Mike Brian, Head of Studio Operations
In your own words, briefly describe your job
''I manage the studio and the studio crew that a programme maker would need to make a programme in the studio, so that encompasses the sound, vision, vision mixing and the lighting and any electrical works needed for that studio plus the scene-rigging and setting.''
How did you get into the industry?
''I started in 1982. A big influx started when Channel 4 and S4C started and I started as a VTR engineer, which meant the recording of programmes and the playing-back of programmes, and editing of some programmes for programme material. And at HTV at that time, that function was wrapped up with the transmission department, it was one department, so you got to do transmission and studio recording.''
What advice would you give to others seeking work experience?
''You need to decide what part of it you want to go into. Do you want to go into the maintenance side, or do you want to be on the operational side? There are lots of good courses out there in places like Ravensbourne or if you haven't done that, you could do electronics. We get lots of people who've done media courses, but we tend not to take these because they tend to be more for the production side of things. And then just get in somewhere, and be prepared to do anything, and be prepared to have that broad knowledge.''
When did you realise that you wanted to work in the industry?
''Well, I'm one of those very sad people who always wanted to work in television. So other people wanted to be a train driver and I wanted to be a cameraman.''
How do you make sure that you keep up with current developments in your field?
''You've just got to read magazines, articles and books and things, and just keep up with it, talk to manufacturers. I'm quite lucky because I get visited by lots of manufacturers who obviously want to sell me their stuff, so you can keep ahead that way.''
What impact will developments in New Media technology have on your career?
''When I started most of the equipment, the recording equipment, you had to be an engineer just to keep it on air. That's changed, the equipment is much easier to operate, so that's put a different skill level in. The impact of computerised or hard-disk technology into television has been a big difference. There's been a move away from tape, and when I started as well there was only one format - now there are so many different formats available.''
How did you prepare yourself for the additional management responsibilities at this level?
''There are standard Open University courses that they do on management. There are one or two in-house management courses. There are various finance courses which you have to know about.''
What has been the best piece of luck for you?
''I think the luck was getting the job in '82, and just managing to hang on, because it's been very turbulent in the last 10-12 years.''
How has the industry changed since you first entered it?
''When I started, broadcasting was a very closed book. You couldn't find much information about it. The only serious training was done by the BBC. There were no broadcast courses. I managed to find something called a Television Engineer's Reference Book, which was the only standard book at the time. Now there are more courses like Ravensbourne, and places that do courses. Computerisation is coming into it, more kit is computer-based, but when I started, the kit was very, very specialised.''
Do you freelance? Fulltime? Contract?… What are the (dis)advantages of that?
''No, I haven't worked freelance, no. We've only got a small crew. Most of our crew, for a large programme, would be freelance staff. All the cameramen are freelance, most of the sound crew would be freelance.''
Does Health & Safety have a big impact on your work?
''It takes up more of my time than anything. I've done safety courses, but you have to keep an eye on safety more than ever now. It's become much more important. Some people who've been in the business a long time still don't understand. Getting the safety systems in has been quite hard work really. Safe working is difficult.''
Do you have to multi-skill, or do you work in one area?
''We are a completely multi-skilled crew. You need people to be assistant on sound one day, and assistant on video the next, and we try to think of people as being a studio technician, that have had a good grounding of what happens in the studio, so you can put them into anything. They may specialize later on, and they may be specialised as a vision engineer, maybe specialised as sound, but you still need that cross fertilisation.''
''I manage the studio and the studio crew that a programme maker would need to make a programme in the studio, so that encompasses the sound, vision, vision mixing and the lighting and any electrical works needed for that studio plus the scene-rigging and setting.''
How did you get into the industry?
''I started in 1982. A big influx started when Channel 4 and S4C started and I started as a VTR engineer, which meant the recording of programmes and the playing-back of programmes, and editing of some programmes for programme material. And at HTV at that time, that function was wrapped up with the transmission department, it was one department, so you got to do transmission and studio recording.''
What advice would you give to others seeking work experience?
''You need to decide what part of it you want to go into. Do you want to go into the maintenance side, or do you want to be on the operational side? There are lots of good courses out there in places like Ravensbourne or if you haven't done that, you could do electronics. We get lots of people who've done media courses, but we tend not to take these because they tend to be more for the production side of things. And then just get in somewhere, and be prepared to do anything, and be prepared to have that broad knowledge.''
When did you realise that you wanted to work in the industry?
''Well, I'm one of those very sad people who always wanted to work in television. So other people wanted to be a train driver and I wanted to be a cameraman.''
How do you make sure that you keep up with current developments in your field?
''You've just got to read magazines, articles and books and things, and just keep up with it, talk to manufacturers. I'm quite lucky because I get visited by lots of manufacturers who obviously want to sell me their stuff, so you can keep ahead that way.''
What impact will developments in New Media technology have on your career?
''When I started most of the equipment, the recording equipment, you had to be an engineer just to keep it on air. That's changed, the equipment is much easier to operate, so that's put a different skill level in. The impact of computerised or hard-disk technology into television has been a big difference. There's been a move away from tape, and when I started as well there was only one format - now there are so many different formats available.''
How did you prepare yourself for the additional management responsibilities at this level?
''There are standard Open University courses that they do on management. There are one or two in-house management courses. There are various finance courses which you have to know about.''
What has been the best piece of luck for you?
''I think the luck was getting the job in '82, and just managing to hang on, because it's been very turbulent in the last 10-12 years.''
How has the industry changed since you first entered it?
''When I started, broadcasting was a very closed book. You couldn't find much information about it. The only serious training was done by the BBC. There were no broadcast courses. I managed to find something called a Television Engineer's Reference Book, which was the only standard book at the time. Now there are more courses like Ravensbourne, and places that do courses. Computerisation is coming into it, more kit is computer-based, but when I started, the kit was very, very specialised.''
Do you freelance? Fulltime? Contract?… What are the (dis)advantages of that?
''No, I haven't worked freelance, no. We've only got a small crew. Most of our crew, for a large programme, would be freelance staff. All the cameramen are freelance, most of the sound crew would be freelance.''
Does Health & Safety have a big impact on your work?
''It takes up more of my time than anything. I've done safety courses, but you have to keep an eye on safety more than ever now. It's become much more important. Some people who've been in the business a long time still don't understand. Getting the safety systems in has been quite hard work really. Safe working is difficult.''
Do you have to multi-skill, or do you work in one area?
''We are a completely multi-skilled crew. You need people to be assistant on sound one day, and assistant on video the next, and we try to think of people as being a studio technician, that have had a good grounding of what happens in the studio, so you can put them into anything. They may specialize later on, and they may be specialised as a vision engineer, maybe specialised as sound, but you still need that cross fertilisation.''
