My Production Talent Pool Experience

So with the new batch of Production Talent Pool interviews looming, and some already underway, lots of people have been getting in touch asking for hints and tips.

Unfortunately, you’re asking the wrong person. I absolutely blagged my way here and am still pinching myself.

But that’s not particularly helpful.

So what I thought I’d do is outline my experience of the PTP2012 and give you an idea of the kinds of things you might be signing up for.

Background info

Let me just start by saying that I’m in no way qualified to be giving advice, this doesn’t reflect back on my employers if I say anything stupid, and your first point of call is the BBC Trainees Twitter feed, where the people who are qualified to give this kind of advice work tirelessly to help. So if you haven’t already, I would check that out and stay on top of it.

But if you are still with me and reading on, it might be useful for you to know a little bit about myself and my reasons for applying.

I was twenty-two when I applied for the scheme (and personally relate more to the Greg James  version of the song than Taylor Swift’s). I was coming to the end of university, where I’d studied English Literature and Psychology as a BA and a postgrad in Creative Writing.

Originally, I had been of the misguided opinion that there were no jobs in the creative sector other than teaching. I didn’t really know what else to do, so I’d signed up for a PGCE while still studying for my Masters.

I was prompted to apply for the Pool after one of my screenwriting classes, where someone had asked the question, “So how do we work in tv, then?” and the wonderfully dry lecturer replied, “If you want to work in telly, then you have to work in telly.”

He was really great.

So I went home, looked on the BBC website and applied for work experience at Crimewatch. While filling out the application, I saw a link for Production Talent Pool. It sounded even better than work experience as it was an opportunity to actually work on short term contracts across a number of different production roles. It was two hours before the application window closed so I filled out the application there and then, thinking why the hell not.

I was subsequently rejected for work experience but to my surprise was still in the running for the Pool. I thought it was quite an amazing feat as I literally had no experience what so ever. I’d worked in a Mexican restaurant and was juggling two other jobs in retail (trying to pay for my Masters) to try and keep myself afloat. I didn’t know what any of the job roles were, or even how a television/radio production operated. All I knew was that I wanted to work in that industry, because I liked telling stories, and I was armed with ideas. That was it.

I know there are going to be a bunch of people out there who are in the same position as me, so do not be put off by lack of experience. There’s going to be a reason why you are applying for this role, so always keep that in mind. You’ll meet a lot of people who will have more experience than you, so don’t be put off if you don’t have the gift of the gab. Remain humble, know why you’re there, and have confidence in your ideas, as they’re your currency in this crazy game.  

It was then that I regretted not spending more time on my application form, as I didn’t realise that after the initial sift and VRT’s, they’d be going back to these forms before selecting candidates for interviews. If you’re one of the folk that didn’t make it to the interview stage, I would think long and hard about going back to your application form and perfecting it .

How can I improve my application form?

·         Don’t leave it until last minute to fill out. Give it the time it needs and deserves, as ultimately this is your chance to really blow people away. And your final plea to get to the interviews… but realistically this is your chance to say exactly what your experience is, or if you have no direct experience, what you’ve done over the years to lead you to apply for this position.

·         If you’re weak on experience, maybe this is where your application is lacking. Spend this time working on things you can put down on next year’s application. Go out, make some things with your friends. Put them online, get them circulating so that people can see them. Start up a blog, get writing your opinions on things and talk about them. If you're at uni, try joining the newspaper or the student radio team.

·         You have no idea who will be reading this form so think about the language you’re using. Is there a killer, compelling idea that would blow away any member of senior management reading it?

·         If you’re looking at a job in the creative sector, realistically you should have some nifty ideas. Try to not state the obvious. When you’re asked to give an idea, try and dig a little bit deeper to find something fresh and exciting. (Oh, you have an idea about a programme about students? And how hard it is to get a job once you leave? That’s great. The 5000 other students applying definitely didn’t say the same thing. Honest.)

·         Don’t treat this as just another job form you’re filling out. Put your heart and soul into it, and hopefully it might just get you through to the next stage.

General Interview Tips

·         Look the part. Don’t wear a ridiculous t-shirt with Your Mother or some offending slogan blazoned across your chest. We don’t want to see your bum, your boobs, or your pants, so pack these all away and try to look smart.

The BBC generally has a smart casual dress code. Vicki Perrin (a member of the Production Trainee Scheme) gave me the advice – “Think what you might wear if you were meeting your boyfriend’s mother for the first time.” And I found that really helpful . I wear jeans most days, with a smart blazer in case I get called to a meeting where I have to look a little bit tidier.

I didn’t wear jeans to my interview because I didn’t feel I was giving off enough of the 'I'm a total professional, employ me' vibe I was desperately trying to convey. I wore a pair of grey trousers, a black top and a nice blazer.  It didn’t make me stand out, but I felt comfortable and that was my priority for the day. It’s hard to pitch yourself as a responsible and diligent human being when you’re worrying about your boobs falling out, or that your thong has disappeared up your bum.

·         Do your research. Watch, listen, and form ideas on current output. Consume as much media as possible, be up to date on who’s who, and the latest reviews. What’s been doing well? What’s not performing as great as we thought it would? Why? Can you see a gap in the market? Do you have an idea for the next big thing?

Good or bad, you need to be thinking about this stuff and forming ideas. Be aware of public opinion. Don’t absolutely slate something into the ground to a point of non-redemption, as I find that generally doesn’t go down well with someone who’s just made that programme. The interview panel aren’t your mates from down the pub, so have some tact, but do engage them in an engaging conversation about current programmes.

·         Stay on point. I’d never pitched an idea in my life before this interview, as I generally clam up in social situations. However, the fact that I genuinely felt I had awesome ideas for the programme brief gave me confidence which probably got me through. I didn’t drift away from the subject matter, and I could talk and defend my ideas against criticism. I’d already considered how others might view my idea, which allowed me to work on the weaker parts and improve them.

·         Don’t slam anyone down to try and make yourself look better. It generally doesn’t have that effect. You just look like a bitch. And people probably won’t want to work with you. Treat everyone as a valued member of the team and genuinely listen to their ideas. Four heads are better than one, so don’t just pretend to listen.

Your idea isn’t the only idea. It might not even be the best in the group, but that’s ok! If someone else has an idea you love, then roll with it. Collaborate, have an input. Put it to the test, how will others view this idea? How can you, as a group, make it better? Because this is what television and radio is. It’s a team effort! Make sure that the idea you are putting forward is one you’re putting forward because it is strong, not just because it’s your own.

·         Finally, get on social media. Useful people to follow are:

       Simon Wright - Talent Exec at the BBC.

       Don Kong - Trainee Schemes Co-Ordinator at the BBC

       BBC Academy Trainees - The BBC Academy Trainees feed who update opportunities and post job opportunities.

       The Unit List - An amazing resource where production jobs are posted and advertised. Really good to gain insight into the industry and apply for jobs to build up your portfolio.

       Telly Talk - Television networking evening talking all things telly.

My Experience on the Production Talent Pool

I applied for the Cardiff intake and was accepted on to the Pool in June and had my first job in August. It was a day’s work as a Runner on Proms in the Park, Caerphilly. It was a fantastic experience. Music wasn’t a specialist area of mine, but after this one day’s work I seemed to be getting further calls to work in areas of music because that was the only experience I then had on my CV. I didn’t mind this, as much to my surprise, I loved it. I did a further week’s running on the Leeds International Piano Competition, which gave me a crash course in running. I even had the opportunity to work with presenter, Suzy Klein, who recently won a Sony. Following this, I had another weekend of work on Choir of the Year, which was a similar experience. Totally amazing, and loved my life.

Then I had to leave the pool because I was offered a position on the Production Trainee Scheme.

But worse things have happened… (If you’re not familiar with the Production Trainee Scheme, it’s your golden ticket into production, and I’m clinging to mine for my life. I went from having no experience to working on shows like Casualty, Wizards Vs Aliens, Doctor Who, Radio 4 Interactive and joining the Events team, where I’ll be working on things like Glastonbury. All in a less than a year.)

So good luck with your interviews!  If you have any other questions feel free to contact me on twitter. I’m also speaking at the next Telly Talk event (tickets can be booked here, all in aid of Mind Charity) and if you’re serious about a career in television this is definitely worth attending if you can. You’ll have the opportunity to chat to people far more experienced and knowledgeable than myself.

Good luck, be confident, and hopefully I’ll be meeting some of you in the future! I’ll be looking forward to it.