Having spent two years meeting via screens, TV’s next generation proved there is no substitute for the real thing as more than 90 people gathered at RTS Futures’ first in-person networking event since before the lockdowns.
The sold-out evening at the 7 Dials Club in Soho in mid-October saw 12 talent managers from some of the best production companies and recruitment agencies in the industry offer their expertise on how to break into TV.
“We’ve done a lot of these events on Zoom, so it’s really, really nice to have everybody in one room,” said Lauren Evans, senior talent manager at Lifted Entertainment.
Companies represented included: Shine TV, which makes the popular factual series MasterChef and Hunted; Lifted Entertainment, which produces ITV entertainment hits Love Island and I’m a Celebrity…; and ThinkBigger!, which offers training in the creative industries.
The talent managers, who work across a range of genres, from entertainment to sport and specialist factual, offered advice on everything from how to impress in interviews to navigating the world of freelance working.
Recruitment specialist Tors Sorby, of Talented People, spoke about the importance of communication when forging a freelance career in TV. “You’re like a little business now as a freelancer, so promote your business. Reply to emails, reply to phonecalls. Pick up that unknown number calling because that could be a job,” she said.
Also in attendance was production executive Adam Barber, of Air TV, the Yorkshire-based indie responsible for factual shows such as Helicopter ER on Discovery’s Really channel. For entry-level interviewees, Barber’s advice was simple: “Please come in and tell us you’ve watched our shows, not that you’re a film-maker and love dramas on Netflix.”
Julia Dodd, head of talent at Shine TV, added: “You don’t really need huge qualifications; you just need enthusiasm and passion… get stuck in and get on with it.
