Ed Stafford is more than an adventurer. The first man to walk the length of the Amazon is also a film-maker of some repute. At an RTS Futures event, he presented a self-shooting masterclass illustrated by clips from his survival programmes.
In 2008, equipped with cameras from Ginger TV (the company that hired him), Stafford set out from the Peruvian Andes to begin a 9,700km quest to walk the Amazon.
The festival – held at the Watershed, Bristol on 1 November – gave students the opportunity to meet local indies such as RDF West, Silverback Films and Tigress Productions, as well as BBC Bristol Popular Factual, ITV News West Country and post-production houses.
In a buzzing atmosphere and to the backdrop of a DJ, students were encouraged to chat to the experts – from shooting researchers and production journalists to managing directors – and ask for advice on how to break into the industry.
But what does it take to create the magic in this show and how do you break through into this ever popular genre?
With unashamedly hopeful and positive outlook, who doesn’t root for the optimistic First Daters - including the celebrities? Did you cross your fingers and hope Esther Rantzen would find ‘someone to do nothing with’, or Musharaf would meet someone who understood him?
There are many different types of researcher job. Some of the titles you might see include:
But, confusingly, these are not fixed terms used by every company. “Every production has a different requirement or different take,” says Helen Thompson, a talent manager at BBC Northern Ireland.
Ed Stafford spoke to the Cavendish Conference Centre in Marylebone about his experience as a self-shooting adventurer and presenter of survivalist programmes.
His hit series Naked and Marooned saw him spend 60 days in total isolation, without any tools, on a tropical island. The RTS Futures event saw former Discovery Channel commissioner Elizabeth McIntyre quiz Ed on how he got started and his tips for the RTS Futures audience.
The visit attracted more than 30 students, recent graduates and people working in an entry-level TV role who benefited from the advice of Sky trainers. Megan Cooper, senior leader at the Sky Academy Careers Lab, organised the event, which included two sessions with Sky talent and a tour of the company’s broadcast facilities and studios.
Sky Sports boxing pundit Spencer Fearon – a former professional fighter whose life went off the rails – drew on his own often difficult experiences in a lively motivational talk.
There are so many different jobs in the reality TV field, from Story, Art, Gallery and Edit Producing to Directing, and the best way to get into the genre is usually as a Runner or Logger. When I started out in TV I didn't know games teams existed but I knew I wanted to work in a creative and ideas-based environment. I worked in a few development departments, but it was frustrating pouring my heart and soul into creating formats that sadly sometimes just wouldn't get commissioned. Then when I heard about games from a colleague, it was like fireworks going off in my head.
We are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Sky Academy to offer 50 people the chance to get an in depth look at what Sky Academy does and learn more about the opportunities available in TV production.
Join us for this sparkling Christmas edition of our TV quiz when the industry’s best battle it out for the accolade of best TV brains!
The glitterati of broadcast and production will be going head to head in a clash of televisual trivia. But they won’t be competing alone.
Each team of industry execs will be joined by you, the RTS Futures members, to help seal their success. Wow us all with your unrivalled TV knowledge and amazing team play. The RTS Futures members on the winning table also win a money-can’t-buy prize.
RTS Futures pairs up with the Edinburgh International Television Festival Talent Schemes for a second year to host their annual Summer Party.
Evening Standard TV Editor, Toby Earle presents the panel on early career mistakes at the beautiful Kings Place canal-side venue.
