The latest ScreenSkills/RTS Scotland online session threw the spotlight on the broadcast engineering department, with two experienced techies and one newbie discussing their work.
Both Gareth Gordon, Chief Technology Officer at Glasgow outside broadcast sport specialist QTV, and Morag McIntosh, Solution Lead – Studio Automation, BBC Technology, started as BBC trainees two decades ago.
Looking back at his career highlights, Gordon recalled 10 years working at Glastonbury as a vision supervisor: “Growing up, I was in bands and, as a twentysomething at uni, my time was spent going to gigs or performing in music acts so, when I found job that was nerdy and also creative, it was a dream come true – to be able to go to these massive events and see how it was all put together.”
He added: “I’ve worked on sitcoms and gameshows [and] been around the world [for] sporting events.”
McIntosh has also worked at festivals and still vision mixes the Proms, as well as state funerals and weddings. “[You are] a small part of the system, but without the work that you’re doing… everything falls down,” she said. “It’s a big machine and, when it all works, it’s a wonderful thing.”
Jonas Kröger-Mayes, a junior systems engineer at BBC Scotland who graduated last summer from the BBC apprenticeship scheme, completed the online panel.
The November event was chaired by Lee Davison, Associate Head of Film and Media at Solent University, Southampton, who leads its Live Event Technology course.