TV Skills Strategy Case Studies
BETSAN DAFYDD, freelance make up and hair artist, Cardiff,
was a trainee on the new entrants training scheme run by Cyfle
in 2002. She said:
"The Cyfle scheme gave me a firm grounding in the art of make up and
hair and a useful overview of the whole industry and how everything fits
together. It also helped build my confidence and make those all important
contacts through which a freelancer keeps a career afloat! Going from
production to production I was exposed to so many different environments
and gained a full portfolio of practical skills and experience. Since
completing the course I've worked on a variety of productions ranging
from live OBs to drama and am enjoying every minute of it. I couldn't have
hoped for a better start.This scheme gave me a great springboard from
which to build a long term career in the industry."
SAJID QUAYUM, Head of Production, Caledonia TV, Glasgow,
was a production trainee on the new entrants training scheme
run by Scottish Screen in 2000/2001.
"Without this scheme my career would not have happened. Before it, I was
struggling to find a way into the industry and on the verge of giving up.
Considering the competition for places I feel fortunate to have been
chosen. During those 18 months I learnt so much working with people in
companies across the industry and experiencing different genres including
film, drama and documentary, work ethos and approaches. Something I
would never ordinarily have had the opportunity to do. In addition the
mentoring support given by the scheme ensured that we really learned
on the job and progressed with every placement as opposed to be being
treated like free staff to be used and abused and nothing else. It also helped
me identify where my strongest skills were and focused my career aspirations.
This scheme really did make all the difference to my career and I just wish
there could be more schemes like it for others to benefit the way I have."
FIONA BLAIR,Assistant Producer, Panorama, BBC Current
Affairs, completed the Independent Companies Researcher
Scheme run by FT2 in 2001.
"I was a freelance researcher for a couple of years on graduating from the
scheme before working at BBC Current Affairs and being promoted to an
AP. Since joining Panorama I have worked on binge drinking, election night,
the July 7th bombings and bird flu.The great thing about this scheme is the
variety of people it recruits into the industry.We all left equipped with a
solid foundation of skills and experience which has enabled each graduate
to build a unique career path on top of that. I found out pretty quickly that
I wanted to get into journalism, but I am in touch with graduates from the
same course who are working in comedy, the arts and reality TV."
CHRIS WISE, Managing Director of Mandrill Television, a York
based independent production company specialising in factual
documentary series and lifestyle feature formats, took part in
Skillset's Indie Business Development Scheme in 2004. He said:
"The Business Growth Opportunity scheme came at exactly the right time
for my business.The discipline of the scheme forced me to step off the
production treadmill, take a long hard look at what the business was really
doing and come up with a plan to give it what it needed for the first time.
As a result of the scheme we re-structured the company enabling us to
double our turnover and take on much more ambitious projects - such as
Weddings Live, a 6 hour live show for the Discovery Channel involving
nearly 100 staff and Mandrill's biggest project to date - something that may
never have happened without intervention from outside."
KARA MILLER, freelance writer and director, accessed a 4 day
training course on story and genre via Focus on Freelancers -
a bursary scheme discounting training up to 70%. She told us:
"The course was extraordinary and Skillset's help made a real difference to
me being able to afford it! I've been writing professionally for nine years
and this course gave me new insights into my craft and has definitely made
a positive contribution to me as a storyteller - both as a writer and a
director. I'm extremely grateful to the scheme. Skillset gave me £640
towards a course that has changed my life and made me better at the thing
that I'm the most passionate about - telling stories in film and television!
Thank you Skillset!"
