The death of Steve Dymond following his appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show last month is a sombre lesson on the power that television has over people’s lives.
The participant on the controversial daytime programme had failed a lie-detector test, having been accused of infidelity by his fiancée. Following his death, the show was initially taken off air and then axed by ITV Chief Executive Carolyn McCall.
The long-running Lime Pictures soap for young adults has been widely praised for its portrayal of mental ill health. Storylines have addressed depression and bulimia and, earlier this year, self-harm, which ended with the death of the character, Lily McQueen, from sepsis.
“My mum took her own life when I was seven and I later lost my dad to addiction,” Kirkwood said. “More than mental ill health, it was the silence that crippled us. Nobody ever spoke about it.
More than 150 students from 20 universities heard Lime Pictures’ Hollyoaks production team and a panel from Leeds-based factual indie True North give two masterclasses. Both panels stressed the importance of work experience placements as a way in to the industry.
True North development producer Eleanor Wight, editor Luke Rothery and Hollyoaks editor Jake Whiston were all snapped up as a result of successful placements.
British soaps have made huge strides in portraying the lives and loves of gay characters since the genre’s first on-screen kiss in EastEnders three decades ago.
But, argued the actors, writers and producers on the panel at an RTS event in mid-July – “LGBTQ in soap: job done?” – the fight against prejudice is not yet won.
“Soaps are incredibly powerful in terms of being able to get a message out and in changing people’s perceptions,” said Daniel Brocklebank, who plays gay vicar Billy Mayhew in Coronation Street.
Devon and Cornwall welcomed students from across the region to its annual “Breaking into Media” event, which featured a fascinating insight into TV directing from Toby Haynes.
The event, which was held at the Theatre Royal Plymouth’s riverside rehearsal venue, TR2, in mid-November, also offered students advice on working in TV from a heavyweight panel of industry experts.
Presenter Lindsey Russell speaks to stars at the RTS North West Awards 2015 about their loser face, the nail biting soap-off between Hollyoaks and Coronation Street and asks what their guilty pleasure television shows are.
Drama directing is an immensely fun job but also highly competitive. You need determination and imagination to succeed according to Christiana Ebohon.
Christiana has over fifteen years in the industry. She has been behind some of the most recognisable series, directing Doctors, EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale. As well as drama series, she has made a number of award-winning short films and is now trying her hand at high end drama and features. Here she offers her best advice on becoming a drama director.
