Introduction
I have been researching work experience places in the media sector to see what is available to stduents for part time experience and also for those who have left education and are looking into working within the industry, by means of work experience and the apprenticeships available.
To start with, many of those who wish to find experience in the industry contact certain comapnies directly through their websites, offering a portfolio and a statement as to why they would like to work with the chosen company.
This is up to the individual to assertain the correct companies and the correct contact details for which the individual's interests are focused upon.
If one is to choose to apply through schemes already established, they must throroughly research the options available and choose the best which relates to their course of study.
I will research the companies that offer work placements within the media sector and report on their criteria for applicants and their appropriateness for the individual.
Searching for 'film placements' on a search engine opens many sites that offer work placements within film.
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"Films4Life" is a nonprofit organisation created by a dedicated group of individuals and companies.
"Films4Life" is a nonprofit organisation created by a dedicated group of individuals and companies.
What the company offers
They offer experiences from writing scripts to set design, which is a very diverse range available to those looking for a placement: http://films4life.org/discipline/.
Film4Life is less of an application divised experience package, and more of an individual research opportunity, of which applicants can contact the company and express their interest in working with the collective group. This approach allows those who are very interesting, motivated and willing to show interest and contact the company directly, which is very niche and will elimate those who will apply for any role for any company without prior research and knowledge about the company they are applying for.
This company grants no requirements from the applicant as there is no formal application progress for which the applicant needs to submit.
Films4Life explain that the applicant would be passed on and have to undertake interviews with industry professionals before being selected if successful to join the company.
Available at: http://films4life.org/about-films4life/film-industry-placements/
The Films4Life community will then help the aplicant follow their placement by supporting them with CV writing, recommend them to agencies and companies and advice on the next steps.
Films4 Life work with a variety of companies and professionals, such as receiving equipment from Tony Jordan of Red Planet and being invited to talks with Guy Ritchie and TV Producer/Director David Coward.
As a non-profit organisation, Films4Life can benefit from the support of willing filmmakers by promoting their organisation through social networking sites, word of mouth and by actually participating in the productions.
The support will highlight Films4Life's good-will of offering free advice and opportunities, which can be rare to simply send the company your details and be part of that community without having to justify why you want a certain placement or your enthusiasm for filmmaking; they just want willing individuals to come together and create work that they want to create, while also helping running productions and experiencing the working day.
The site is very vague as to how to contact the company, what you'd be doing if successful and what actually entails once they reply with support.
As there is no application form or requirements, just enthusiasm and a drive, the applicant may feel uncertain as to whether their request has been ackowledged, what productions they may be able to particpate in and who they will meet.
Although they do explain what they are 'about', it feels as though they dont prove what they actually do, or what previous participants have created and worked on.
They do have a link to their scriptwriting and 'The Film' section : http://films4life.org/
but it doesnt feature any ongoing or long term prospects, just the current production that wil create the film that was written and sent into the competition that closes on February 28th 2014.
This isnt featured on the main page though, which could create more impact in terms of audiences interest if so.
Suitability
This particular company feels very suitable for my specific interests; film directing, producing etc however it feels quite relaxed about who can apply and i would potentially prefer to work with a production company who have constant work and could let me shadow someone for a couple of weeks to understand a typical working day on production.
This opportunity would be good if I was to take a gap year or an extended period away from education. It may also be useful if i would be able to participate when i was free and if the location was easily accessible.
This opportunity does seem to cater for those with more free time, as opposed to a taster experience of a few weeks within a locally based company.
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What the company offers
The BBC offers work experience and also trainee schemes for those wanting more knowledge and experience of working in the film/television industry.
There is no requirement for thre work experience application, only i would think that the applicant would apply accordingly depending on location; as there are options in London, Salford and other areas they say are available across England but are not specified. These unspecified areas may include Leeds, at the Look North studios there or other cities such as Birmingham, Hull or Newscastle.
The BBC Trainee Schemes have an open Talent Pool which states; "To apply you don't necessarily need to have worked in the media or have a degree, but you will need to be able to demonstrate your passion for TV/Radio/Online".
If you were to be successful, the PTP (Production Talent Pool) will open up new opportunities for applicants; being eligible for short-term, paid entry level work on a variety of BBC programmes, and also be able to apply for a 12month paid traineeship with the company. This route is the only available access into the Production Trainee Scheme.
The PTP acts like a temp-agency so opportunities for work will arise accordingly and those involved will be contacted and may start work on a certain programme. The applicant must also be able to travel locations every couple of months due to the productions that they will be working on, so flexibility is very important in this role, which may be unfeasible for some to move continuously.
The BBC will benefit from unpaid (at first) work to select those who have the strongest abilities for television/radio from the experience to move them forwards into paid traineeships with the company. They will be able to select the strongest applicants from the work experience weeks so that they can be sure of their decisions in choosing the best invidiuals.
Suitability
These placements are very suitable for those wanting to work within television and radio and to see what happens in creating a piece for television, news or live broadcast. The scheme runs for 12months, so appliants must be able to commit their time and interest into this scheme and be flexible with the productions. This is a very good opportunity to prove how much you want to work within the industry though, if you are willing, committed and have no prior engagements that would forclose your experience at the BBC.
I will be unable to apply for this traineeship at the moment as I am still studying for my HND, so I could apply for the traineeship when i am finished with my studies and when I can take a year to invest in the traineeship to the best of my ability.
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What the company offers
The ITV studios offer 12month long apprenticeships, and suggest signing up to the National Apprenticeships Service for any opportunities, as well as keeping a close eye on openings on the official ITV Twitter feed, @ITVCareers and the ITV careers site within their page.
From looking at the website, ITV only seem to offer fixed apprenticeships and no evidence of work experience at the studios.
There is no evidence of specific criteria that an applicant must conform to in the application process, which is good as it is an open forum for anyone to apply then, with no hinderances to a person's ability or experiences.
Suitability
ITV have decided to offer placements to those who are willing to work straight from the off, which may single out those who are looking for an opportunity to show their passion but have had no previous experience anywhere else within the industry.
This appliation may be suitable to those who have no prior committments to any current work and are able to spend 12 months with ITV and working under their traineeship.
Again, the 12month long apprenticeship will be unsuitable for me at this current stage, but i may apply once i have finished my time at college.
The location would be very suitable for me at ITV as their news show Calendar is broadcast from Television House, 5minutes away from Leeds City Centre.
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What the company offers
My First Job In Film is a great site that when, once signed up, applicants will have the opportunity to apply for industry vacancies and experience roles; from short periods of time to long, from runner roles to production assisstants.
The opportunities stretch all across the UK and there are few, but not many, that advertise from overseas.
You can apply directly through MFJIM as submit your profile and upload a CV for your application.
Each role has different requirements in what they are looking for from applicants.
Many of the opportunities are based in London, and there are very few that are based further North.
This can exclude those who are unable to travel such a distance without any accommodation, like myself, although i am subscribed to this site and receive daily emails on opportunities that have been advertised, just to keep a note on the experiences available.
The site advertises work experience placements, internships, volunteer work and entry level work as well as many more sectors and roles.
This company benefits from offering placements by securing a safe, reliable service with the companies who advertise on this site; the companies who advertise are anonymous as to not provoke favouritism.
Suitability
The opportunities that are based in London are not suitable to my specific needs, as it is too far to travel and take time away from my studies at college. If there were any opportunities closer such as Manchester or Leeds then i would definately consider applying.
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The Channel4 company offers many varieties of work experience in the media industry. The 4Talent section of the site offers advice and support for those wanting to get some experience.
They have many dveelopment programmes branching out from the 4Talent main site, as seen in the image below.
What the company offers
The Apprenticeship Programme offers applicants to work with Channel 4 for 12 months, working towards an NVQ qualification and a financial bonus.
This opportunity may not be the right one for me as i would like a more advanced role in trms of experience learning to build on the experiences i have already learnt from and been a part of.
Suitability
This placement is more suited to someone who has not studied media so in depth before and would like to gain a qualification in the process.
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Graduate Programme
Suitability
This graduate position is not suitable for my current state, as i have not yet graduated from University, but when i do i shall apply for this position as the benefits are very rewarding, and it is a great long term position with the company.
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The Scholarship Programme
The Scholarship programme is also only offered to graduate students. Again, i will apply when i am eligible for this role. Channel 4 offer so many varied experience roles and opportunities for students to gain some experience of a working company within the media sector, which interests me more and may interest others more as there are more opportunities for students to broaden their horizons with.
This programme also runs for 5 years, which will elimate those who are not dedicated enough or passionate for the course.
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What the company offers
The 4Talent days are workshop events that offer career advice, the chance to talk to industry professionals and gain some insights into the working industry.
The 4Talent days have no requirements, they state: "They’re for anyone over 16 who wants to break into the media industry. We never say ‘you must have this’ or ‘you must be like that’ – we love it when the group is really diverse. All that matters is that you’re truly passionate about our industry, and that you’ve got a bit of raw talent that sets you apart from the crowd".
Visiting a different location every month, applicants have to keep a check on the 4Talent website for information on the upcoming events.
Suitability
This experience for a day will be very useful for me to network with professionals and discuss ways of focusing on entering the industry.
As this is only for a day, i would try and pick up as much information as i could which i could then use to pursue further experience programmes, which may have been suggested to me by those at the 4Talent days.
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BBC Work Experience
I have applied to the BBC for a work placement and have received an offer to work for the BBC as part of a 15 week work experience programme.
They emailed me offering me a place, which I accepted, and can be seen through these emails.
I will be attending the BBC Leeds centre every other Tuesday; working on the hub, sound and cameras each for 5 sessions. The centre produces the news programme Look North.
This placement is able to be scheduled around my college work and attendance there, which is a good arrangement as non of my work will suffer from this.
I will keep a log of my activities there which i can learn from after each week, as well as setting myself goals for my next sessions there; learning and expanding on my knowledge of how the BBC works.
They also sent me a letter of agreement which underlined the terms and conditions of the BBC and things such as travel arrangements, liability and eveidence of my legibility to work in the UK (referenced below).
11 October 2013
Jessica
Ing
5
Griffe Head Road
Bradford
Dear
Jessica,
In
accordance with arrangements made with the BBC Education Partnership Department of the British
Broadcasting Corporation we have pleasure in offering you an unpaid work experience placement working on BBC Yorkshire.
The
placement will take place from Monday 04 November 2013 and ending on Tuesday 17 June 2014 (15 days in total during this
period).
This
arrangement is offered as a volunteer activity and, as such, it is understood
to be outside the scope of National Minimum Wage legislation.
Work
experience is a voluntary learning activity and there is no obligation on you
to carry out work at any time but we ask you to agree the following whilst you
are with us;
9. Under the BBC Child Protection Policy, any placement offer may be subject to the receipt of successful references and you may be required to undertake a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure.
a.
your passport and, if relevant, any
other original document(s) (which confirm your right to work in the UK); or
b.
full British
birth certificate plus documentary evidence of your national insurance number
(eg P45, P60)
Please
confirm your acceptance of our terms and conditions of this placement by
responding as instructed in the accompanying e-mail. Failure to agree to the terms that apply whilst you are with us will
result in the cancellation of this placement.
Yours
sincerely
Connie Sayers
Date:
11 October
2013
Signature:
Connie Sayers
Designation: BBC Work Experience Team
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These are the e-mails of correspondence between myself and the BBC in regards to the placement for work experience.
We agreed on the arranged dates and length on time my placement will entail, which is appropriate for me to be able to manage my time and workload from my college course, which is Wednesday - Fridays, so working at the BBC every other Tuesday will slot conveniently into my schedule.
Working there for 15 days in total over a period of 8months is also beneficial; this length of time will enable me to grasp a strong knowledge of how the BBC works at Leeds, rather than a 2 week placement which may leave me with a lesser understanding of the industry.
They have highlighted the areas in which I will be working; learning about the Hub and it's importance for 5 sessions, before moving onto Cameras for 5 sessions and then spending the remaining 5 learning about the Sound.
Covering these 3 areas on my placement will allow me to be able to be multi-skilled in these areas, as that is how the company operates. Should a person fall ill or be unable to work the cameras for broadcast, then someone will be there on site already to fill in this position.
Instead of working in one section for 15 sessions, I will be able to explore the 3 areas to a good standard, by spending around 40 hours in each and covering many aspects of what that area entails; such as ingestion and copying on the hub, to learning the different camera set-ups for broadcast and the levels and configurations needed for the sound, including the desk in the gallery.
The placement is unpaid but to me experience over wage is much more valuable.
It is my sole responsibility to ensure I attend every session as the time have been scheduled and handed to me, and being unpaid allows me to learn more and understand certain arrangements, and to also take the role more seriously and at my own pace - should i have been paid for this placement i would feel more pressure to produce the tasks more efficiently.
Being unpaid does not mean that i will not take the role lightly, but that i will take my time to make sure that i understand each role before undertaking tasks on my own accord; such as ingesting footage by myself or setting up timers for recorded broadcasts.
I will take my evidence of identification and a copy of the letter of agreement to the BBC on my first day, and arrive looking smart and presentable, as first impressions count.
I have looked online for a map of the BBC to organise my travel arrangements, and i should have no problem in terms of getting there on time, as i have left a 20minute contingency for any emergencies or traffic issues.
I know the area where the BBC is based and can walk from the bus station to the centre in around 5minutes, giving me enough time to find my department and to register with my mentor.
The BBC has also informed me that there may be a possibility for paid work at the end of the placement, so i will pay attention, take notes, listen hard and ask questions, to best fulfill my experience during my time there, to give a good impression and to help the production of Look North; suggesting ideas if needed.
Many work placements offer paid work at the end of the session, such as Channel4's programmes, and it is good to create a lasting impression on the employers during the placement there, as they may employ you when the placement has finished.
As I have applied but am unsure of whether University is the next step for me, a paid employment at the BBC would benefit me extremely, allowing me to work in the industry, to learn as I work, and to be a part of a production and a team.
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