Turn On, Tune In Speaker Profile: Andy Brereton & Sebastian Grant

We look ahead to tonight’s ProductionBase Turn On, Tune In event at The Hospital Club. Our speakers on the night will be Andy Brereton (Head of Comedy Entertainment, Tiger Aspect) and Sebastian Grant (Executive Producer, Tiger Aspect) who’ll be discussing BBC Three’s high-concept reality show, I Survived A Zombie Apocalypse – described by critics as “a cross between Big Brother and The Walking Dead, pitting housemates against an outside world of flesh-hungry zombies.”

I Survived A Zombie Apocalypse (Tiger Aspect/BBC Three)

Described as ‘the toughest reality show on TV’, the first 7-part series of I Survived A Zombie Apocalypse debuted on BBC Three in February this year. Set six months after the population was exposed to damaging radiation, the show initially features ten contestants, who must survive for seven days in an abandoned shopping centre which has been overrun by zombies. The contestants have to complete various tasks each day, including making a base, and securing food and supplies. The key rule is to avoid zombies at all costs as even a slight touch results in death and elimination from the game. Each 60 minute episode covers the events of 1 day of the game, interspersed with commentary from presenter, Greg James, and diary room-style one-to-one footage, taking reaction from the contestants.

Making The Payroll

How do you go from office dogsbody to your first paid role, when you have just two weeks of work experience to prove your worth? This week, Tom O’Brien, Head of Entertainment Development at TwoFour Broadcast, shares five points worth bearing in mind when you’re trying to make an impact:

Ok, so, you’ve jumped the first hurdle and you’ve bagged yourself two weeks of invaluable work experience. Congratulations – but here’s where the real game begins. How do you make it count? It’s ultra competitive out there, more and more people are coming in at the bottom – how do you make sure that you’re one of the people who bags a job at the end of it? Of course there are no cast-iron guarantees. On the whole, a career in the media is about being reactive, spotting opportunities, being ready to act on a whim. But still, there are a series of key disciplines, which ensure, should an opportunity ever blow in your direction, you’re ready and willing to take it.

Here’s my five key tips worth bearing in mind as you take your first baby-steps into the world of television…

Student View: Promoting Your Student Film Project

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Besides talking to anyone and everyone, how do students and amateur filmmakers promote their short films? Mary Melrose looks at the options available.

To start promoting your film, you need a place in which all the information about your movie, including where it can be viewed, cast/crew info, and the premise of the film, can be found. Creating your own website is a great way to include all of this information, but don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be flashy – the best websites are simple and there are plenty of free templates and website creators out there if you don’t have the technical skills to put it together (eg. Wix, Weebly). The more original and creative the site, the more an audience will remember your film.

An innovative idea that is often overlooked, is the concept of keeping a process journal about the making of the film and posting it online. People love reading someone’s journey, and many students and amateur filmmakers will feel empowered to do something similar by seeing your process. 2015 is a digital age, and the more quality content you can post online, the more it’s likely to be shared and seen via social networking sites. The journal could be under a news/updates tab, which will keep the site current and set it apart from others by offering ‘behind the scenes’ tidbits.

Turn On, Tune In Returns To The Hospital Club

There was a packed house in The Oak Room at The Hospital Club last night for our latest Turn On, Tune In event, where we were joined by another line-up of top speakers.

Dan Gold & Simon Raikes (Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty) — Dan Gold & Simon Raikes (Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty). Picture by Paola Bassanese.

First up were Dan Gold (Executive Producer) and Simon Raikes (Commissioning Editor), discussing Channel 5’s critically acclaimed series, Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty: A presenter-led narrative documentary charting the rise of the Plantagenets, the show brings to life one of the most visceral and violent chapters in British history.

Turn On, Tune In Speaker Profile: Dan Gold & Simon Raikes

We look ahead to tonight’s ProductionBase Turn On, Tune In at The Hospital Club. Our second speakers on the night will be Dan Gold (Executive Producer) and Simon Raikes (Commissioning Editor) who’ll be discussing Channel 5’s critically acclaimed series, Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty, and revealing their secrets for producing great drama documentary.

Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty (Channel 5) — Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty (Channel 5)

Dan Gold has numerous and varied documentary credits, including Dark Matters: Twisted But True for Discovery, which delves into the most unusual scientific research ever conducted; and I Shouldn’t Be Alive, telling real-life tales of human survival against savage elements, dangerous climates and physical hazards. Dan has also worked on a wide range of other science and history documentaries for a number of international broadcasters.

Turn On, Tune In Speaker Profile: Dan Reed

We look ahead to tonight’s ProductionBase Turn On, Tune In at The Hospital Club. First up, we’ll be joined by award-winning Director, Dan Reed, whose powerful, visually-distinctive documentary work has won international acclaim.

BAFTA Craft Winner 2011 — Winning the Factual Director BAFTA in 2011, sponsored by ProductionBase.

After 6 years working as a Director at the BBC, he left in 1998 to make a documentary for Channel 4 about the war in Kosovo; True Stories: Kosovo – The Valley. Dan and his crew risked their lives to gather footage from both sides of the front line to create the feature length documentary, which was later nominated for the Flaherty Documentary Award at the BAFTA Craft Awards in 2000.

Be Part of the Event

I wanted to highlight some of the events we have been doing over the past two years or so in conjunction with Channel 5’s Head of Development, Beren Money.

Taking in two great locations, The Hospital Club in Covent Garden and On The 7th at MediaCityUK in Salford, we have been able to reach out to our members and get them in the same room, over a drink, with some of the industry’s movers and shakers.

To date, we’ve had a brilliant, diverse selection of speakers – from producers, directors, writers and talent to technical geniuses who are changing the whole landscape of the medium.

Shutterstock: Bringing Foursquare’s New Brand to Life

Shutterstock blogger, Jordan Roland, takes a look at how their extensive library of stock footage was used as part of a re-branding project for location-based social network, Foursquare:

A lot goes into making compelling commercials. There’s pitching the idea, storyboarding the actual video, location scouting, actor auditions, clearing locations, getting permits — and that’s before you even turn a camera on. So what if you don’t have the time to do all of that?

Student View: Extracurricular Activities…

Being at university is about more than lectures and the local pub! ProductionBase blogger, Sharon Boyd, looks at the range of activities and events available for TV and film students.

Extracurricular Activities...

In the UK there are plenty of opportunities to find events and activities related to film. In Scotland there is the Edinburgh Film Festival that took place in June of this year. The Festival promotes the very best of international cinema. Films such as Little Miss Sunshine, Billy Elliot and The Hurt Locker premiered at the Edinburgh Festival, so it’s a fantastic place to catch some high quality filmmaking. Recently Sheffield’s Documentary Festival took place which included documentary film screenings, debates and talks. In Northern Ireland some upcoming events include a talk by Catherine Geary who is the location manager of Dracula Untold, taking place in September. Northern Ireland has also previously had the Game of Thrones exhibition available to visit. The UK is full of places to go to watch films as well as learn about them. Carrying out research will assist you in discovering what your local area has to offer in terms of film based activities and events.

Student View: Independent Cinema & Short Films

There is a lot more to film than watching the latest blockbuster. ProductionBase blogger, Sharon Boyd, looks at the other options that film students should be exploring.

Independent Cinema & Short Films

For students studying film, many of them seem to limit themselves by only watching the latest blockbusters in their local Odeon. They’ll watch the genres, be diehard fans of X-Men and know every scene in The Hobbit, and maybe they know lots of facts about them, but as film students surely it’s important to broaden your horizons and watch films you wouldn’t ordinarily choose.

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