Currently, he is the general manager of inventory and partnerships at global technology company The Trade Desk and took time out of his bustling schedule to talk to our bursary students.

With two strands to the RTS Bursary scheme – TV Production/Broadcast Journalism and Technology – Castell was a good choice of speaker to engage with both the creative and technically minded students.

He spoke about having had a “hybrid mindset” and wanting to pursue both a creative and technology focused role. Luckily for him the digital and broadcast sectors offered just that, and he encouraged the RTS students to pursue the same.

Castell said there was value in specialism – honing one’s knowledge in a particular field – but also in mastering the art of translation and conversion, bridging the gap between the creative and the technical. Such an approach could prove fruitful for students wanting to branch out into different areas of television.

“Don’t view the role of a runner as simply being a runner,” said Castell. “Think of all the experience and conversations you can have – assisting that exec producer, talking to that camera operator.”

Castell advised students to talk with people working in the roles they aspire to be in, and to envision themselves doing the role and work their hardest to get there. “It’s all about having courage, optimism and little bit of creative licence,” he said. “If you want to be a founding director of a company, go out and set-up a company.”

He put a positive spin on the pandemic, arguing that now is the time to explore untapped opportunities: “Read those books. Do that research. Start that podcast.”

In an afterword to the event, Castell added there were many opportunities for graduates in both sides of the TV business specifically in regard to Connected and Advanced TV and ad-funded streaming services.

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