Diane Collins, Vision Mixer
In your own words, briefly describe your job
''Basically you have every source of vision available in front of you, be that cameras, graphics, tapes, live OB sources, and you put out the picture the director wants. You just put the programme out - what you see is what the vision mixer has cut up, be it right or wrong.''
How did you get into the industry?
''I came here on a work placement from my business diploma and actually came to the personnel department here, and then came back and did odd summer jobs and temping jobs. I went to the news library as a picture researcher for a while, and just happened to be here when this job turned up and applied for it and got it.''
What advice would you give to others seeking work experience?
''I think trying to get in on any level, just to get in and see what things are like and find out. People have ideas of what working in television is like. You might come in and think: "oh I wouldn't fancy that after all". It's not really as glamorous as people would think on the outside. I think I'd say try and get any kind of work placement, or temporary job, or secretarial.''
What training and/or education have you found most useful in progressing your career?
''With vision mixing the only way to learn is on the job. You can read text books and you can practice as much as you can, but really it's how you deal with it when you're on air. We did have training for this (a new vision mixing desk) and for a while the old desk was in place and the new one: we'd try and mirror the news and then we just went on air with it and hoped for the best.''
What are your career plans for the future?
''I'd like to get to work on more programmes. And I'd like to do more music. I've done a couple of music shows this year and I've really enjoyed those. I'd like to get a bit more variety I think before I think about moving on to something else.''
When did you realise that you wanted to work in the industry?
''When I came here, I was still sort of wondering what to do and I'd been travelling and had just come back for a bit and wasn't really sure. And I thought "well, I'll just apply for this job and see what happens". There wasn't much planning involved really.''
Are there any other points / reality checks you'd like to make?
''Think on your feet. I think when you make a mistake, you've just got to work out how to get out of it as quickly as possible, or when somebody else makes a mistake that affects you. I think with time, some mistakes are made again and again and again that you just know how to get out of them. I discovered panicking wasted too much valuable time.''
What impact will developments in New Media technology have on your career?
''We've just bought a new vision mixing desk that can do more or less everything bar cook a roast dinner and make the beds. I suppose nowadays people come across new technology all the time, don't they, so it's something you have to embrace and it's always a challenge.''
What has been the best piece of luck for you?
''I think being in the right place at the right time. I've really, really enjoyed this job, and I suppose I could have gone for the more traditional graduate route or whatever. It never occurred to me when I came here on a work placement what a good idea that had been, because there's so many different jobs here, or there were.''
What type of films/programmes/projects do you work on?
''Most of the stuff that I do is live. The main programmes that I work on are news and sport, and both of them tend to be live.''
Do you have to multi-skill, or do you work in one area?
''I trained to use the graphics, the cat gen machine too, and I still do that sometimes, but generally vision mixers don't tend to multi-skill that much. I suppose the only other thing I do is the Aston work; I don't tend to do anything else.''
''Basically you have every source of vision available in front of you, be that cameras, graphics, tapes, live OB sources, and you put out the picture the director wants. You just put the programme out - what you see is what the vision mixer has cut up, be it right or wrong.''
How did you get into the industry?
''I came here on a work placement from my business diploma and actually came to the personnel department here, and then came back and did odd summer jobs and temping jobs. I went to the news library as a picture researcher for a while, and just happened to be here when this job turned up and applied for it and got it.''
What advice would you give to others seeking work experience?
''I think trying to get in on any level, just to get in and see what things are like and find out. People have ideas of what working in television is like. You might come in and think: "oh I wouldn't fancy that after all". It's not really as glamorous as people would think on the outside. I think I'd say try and get any kind of work placement, or temporary job, or secretarial.''
What training and/or education have you found most useful in progressing your career?
''With vision mixing the only way to learn is on the job. You can read text books and you can practice as much as you can, but really it's how you deal with it when you're on air. We did have training for this (a new vision mixing desk) and for a while the old desk was in place and the new one: we'd try and mirror the news and then we just went on air with it and hoped for the best.''
What are your career plans for the future?
''I'd like to get to work on more programmes. And I'd like to do more music. I've done a couple of music shows this year and I've really enjoyed those. I'd like to get a bit more variety I think before I think about moving on to something else.''
When did you realise that you wanted to work in the industry?
''When I came here, I was still sort of wondering what to do and I'd been travelling and had just come back for a bit and wasn't really sure. And I thought "well, I'll just apply for this job and see what happens". There wasn't much planning involved really.''
Are there any other points / reality checks you'd like to make?
''Think on your feet. I think when you make a mistake, you've just got to work out how to get out of it as quickly as possible, or when somebody else makes a mistake that affects you. I think with time, some mistakes are made again and again and again that you just know how to get out of them. I discovered panicking wasted too much valuable time.''
What impact will developments in New Media technology have on your career?
''We've just bought a new vision mixing desk that can do more or less everything bar cook a roast dinner and make the beds. I suppose nowadays people come across new technology all the time, don't they, so it's something you have to embrace and it's always a challenge.''
What has been the best piece of luck for you?
''I think being in the right place at the right time. I've really, really enjoyed this job, and I suppose I could have gone for the more traditional graduate route or whatever. It never occurred to me when I came here on a work placement what a good idea that had been, because there's so many different jobs here, or there were.''
What type of films/programmes/projects do you work on?
''Most of the stuff that I do is live. The main programmes that I work on are news and sport, and both of them tend to be live.''
Do you have to multi-skill, or do you work in one area?
''I trained to use the graphics, the cat gen machine too, and I still do that sometimes, but generally vision mixers don't tend to multi-skill that much. I suppose the only other thing I do is the Aston work; I don't tend to do anything else.''
