I recently decided I wanted to finally make the leap and change career from PR/Social Media into the Film & TV industry. I've always wanted to work in the industry but straight out of uni, I was more attracted by the steady monthly income in my bank account and the regularity of a 9-5! In a nutshell, I wasn't quite ready. Several years later and some brilliant friends along the way, I've now started to make the leap into this wonderful and exciting new career and follow my dream (as cheesy as that sounds!)
So where to start?
I wasn’t quite sure – I had a few contacts but no idea on how to best approach them or where to get the ball rolling! I spotted a dream job for Game of Thrones as Production Secretary and whilst I had the admin experience requested for the role, I’m pretty sure my application was completely wrong and tailored incorrectly for a TV job! No wonder I never heard back!
Luckily for me, I spotted on Twitter that The Production Guild was doing an intensive training course for runners trying to break into the industry. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect!
Lead by industry professionals and offering advice on how to tailor CVs, what to expect, set etiquette and opportunities to network, I booked a ticket without hesitating! I’d missed the Manchester session (they run them at various locations throughout the country) so a few days later, I was on a train down to Cardiff to attend the course at the beautiful Millennium Centre in Mermaid Quay.
So where to start?
I wasn’t quite sure – I had a few contacts but no idea on how to best approach them or where to get the ball rolling! I spotted a dream job for Game of Thrones as Production Secretary and whilst I had the admin experience requested for the role, I’m pretty sure my application was completely wrong and tailored incorrectly for a TV job! No wonder I never heard back!
Luckily for me, I spotted on Twitter that The Production Guild was doing an intensive training course for runners trying to break into the industry. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect!
Lead by industry professionals and offering advice on how to tailor CVs, what to expect, set etiquette and opportunities to network, I booked a ticket without hesitating! I’d missed the Manchester session (they run them at various locations throughout the country) so a few days later, I was on a train down to Cardiff to attend the course at the beautiful Millennium Centre in Mermaid Quay.
Not only is it a fantastic area (BBC Cymru is just across the water – home to Sherlock & Dr Who) but I even made a new friend during the course. I cannot recommend the course highly enough for anyone looking to break into the industry – every single bit of information was invaluable and I made some great contacts from Production Co-Ordinators to Assistant Directors, who have remained in touch with me.
You can find out more information on their website – http://www.productionguild.com/training/runner. Sessions in Belfast & Birmingham are still available for booking later in the year. Even if they're not local to you, it's worth the trip and only costs £41.
Feeling exciting, inspired and raring to go, I got back to Manchester and immediately set about tailoring my CV based on the notes I picked up from the course and sending out emails to all local productions.
You can read more on my Top Tips For New Runners
Only a few weeks and a bit of cheekiness later and I’d landed my first role as an Additional Runner for the new Russell T Davies Channel 4 drama currently filming in Manchester – looking forward to the future already! Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment