After working tirelessly over the summer to secure a work placement, having an interview after the interview. I knew that this was only the beginning of the hard work I was going to endure over my work placement module. Finally, I was successful and secured a placement with a production company known as Waddell Media. 

Reflection

To reflect on the challenging aspects of my placement and how I learned from them, I am going to use the method of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle’ to ensure that I learned from this experience and developed skills and qualities that will help with my future within the film industry.

‘within the context of learning in which individuals engage to explore their experiences to lead to new understandings and appreciation.  It may take place in isolation or association with others,’ 

(boud, 1985, p. 19)

Description

On the first day of my placement, the hard work quickly began, as I was given the task by the Executive Producer David Cumming to begin researching the BBC One show known as Sunday Morning Live. This was the newest show that the company was invited to tender for the BBC. From this, David tasked me with watching several episodes of the show to help me see what changes could be done to enhance the product. From this, I began to research both religious and ethical ideas that the topical show could focus on to attract a wider socially diverse audience. Similarly, I also attempted to find ways that the show could be more interactive with its live audience at home, especially in the debate section of the show using different forms of social media.

After completing this task and being successful, I was rewarded by being placed on the four-person production team that were delegated with the task of preparing a pitch to be presented to the BBC attempting to secure a two-year contract with the channel to produce the show. It was my role within the team to help assist any kind of research they needed whether it be about ideas for the show such as topics for debates or strand ideas for possible weekly segments to enhance the show. Likewise, I was also tasked with researching potential presenters for the show and studio space in which the show would be filmed. After helping with all this research during my entire placement I was luckily rewarded with the opportunity of being allowed to take part and witness the pitch to the BBC on the final day of my Placement.     

Feelings

At the beginning of the placement, I was an anxious wreck who was afraid of eating his lunch too loudly and being seen as either lazy or useless. This give me a chip on my shoulder as I would try to impress everyone, I uttered a word to, with the hope of being seen as a hard-working person that could potentially receive a job within the company in the future. From this, I put 110% into every little task that I was asked to do. This feeling is what helped me get onto the Sunday Morning Live production team. At the start, my confidence began to rise. However, I quickly began to realise how boring the show was and in turn, began to struggle to focus on the constant repetitive research tasks. 

Evaluation

Upon evaluating my time spent at Waddell Media I believe the placement itself went well as it gave me an experience of how a professional production company runs on daily experience. Equally, this also allowed me to further develop my knowledge in the roles in production as I shadowed both a production manager and an assistant producer work and create a pitch for the BBC to receive the contract of Sunday Morning Live. While helping prepare this pitch I was able to enhance my pitching skills as I was able to receive a professional experience that I could reflect on and evaluate. Thus, allowing me to further develop my pitches within my Advanced Film One module. Although working closely with the delegated production team on an important process within that company at the time was an amazing opportunity, it also backfired as I believe at times, I was given meaningless and boring research tasks that were given to me to waste my time rather than to develop the pitch any further. For example, I was given a research task on finding Irish influencers for no reason. Similarly, I spent more time tasked with watching Sunday Morning Live rather than helping to create the pitch. Although these tasks did not help develop the pitch any further, they helped me develop my research and presentation skills as I gained an insight into how professional production companies handle the pitching process from creation right through to delivery of the pitch to the BBC. 

Analysis

Through analysing my experience spent working as a tiny part of this production company, I believe that my time was beneficial to me in furthering my role of becoming a producer in the future as this allowed both my first glimpse and experience of how a professional production company prepares the productions of its shows. While also seeing and partaking in the company’s pitching process to receive the contract of more shows such as Sunday Morning Live.  Another positive impact of my time at Waddell media was that through the shadowing of producers within the company I was able to network and create contacts. Likewise, I was able to further develop my communication skills professionally as I was constantly working in a professional workplace environment, and this was also achieved through witnessing and rehearsing the final Sunday Morning Live pitch created by the company. This was a vital experience that helped me enhance the pitches I will do in the future. Consequently, allowing me to be more confident to communicate my ideas to production companies.

‘The ability to communicate clearly and concisely to other humans is a key skillset in any vocation,’  

(Herbert & Rothwell, 2005)

Action Plan & Conclusion 

Overall, from my work placement, I believe I have gained vital experience in working with professional productions and witnessing how they work within a daily process to create, develop and produce content for TV channels such as the BBC. In doing this, I have furthered my knowledge in the roles of the production team while similarly developing my pitching skills as I was able to witness and partake in an important pitch to the BBC for the company. In contrast, I also believe that being a part of this important pitch also hindered my experience as some of the pointless research tasks did not help develop any skills and thus potential learning was wasted. Therefore, in the future, I would attempt to make use of all my time with any company to always further my skills. In addition, I also didn’t receive any experience on a professional set of any of the TV shows that the company creates, and this was something I was hoping to receive during my placement with Waddell Media. 

Bibliography

Boud, D., 1985. Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. 19 ed. New York: Kogan Page Ltd.

Herbert, I. & Rothwell , A., 2005. Managing Your Placement: A Skills-Based Approach. 1st ed. London: Palgrave.