where they struggle to adjust to life in another country.

In Sync: They might be the newest kids on the production block, but Claire Mundell and Justin Molotnikov, founders of Synchronicity Films, have a wealth of international experience in drama.

High Risers: After a strategic career in theatre and short film production, producer David Smith is now focusing on establishing his company in the world of TV drama.

Drama Queen: If drama is something you write and make and not just something to watch from the comfort of a sofa, then you’ll want to get to know Sophie Gardiner – Channel 4 Commissioning Editor for Drama.

Churn Them Out: Her Chumbawamba days may reside in the mists of time, but Alice Nutter is well aware that the band played a formative part in her development as a writer.

TV Production
“We’re Quite Bespoke” How many programme makers at the top of their games go from heading up the reality department of a leading production company, to founding an agency devoted to nurturing TV talent?

Copyright: Lisa-Marie Ferla explains how to stay on the right side of copyright.

Nice Little Earner: How do you follow a show like Deal Or No Deal? Chester Bateman asks the creator of Channel 4’s new afternoon sensation Win My Wage from Midlands-based indie Hotbed Media.

Got Gear? Part One: The facts on the gear you’ll need to set yourself as a TV pro.

Know No Limits: Jemima Cattel goes behind the scenes of Channel 4’s New Shoots to meet some inspirational individuals who demonstrate that not even deafness or blindness need stand in the way of creative vision.

Survive in TV: Audio: Edited highlights from the Screen Hub at Maverick Television.

On the Double: Video: With an impressive body of work across Channel 4, BB and RTE, Belfast company Doubleband Films are one of the leading lights in UK documentary.

Upwardly Mobile: Move On Up are one of the three Scottish indies which will be developing new screenwriters through the Channel 4 PILOT project, so Colette Magee went to see what inspired them to move on up to the Highlands in the first place.

Very Alan Partridge: Holly Blackwell has resisted the lure of working for the networks. Why does regional TV fulfil her needs?

Goodfellas: Starting out as a London-based company specialising in commercials, The Mob are now garnering commissions from Sky and making feature films.

Looking Ahead: TV production talent gets the Royal seal of approval with RTS Futures.

Hotshot: Development producer for Hotshot Films forsakes the bright lights for Belfast.

Think Big: How does a concept become a reality on our TV screens?

Cool Concept: Ebona Eastmond-Henry came up with the idea for Channel 4’s Musicool programme on her first day in programme development.

Out of this Planet: Ashley Pharaoh talks to Howard Byrom about the trials and tribulations of getting Life On Mars commissioned.

Deal or No Deal: 4Talent’s competition for pitching TV programme format ideas for Channel 4’s primetime schedule, Pitch Up, produced a host of ideas, from the good to the… less… good.

A Twist in the Tale: According to the BBC’s Features and Formats Development Producer, Dan Goldsack, the pub can provide a treasure chest of idea booty.

Maurice Gran: Video: Responsible for comedy classics such as Birds of a Feather and Goonight Sweetheart with his writing partner Lawrence Marks. Maurice Gran breaks down the TV commissioning process down.

Maurice Gran Part Two

Talk the talk: Pitching’s not rocket science. Yummo Productions break it down.

TV Presenting
Humble Pie: We quiz Blue Planet veteran Kate Humble about the challenges of presenting natural history to a live audience.

TV Presenting: Audio: The TV presenting experience isn’t all glitz, glamour and gala ceremonies. It comes loaded with its fair share of downsides too.

MAC TV: Video: Life for a freelance presenter can be tough short-term contracts, no guarantee of a job and you’ve got to be good every time. Watch Stuart McQuitty tell his story from Countdown to c9tv.

Coffee and TV: Everyone chasing a career in the creative industries needs a little break sometime, but Shantha Roberts; was probably bigger than most.

House Trained: Wannabe TV celeb Dan Fielding chats to Craig Grannell about his plans for world domination – of the domestic kind.

TV Presenting: Video: Ever since you could reach the mirror, you practised with your hairbrush to an imaginary audience. Now you want to present for real. A panel of experts advise Belfast’s aspiring presenter talent.

TV Presenting: Meet the Panel

Fresh Belfast: Video: TV hopefuls from across Ireland gathered at the Waterfront Hall for FRESH BELFAST to learn from a trio of Northern Ireland’s TV experts. Watch highlights of the workshop and meet the panellists.

Broadcast journalism
War: What is it Good For? Being shot at or bombed: all in a day’s work for John Simpson.

Video

Get Thinking
Directing Tips

Publications

Broadcast
Televisual

Main image by Aaronyx

General information

Product Design: An Overview
Magic Touch
Designer Breakfast
Another Dimension
Product Design in the UK
How to Prepare for the Perfect Pitch
Designing Ahead of the Curve
Best Product Design 2007

Video

Product Design – Gadget Show Part 1

Product Design – Gadget Show Part 2

Product Design at the University of Derby

Interactive Product Design in the US

Interview with well-known American shoe designer Steve Madden

10 Famous Product Failures and the Adverts That Did Not Sell Them

Job descriptions and activities

Industrial/product designer
Automotive Engineer
Ceramics/Pottery Designer
Exhibition/Display Designer
Furniture Designer
Glass Blower/Designer
Interior/Spatial Designer
Jewellery Designer
Manufacturing Designer

Organisations and regulations

British Design Innovation (BDI)
The Chartered Society of Designers (CSD)
Design Business Association
The Design Council
Institution of Engineering Designers
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
SEMTA: Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

Training

Birmingham City University
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
University of Leeds
Staffordshire University

List of other product design courses

News

Check the Design Week site for the latest industry news, and subscribe to news alerts for free.

Main image by Jochen. Some rights reserved.

General Information

Photo Imaging: Job Profiles
How to make it in Photo Imaging
Photo Imaging FAQs
Photographic Technician Job Profile
Apprenticeships
So You Want to Become a Photographer?
Working in a Lab
Picture Libraries
Inside Photo Retail
Photo Imaging: Support Services

Job descriptions and activities

Photographer
Assistant Photographer
Minilab Operator
Minilab Operator: Photo Retail
Digital Imaging Specialist
Picture Researcher
Photo Retails Sales Assistant

Different types of photographer

Advertising and Editorial Photographer
General Practice or High Street Photographer
Photojournalist or Press Photographer
Fashion Photographer
Scientific Photographer
Staff Photographer
Corporate Photographer
Forensic Photographer
Medical Photographer

4Talent Resources

Grand Designs: Richard Foot takes an unconventional route to becoming one of the most intriguing new faces in architectural photography.

“Craftily Twisted”: Jason Evans is no ordinary photographer. He explains to Ruth Mortimer why his collaborations with Four Tet and Radiohead are about feeling your way through life with confidence.

Picture the Scene: Rock photographer Graham Smith reveals perseverance is themost important weapon in his armoury.

A True Reflection: Lorcan Doherty is Chief Photographer with The Derry Journal whilst also striking out as a freelancer with a growing clientele.

Highland Exposure: Video: A glimpse of the life of a Highland photographer.

Kid’s Gotta Hustle: Photographer Ben Rayner is juggling his creative work with jobs that pay the rent.

Smooth Guide: Audio: Edited highlights from Rhubarb Rhubarb’s Smooth Guide to the Image World, inspiring talks from photographers at the top of their game.

Training

Leeds College of Art and Design
Leicester College
London College of Communication
Sheffield College
The Arts Institute Bournemouth

Organisations and regulations

The Association of Photographers
The British Institute of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA)
The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP)
The Institute of Medical Illustrators
Magnum Photography
Masters Photographers Association (MPA)
National Union of Journalists
Photo Imaging Council
Photo Marketing Association International (PMAi)
Professional Photographic Laboratories Association
Royal Photographic Society
Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP)

Image Libraries

Getty Images
iStock Photo
PA Photos

Publications

British Journal of Photography
Professional Photographer
Photography Monthly

Video

Martin Usborne: Photographer

Becoming a Photographer

Working as a Photographer

Working with Models and Subjects

Main image by Lawrence Whitemore. Some rights reserved.

General Information

Music Roles
Who Does What in the Music Industry?
Where the money goes in the Music Industry
What’s a Music Agent?
Independent Record Labels
Make Your Mark in Music
Songwriting Advice: Sacha Skarbeck
Gigbeth

Job descriptions and activities

Musician
Composer
Conductor
Music teacher
Secondary school teacher
Music therapist

Video

Interview with classical music composer Philip Glass

The Royalty Route

Independent Record Labels

How to promote your band on MySpace

How to upload original music to MySpace

Training

Birmingham Conservatoire
Anglia Ruskin University
Bournemouth University
Leeds College of Music
Rose Bruford College
The University of Birmingham
Trinity Guildhall – Trinity College London
UCAS – for more music-related courses

Organisations and regulations

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)
Association of British Orchestras
Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM)
Musicians’ Union (MU)
Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) – Performing Rights Society (PRS)
Phonographic Performance Limited
Capsule

Publications

The British and International Music Yearbook
Guide to Music Education

4Talent Resources

Bands and Musicians
How to Have a Christmas Number 1: Audio: Will novelty records make you rich?

Dear Spider: Virtuoso instrumentalist Colin Reid weaves his own web of intrigue.

Unsigned and Hungry: Video: Allegedly, success is down to 10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration. Fresh from playing support slots for Akon and Kanye West, hip-hop rapper/producer Jae P reckons it’s worth sweating it out.

Free Radicals: Curator and producer of underground multimedia events. Arika draws legendary artists from across the globe and sell out crowds – often to the most obscure and shadowy parts of Scotland.

Get Your Coat: Scores of young bands trek hopefully south to the bright lights of London every year but only a handful come out clutching the Holy Grail: a record contract.

Green-eyed Monsters: We have a pint with newly-signed Envy And Other Sins to get their take on the current state of play in the industry and hear their tips for getting ahead in the music biz.

DJing/VJing
Format Jockey: It wouldn’t be fair to pigeonhole Chris Keenan, a.k.a. Prime Objective, as a VJ.

Designer Chic: Catherine Bray meets Ricky Haley, the DJ who’s using his web design contacts to put together a 15-hour festival of Erol Alkan-headlined music across 11 stages in Nottingham. Welcome Dot to Dot…

The Joy of Decks: Midlands-based DJ Martin Wright is gearing up to help launch Ibiza’s summer season in style.

Reach for the Stars: There may be nothing particularly new about the cut-up technique or plunderphonics, but it’s getting easier to produce and distribute by the day.

Vids In: Once considered to a lifetime of playing second fiddle to the superstar club DJ, the VJ, or Video Jockey, has shook off the shackles of its domineering master to become a creative entity in its own right.

Lap Off: Adam Turkington, Arts officer at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall set up NI’s first Lap Off – an evening of sonic combat, where svelte PCs are the weapons and only the meanest beats win.

Get Your Fix Of… Audio-visual artists and performers Addictive TV are working on everything from Hollywood trailers to banging sets at Glastonbury.

Music Festivals
Summer Sundae: Highlights: Held in the grounds of Leicester’s De Montfort Hall, the Summer Sundae Festival continues to propel Leicester’s music scene from strength to strength.

Gigbeth 2007: Johnny Marr reports from the front-line at Gigbeth 2007 and finds an intriguing festival with years ahead to grow.

DIY Festivals: Video: As scores of local music fans continue to flock each year to gathering like Oxygen, Electric Picnic and Vital the summer music festival calendar remains big business.

A Celtic Connection: Video: Donald Shaw, founder member and producer of Celtic music giants Capercaillie, recently took up the reins as artistic director of Celtic Connections, one of the biggest events in the World Music Calendar.

Cream of the Crop: Creamfields 2007 saw its first female DJ play the mainstage in the form of spinmeister Cler Lever.

Global Vision: Lynn Bird sensibly left the children at home and headed off to a muddy Malmesbury field to find out how classical Prom-tastic broadcaster BBC Radio 3 became such an essential part of the WOMAD Festival experience.

MCing/Beatboxing
Bear Necessities: They say you should never meet your heroes, but when Ravage finally met one of the rapper he’d spent his formative years listening to, the Birmingham MC wasn’t reduced to a stuttering star-struck mess.

Too Shilo: Video: In early 2007 Beatbox artist Shlomo swung by Belfast’s Waterfront Hall to mentor members of the Ulster Youth Choir in the tricky discipline of human beatboxing.

Beardyman: Video: He wrote his first symphony at the age of 10. At 15, he discovered drum’n’bass. Now Beardyman is making his mark in the world of beatboxing.

Music distribution
Homepage: Going global with the new user generated digital music market.

Not Lost in Translation: For 30 years, Rough Trade shops have given record buyers the new and unexpected. Now, they’re launching a digital site, giving new bands the chance of a first sale.

Meet the Producers: Plotting an alternative hip-hop route for the MySpace generation.

Don’t Believe the Hype: New Music Strategies blogger Andrew Dubber meets the manager of Midas, a band kicked out of the top 20 for using digital technology to ‘hype’ the charts.

Plugged In: Audio: The future of West Midlands music.

Worth Paying For…: Online music industry digest, Record of the Day, is renowned within the music industry for brining the latest news and tipping unsigned music talent.

Music production
Café Culture: When youth work met bored and frustrated youths, Stuart Wright found that creative buttons were pressed and an independent music production initiative was born.

Eclectic to a Fallt: Audio: Fallt is tucked away in a sedate Georgian village outside Belfast. Run by a collective, this independent international publishing house specialises in experimental music and cutting edge design.

Totally Wired: During his 30 years in the music industry, Colin Newman has become a master of reinvention.

Rock on the Rocks: From playing in bands to producing films, Zimbabwe born Edinburgh raised Mani Shoniwa has had a diverse career in the arts over the last 20 years.

Music video
Viva Mini Vegas: Aoife McArdle makes up one third of Mini Vegas, a collective who have since the year 2000 produced a wide range of satisfying multi-sensory work, ranging from 2D and 3D animation to documentary and film.

Digital Love: Kris Bird explains what it takes to make a successful music video.

Into the Woods: Making music vids with Forest of Black.

Just Jack: Video: He put his foot down when one director said he would have to wear a pair of Y-fronts and lift weights. Just Jack reveals the artist’s point of view about making music videos.

Vez: Video: Ninja Tune video commissioner, Vez, reveals how she works with video directors.

Proper Serious: Some people don’t expect the likes of Mighty Mo to become directors. Cieron Magat meets the man on a mission.

Girls Can Do Better: How are female music video directors breaking into the male-dominated record industry?

A Match Made in Heaven: 20/20/2 Vision is a collaborative project based in Leeds, for Leeds bands. The idea? Take 20 directors, match them with 20 bands and then produce a promo video in two weeks.

Videosyncratic: How do you go about documenting 30 years of a tiny music scene that brought the world Radiohead and Supergrass – on no-budget?

Sound engineering
Art of Noise: Sound engineering is a skilled profession, whether you’re dubbing for Gaelic kids television or recording lines for The Simpsons.

Soundtracks
Know the Score: Video: Mark Gordon of Score Draw knows how to lay down a scintillating soundtrack.

Shortwaves: Audio: Need any sound effects? Shortwaves is a new business providing cutting edge custom music and sound post production to the broadcast industries.

Robot in Disguise: Matt Gaffiney, singer-songwriter in Birmingham electro-prog-pop group Robot, chats to Dan Davies about transforming his music into TV soundtracks.

Vox Populus: Two years after winning IDEASFACTORY Soundtracks, Andi Garbi’s debut album is out.

21st Century Opera: Music for games is getting the full works – orchestras, a chorus section, electronic mixed with live… Ella Davies caught up with the pioneering composers.

High Score: Video: What a shoot ’em up without the bangs?

Musical Chairs: A multi-instrumentalist with an eclectic repertoire of styles, composer Gregor Philip creates music for a variety of media, but his biggest score has been Balamory. What’s the story?

Robotic Typecasting: Two local record labels share their experiences of getting tracks used in big-budget ads.

Main image by Not So Good Photography. Some rights reserved.

General information

Overview – Web Design and Development
Overview – Interactive DVD
A Definition of the Interactive Media and Computer Games Industries
The Interactive Media Skill Set
Illumina Digital Case Study
Interactive Media in the UK
Working in Interactive Media
Issues for the Interactive Media and Computer Games Industries

Job descriptions and activities

Designer
Developer
Producer
Production Assistant
Studio Manager
Project Manager
Account Manager
New Business Developer
Content Strategist
Information Architect
Web Editor
Web Writer
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Specialist
Programmer
Usability Specialist

Training

Bradford College
City College Norwich
University of Gloucestershire
University of East London

Organisations and regulations

British Interactive and Multimedia Association
Association for Project Management
Usability Professionals’ Association
b.TWEEN
Chinwag
Digital Content Forum
International Visual Communications Association
NESTA

Websites

Zen Garden
Design Shack
Webmonkey
A List Apart
E-Consultancy
Design Talkboard
Boxes and Arrows
Digital Web Magazine
Search Marketing Association
New Media Knowledge
SEOmoz

Publications

Media Guardian
New Media Age Magazine

Blogs

Euan Semple
Matt Locke
Paul Walsh

4Talent Resources

Mobile

Mobile Games: Audio: The podcast from The London Games Festival delves into the future of mobile gaming.

TV Phone Home: Jemima Cattel explores the Worcestershire countryside in search of Grassroots Media, the company behind the soap on your phone, mob-rom-com, London Affair.

Awakin the Senses: Awakin – winner of the Best Mobile Technology at the 2007 BT Golden Eye Awards, is an innovative multimedia company based in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

The Smallest Screen: 360 degree commissioning is out and this year it’s all about multiplatform.

Takeover TV: The question is no longer whether the mating of internet and TV will produce viable offspring. Rather it’s when and what will it look like.

Byte-Size Comedy: Gags to Go is 4Talent’s search for comedy genius for web and mobile, produced with The Comedy Unit and Scottish Enterprise.

Game Girl: Two years ago and jobless after computing degrees at Dundee’s Abertay University, David Hamilton and Barry Petrie set up Digital Goldfish, a mobile gaming company with the female market in mind.

Online TV

What Happened Next? Baby Cow Productions launches online sitcom Where are the Joneses?

Webcasting

Truly Interactive: Live webcasting could be the next big internet phenomenon, argues Antonio Gould.

Live Wires: Nexuslive is the UK’s first new music webtv show, broadcasting live every fortnight from its home in the Bongo Club, Edinburgh.

Videos

Interactive TV – The Next Decade

Podcasting – The Basics

Podcasting – Planning and Content

Making the Podcast

The Future of Podcasts

Podcasting – General Advice

Main image by Blackmoth. Some rights reserved.

General Information

Filmmaking in the UK
Film Speak: Understanding the Filmmakers’ Lingo
BBC New Talent
Make Your Mark in Film
Runners in Film
Understanding Filmmaking

Job description and activities

Actor/Performer
Production Designer
Film Director
Film Production Manager
Director of Photography
Film Producer

Training

National Film and Television School
Elstree Film School
International Film School Wales
Leeds Metropolitan University
The London Film School

Industry Directories/Trade Press
The Knowledge
Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT)
The Production Guild
Screen International

Organisations and regulations

British Board of Film Classification
British Film Institute
UK Film Council

Video
Tips on filming
Low-down on independent films
Submitting your film to independent film festivals
Becoming a film critic

BBC one shot one minute film

4Talent Resources

Commissioning
Make Some Noise: So what do you need to do to impress Film 4’s Senior Commissioning Executive Peter Carlton?

The Next Scorsese: This is the deal: produce four short films, each with a budget of £4K and get them aired on Channel 4. Sound good? If it does, then send in your ideas to 3 Minute Wonder.

Directing
Mark Pressdee: Video: Soon after his first foray into directing, seasoned short film producer Mark Pressdee discusses the importance of diversifying as a freelancer.

Simon Welsford: Video: Writer/director Simon Welsford didn’t let the lack of cash stop from him from making his feature film. So how did he do it?

Simon Welsford: Video: Insider tips on how to shoot a feature film when your lucre is running low.

The Indie Producer: Video: With BAFTA wins and nominations to her name, Natasha Carlish is a bit of an expert when it comes to running an indie films outfit that people sit up and take notice of: Welcome to Dreamfinder Productions.

Black Sheep’s Family: Paul Clarke talks to European filmmakers Oliver Rihs and Olivier Kolb about Black Sheep, their flatpack-screened feature film that’s creating a buzz from Berlin all the way to Birmingham.

Stupidity Pays: Video: The art of mistake-making in film.

Inside/Outside: Writer/director Paul Wright is in from the cold.

Family Foe: Get your people to call my people…

Fest Best: Amid the annual mayhem of the world’s largest arts festival, getting around Edinburgh in August is tough enough. But try shooting a full-length feature film in the thick of it all.

Is He Worse Than Hitler? Arguably Britain’s finest living film director, Ken Loach’s plaudits come from everywhere but Britain – his 2006 film about the IRA had the British press comparing him to Nazi propagandists. Surely, that can’t be right.

Black Night for the UK: Why are these directors heading to New York to draw attention to their celluloid creations?

The Next Big Thing: Lauded as a “real force”, Richard Fenwick has carved his own niche with his film, promo and animation work.

Dan Reed: Video: Write and direct your first feature: sounds like a mad idea, but documentary filmmaker Dan Reed reveals why it worked for him on Straightheads.

Cut to the Chase: World Premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Festival for his debut feature film, Paul Andrew Williams is the director everyone is name-checking.

Can You Handle It? Constantly bombarded by feature films ideas, producer Kevin Loader has been in the fame long enough to know what will cut it on the big screen.

Discovered: From 3MW to the Sundance Festival… Howard Byrom finds out where it all went right for Ken Wardrop.

Call of the Wild: At 48, Bryan Grayson gave up his day job as an aircraft engineer to pursue his passion for wildlife filmmaking.

Leap of Faith: From zilch experience to producing six films, Michael Kelly of Geronimo Pictures has truly landed on his feet.

Super Fly Guy: Video: Fasten your seatbelt as Producer/director Gawain Morrison flies us through the latest adventure taking off in the backyard of Seamless Productions/Red Label Records.

Life of Brian: From experimental short films to off-the-wall music videos, Brian Philip Davis has built himself a formidable reputation in a short space of time, all on a shoestring budget.

Lab Ky Mo: Video: He’s the first successful filmmaker from Northern Ireland’s Chinese community, yet even without this cultural distinction, Lab Ky Mo’s creativity, tenacity and off-beat humour mark him out.

Perry Vision: Video: Director of BSE/IFB Simon Perry injects his bold vision into the Irish industry.

Robert Douglas: Video: Meet the Irish-Icelandic filmmaker tracking the local story through a global lens.

Mind the Gap: Yasmin Fedda is a Lebanese Canadian national of Palestinian origin, raised in Kuwait. So what was she doing in Gorgie of all places?

Believe the Hype Part 2: Continuing on from his original interview, Stuart Wright asks filmmaker Richard Fenwick about his series of satirical instructional guides, the role of the director and the big decision to move out of London.

Older and Wiser: For Adam Smith, directing was the only thing he wanted to do. So how did he set about getting his feature film off the ground?

Are You Kidding? From Eastenders to Kidulthood, Ray Panthaki has switched over from acting to life behind the camera.

Warped Imaginations: Digital film studio Warp X want to address a specific problem: why don’t many women direct horror?

Feature Films
Barrow Boy: The Scottish road movie making waves worldwide.

A Kind of Magic: It’s been over three years coming but fantasy feature Gamerz has finally got a general release in the UK.

Second City Story: Director John Bradburn on shooting his debut feature film Kyle on the streets of Birmingham.

Film Festivals
Mountain Men: Creating the world’s first online mountain film festival.

Gone in 15 Seconds: Video: Blink and you’ll miss it – it’s the 15 Second Film Festival.

On the Edge: Some of the documentary’s edgiest makers gathered in Derry’s Bogside for a three-day screening last year.

Eiff: Anton Corbijn, Gary Love and Jennifer Venditti: 4Talent treaded the red carpet at The Edinburgh International Film Festival.

What’s on Show: Showcasing an astounding 700 films, the 12th annual Portobello Film Festival attracts a wealth of talent from around the globe.

Independent Thinkers: Ten years in and the British independent Film Awards have gone from strength to strength.

Speed Freaks: Filmmakers who are looking to make an impression should entre the Rushes Festival.

Hit the Road, Jaques: What do you do if you’re not made of money and want to go to Cannes? Well buy a van and paint it bright yellow.

Girl’s Corner: NY-based distributors, Women Make Movies present a refreshingly different perspective in a man-made world with a diverse catalogue of over 500 films made by women.

The Sky’s the Limit: Rachel Millward is pushing women filmmakers into shot with the Birds Eye View Film Festival.

Tight Little Outfit: Working relationships: Howard Byrom explores the exchange between director Ken Loach, his collaborators and their audience.

Funding
Sink or Swimmer: Bollywood Star’s Rupak Mann talks candidly on the nightmare of financing her film diaries.

Commissioned North: You might not believe it, but there is a film and TV industry in the north of Scotland. If you want to get started, you might believe even less that it’s possible.

Cheap Shots: North West-based filmmaker Ray Turner talks to Howard Byrom about making ends meet on self-funded productions.

Tried and Tested: Where do you go if you have a brilliant creative idea that requires investment and technical support?

High Fidelity: Are filmmakers on a budget in danger of sacrificing quality for low cost?

Locations and sets
Location Location: Eliot Mullett explores the ins-and-outs of the world of film location: the forms, the stunts and the people working to give filmmakers an easier ride in a complex world.

Shooting Stars: Co-founder of Northern Ireland’s first ever Location Company, Shoot NI, Chris Patterson is a man highly in demand by people in high places.

The Perfect Set Up: Set construction manager Cole Doherty turned heads when he first entered the niche business just under a decade ago.

Trailblazers: Leading the field without leaving a trace.

Intelligent Design: For production designer Tom Sayer, success means never having to sign an autograph.

Traffic, Trash and Toilets: Video: Any member of a TV crew will tell you that days spent working on set can be frantic, long and even boring. For the locations assistant, working literally on the set, it can be even more so.

Lost Property: Video: Standby props. Everyday is different.

Mr Fix-It: Willie Cameron is what he describes as a “fixer” – a service provider to film and TV companies.

Film Inspiration: Film City Glasgow is a unique and unprecedented project for the Scottish screen industries, offering home-grown and foreign talent the chance to access state of the art filming and editing facilities within one building.

Misc Film Roles
Something Extra: Meet NI’s first ever dedicated extras agency.

Smokin’ Gunn: Meet Belfast’s very own Professor Higgins.

Production
Rapid Rise: Rapideye is fast becoming Scotland’s hottest production companies.

Give Us A Break: Hugh Welchman believes that movie producers need to think beyond the cinema screen.

Eye for an Eye: There comes a point when you can’t continue slaving away fro someone else. So what’s the score when it comes to setting up your own film production company?

Short Film
Crashing the Scene: Video: Short film writer/director Chris Baugh shows the skills and determination it takes to get those first productions off the ground…

Out of Africa: Yes, You Cannes: the West Midlands animated documentary causing a stir on the Croisette.

In the Can: It’s never 9-5 when you work at MI High.

Leading Lights: The Magic Lantern – shining a light on the stars of short film.

A Fishy Tale: As he grew up on the Isle of Skye, it’s no surprise that the sea flows through filmmaker Johnny Barrington’s work like an Atlantic current.

Breaking Out of the Box: Zak Hanif explores the declines of a stereotype – The Corner shop.

Making Shell: Video: Why settle for one film when you can make two? Shell is a short film about a girl who lives in a remote petrol station in the Highlands, where she cares for her father but feels trapped.

On the Road: Documenting the past – how Alice Nelson recreated a 70s road trip.

Not Short of Ideas: Ruth Mortimer asks award-winning directors John Williams and Daniel Mulloy whether short films can lead onto feature-length success.

Bring to the Four: Four filmmakers get their first broadcast break on 3MW.

The Price is Right: An object of eternal fascination, human have always been drawn towards the moon, but would you buy a bit of it? And whose it is to sell?

Did You See…? Content creation is now in the hands of the masses. Want to get your short films seen and talked about? Then upload your stuff onto YouTube.

Artful Dodger: A decade of low-budget filmmaking from YouTube guerrilla Mark Locke.

Too Good To Be True: Calling all writers and directors: here is a dream filmmaking course. Sarah Weatherall discovers why Binger is churning out elite students.

Schools for Film: What effect has the Moving Image AS Level had on Northern Ireland’s budding filmmakers?

The Belfast Connection: Media junkie, Clement Lesbarreres arrived from France in his mid-twenties. Seeking filmmaking opportunities in newly peaceful Belfast, he’s settled into the city.

Main image by Don Solo. Some rights reserved.

General

Fashion and Textile Overview
I Want To Work In Fashion
Fashion and Textile Jargon Buster
Fashion Monitor Workshop
Make Your Mark in Fashion
Doll
Graduate Fashion Week

Jobs and activities

Fashion Buyer
Fashion Designer
Fashion Illustrator
Fashion Journalist
Fashion Stylist

Fashion Colleges

Central St Martins College of Art and Design
Leicester De Montfort University
London College of Fashion
Manchester Metropolitan University
University of the West of England

Top Fashion Magazines

Vogue
ELLE
InStyle
Cosmopolitan
Harpers Bazaar

Video

A Day in the Life: Fashion Designer

Becoming a Fashion Stylist
Becoming a Fashion PR
Life of a Fashion Stylist
Life in Fashion PR
Working as a Fashion Stylist
Working as in Fashion PR

4Talent Resources

Belief Is Everything: Leading menswear designer, Ozwald Boateng was the fashion mentor on T4’s Debutantes.

Celeb Couture: When a popstar/rockstar wants a mega wattage outfit, they can’t go wrong with the Mrs Jones label.

Step Up A Gear: June is now a fixture on the fashion calendar because Graduate Fashion Week rolls into town. Which graduate designers will be cutting it in the design stakes?

Video: Chip Odina unveils his tailored but deconstructed fashion vision that fuses classic elements with a modern cheekiness.

Main image by Simon Pais Thomas. Some rights reserved.

General information

BBC New Talent – Drama
Becoming an Actor
Getting into Drama School
Drama Production Team
Make Your Mark in the Arts
Preparing for Drama School
Young People at the REP

Job descriptions and activities

Actor
Presenter
Producer
Theatre Director
Theatre Stage Manager
Scriptwriter
Dancer
Dramatherapist

Youth and Amateur Theatres

National Youth Theatre
National Student and Drama Festival
Manchester Youth Theatre
Scottish Youth Theatres

4Talent Resources

Performing Arts
Speak Binary: Binary Oppositions: a meeting of music and visuals featuring the cream of artistic Brummies.

Say It Loud: Decibel is fast emerging as the UK’s most exciting Black Minority Ethnics Performing Arts showcase, so where better to hold in ’07 than multicultural Birmingham?

Dive In: Artist and water lover Amy Sharrocks invited 50 people to take part in “SWIM a 10 pool, 3 lido, 2 lakes” journey across London. Voluntary participant Lynn Bird took the morning plunge for the sake of live art.

City Academy: Video: He formed a circle, farted in a lift and met Big Brother’s Kamal… Spencer Jones gets into the swing of things at Anna Florentini’s City Academy.

Theatre
Fight Club: Some careers may feel like a battlefield that you’re just wrestling your way through, but for Fight Director Terry King, it’s part of his everyday life.

Acting Without Words: We explore the world of the professionals creating characters without the help of dialogue.

Box of Delights: Street theatre has been around since the Dark Ages, but what happens when Birmingham goes back to its watery roots with theatre on the canals?

All Ears: Explore the unseen world of Audio Description with the RSC’s Pat Colcutt and Gregor Hunt.

Designs on Drama: Why renowned RSC set designer Tom Piper advocates learning on the job.

Organisations and regulations

Arts Council England
British Council – Arts Group
Equity
The British Association of Dramatherapists
The Conference of Drama Schools
The Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET)
National Council for Drama Training
The National Association of Youth Theatres
National Operatic and Dramatic Association

Useful links

Spotlight
IMDB

Publications

The Stage
Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook
Screen International

Training

Birmingham School of Acting
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Central School of Speech and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)
Manchester Metropolitan University – Manchester School of Theatre
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
The Oxford School of Drama
Rose Bruford College
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Video

Culture Show’s Lauren Laverne interviews acting legend Patrick Stewart

Acting Tips from Simon Callow

Inside The Actors Studio host James Lipton gives advice to those who wish to conquer Hollywood

Becoming a Casting Director
Working as a Casting Director
Life of a Casting Director
Theatre Lingo
Styles of Plays

Main image by Arbron