THE MOST COMMON QUESTION I AM ASKED WHEN ON THE STREETS FILMING NEWS,  SPORT OR WHATEVER IS THE ONE ABOVE. MAINLY ASKED BY YOUNGER PEOPLE, STUDENTS AND THE LIKE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY INTO THE TV INDUSTRY BY ANY MEANS.

IN MY EXPERIENCE THERE ARE MANY WAYS. STUDYING THE CORRECT COURSES AND GOING TO COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WOULD BE THE OBVIOUS BEGINNING TO ANY FLEDGLING CAREER IN THE TV INDUSTRY, GETTING A JOB AS A RUNNER OR SUCHLIKE AND WORKING YOUR WAY TO THE POSITION OF CHOICE.

THAT’S HOW I IMAGINE IT WOULD HAPPEN ANYWAY, I WOULDN’T KNOW BECAUSE I DID NONE OF THE ABOVE. TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT I BOUGHT A NEW BETA SP CAMERA IN 1997 AND TAUGHT MYSELF HOW TO USE IT, MOSTLY BY TRIAL AND ERROR. ( MOSTLY BY ERROR ) I WATCHED THE NEWS AND SPORTS PROGRAMMES CONSTANTLY TO GET A GRIP ON WHAT ACTUALLY MADE IT TO AIR AND TAUGHT MYSELF THE ART OF SEQUENCING SHOTS SO THEY CUT TOGETHER WELL IN THE EDIT.

WHEN I FELT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO APPLY FOR JOBS I DID SO....EVERY BROADCASTER I APPROACHED TURNED ME AWAY CITING LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, CV, AND MOSTLY EXPERIENCE, AND THAT WAS IF I GOT A REPLY TO MY APPLICATIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BASICALLY, AFTER WEIGHING UP MY OPTIONS I THOUGHT THAT MY CAREER AS A TV CAMERAMAN WAS A NON STARTER. SO I DECIDED TO TURN UP AT THE BBC, CAMERA IN HAND AND TELL THEM I WAS THERE FOR AN INTERVIEW. I DIDN’T ACTUALLY HAVE AN INTERVIEW BUT THE LADY ON RECEPTION DIDN’T KNOW THAT. I ASKED FOR THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF HIRING FREELANCERS AND TOLD THEM THAT HE WAS EXPECTING ME. SUSPICIOUS GLANCES FOLLOWED BUT I WAS ASKED TO TAKE A SEAT AND WAIT...AND WAIT.

THE PERSON I ASKED FOR EVENTUALLY TURNED UP AND LEAFING THROUGH HIS DIARY HE ASKED ME WHO THE HELL I WAS. I TOLD HIM. WHAT I ACTUALLY TOLD HIM WAS THE TRUTH UP TO THAT POINT, AS I SAW NO TRACTION IN LYING TO HIM FURTHER. I SUSPECT THAT FEELING RATHER SORRY FOR ME HE TOOK ME INTO HIS OFFICE, GAVE ME A CUP OF TEA AND REVIEWED A SHOWREEL TAPE THAT I HAD PREPARED BEFOREHAND.

I WALKED OUT OF HIS OFFICE WITH A DAYS FREELANCE WORK...STARTING TOMORROW. AND I STILL WORK FOR HIM AND THE BBC TODAY.

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