Working Lives

What does the job involve? 

It varies hugely, depending on the film, but, for the majority of projects, I’m required to capture a performance, multi-camera, as it happens, in a single take, without a formal rehearsal.  

Sounds exciting but also terrifying. 

The atmosphere at a gig is amazing. You can feel the anticipation of the crowd building and you’ve often only got one chance to capture what they’re about to watch. But if you’ve done your homework, you’re ready for it.  

How big is your camera team? 

What does the job involve?

I’m part of a production’s creative team. After reading the script, I pitch my ideas for locations to the writer, producer and director, bringing my knowledge of what an area can offer. Ideally, I like to start as early as possible to have the greatest creative influence – with Little Door’s recent drama for BBC One The Pact, I was involved three months before shooting began.

Do you work alone?

What does the job involve?

I choreograph the physical action in the story, whether it’s with swords, a punch up or just a slap, ensuring that the motivation for the action lies in the story and the characters. It’s not about being fancy or funky: it’s about making the action the vehicle for the story, not the other way around.

So you must work closely with the director?

What does the job involve?

As a writer, I think it’s easy to become overwhelmed and feel inadequate. I like to remind myself that it’s not brain surgery; it’s storytelling and it is supposed to be fun. I try to shut off the inner critic and listen to my gut.

Surely, it must be a trial sometimes?

The first draft is the hardest: it can take me weeks of procrastination; it feels like torture at times. I pace from room to room in my house, with quite a degree of self-loathing.

What does your job involve?

Development starts with finding an idea and generally finishes when the drama goes into production – that’s a bittersweet moment, because that’s when I have to say goodbye to a show.

During a long career spanning TV and film, she has worked with some of the best actors and writers in the business.

What does the job involve?

We take a script and turn it into a living, breathing thing.

That sounds simple, but surely it takes time to make a show?

As a movement director, Polly Bennett has carved out a niche recreating famous figures in productions such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Stan & Ollie and The Crown. But the remit of the role is very broad.

What does the job involve?

By trade, he is a VFX supervisor, but is also creative director of television at the visual effects and animation studio Framestore.

What do you do as a VFX supervisor?

I’m responsible for all the visual effects in a show, which comes down to two main things: helping the production get the best creative use of their money on screen; and, during filming, ensuring the correct material is acquired to allow all the brilliant VFX artists to do their job.

When are you brought on board a production?

Fremantle’s EVP head of EMEA distribution recently brokered deals for the upcoming BBC Three drama We Are Who We Are and BBC Two documentary series Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

What does the job involve?

In its simplest form, distributors sell the international rights for programmes. Channels and platforms around the world cannot produce all their own shows, so they need to acquire content.

Has the job changed over time?

What does the job involve?

There are two sides to the job: safety and creativity. We identify scenes that are potentially hazardous and, where possible, remove those risks, or reduce them to an acceptable level. That may involve using a stunt double instead of an actor or using safety equipment, such as elbow pads under costumes, out-of-shot crash mats or complex wire-rigging. Creatively, we could be choreographing fight sequences or staging shoot-outs.

How did you become a stunt co-ordinator?