Neil Percival would like to hear from anyone who used to work in TV and has left, or is in the process to changing careers and getting out of TV.
You can read about his project and find his other research here
https://leavingtv.wordpress.com
Author: Jamie Bellinger
Christopher Lunn – now on trial
Those of you conned by Christopher Lunn will be interested to know that his trial has finally kicked off, the Daily Mail reports
** UPDATE** 3rd December 2015
Christopher Lunn Convicted Of Fraud
BECTU – new Production Supervision branch
BECTU have set up a new Production Supervision branch, which they are inviting BECTU members and non-members to join .
The short term objective is to establish a set of Terms and Conditions as part of the current Pact / BECTU process and to follow this by establishing a rate-card for members working in these roles. This branch will aim to hold its first meeting on Saturday 18th April 2015.
To qualify, you will need to be working in feature film, TV and commercials as one of the following roles:
- Line Producers
- Production Managers
- Floor Managers
- Production Co-ordinators / Assistant Production Co-ordinators
- Unit managers
- Production Accountants / Assistant Production Accountants
- Production Assistants / Production Secretaries / Production
- Runners
If you are already a BECTU member, please click on this link and quote your membership number in answer to the first question on this very short form. http://goo.gl/forms/HbjNdsu8nq
If you are not already a BECTU member and would like to join this branch, you can download a Membership Form here: http://tinyurl.com/bectuprodsuper
(Introductory rate offer elapses on the 18th April 2015)
Get automatic alerts when there are new jobs!
TV Watercooler already hosts a number of automatic job feeds from various job sites, but to save checking them all the time, why not use Google Alerts to watch job sites for you?
It’s really simple to do, you just need a Google / gmail account.
Step 1
Find and copy the location of your job postings – for the Unit List it is http://www.theunitlist.com/jobs/
Step 2
Go to https://www.google.co.uk/alerts
Step 3
Enter your search like this:
site:http://www.theunitlist.com/jobs/ “Researcher” OR “Development”
Replacing the items in quotes with the jobs you are interested in.
Step 4
Now choose how often you wish to be alerted, ranging from ‘As it happens’ to ‘No more than once a week’, and select the remaining options as you wish:
And that’s it.
Whenever the Unit List updates with the one of the jobs you are interested in, Google will automatically send you an email and let you know so you can check it out.
And once you’ve got that job you can simply return to the alerts page and delete it until next time.
Good luck with the job hunt!
TV Accountant convicted of fraud
According to the Kent and Sussex Courier today, TV accountant Christopher Jonathan Lunn (son of Christopher Lunn) has been found guilty of fraud and sentenced to four and a half years in prison (suspended for 12 months) and 250 hours community service.
Christopher Lunn (the father) is set for a retrial in September 2015
Training Discounts at The Talent Manager
Pro Members of The Talent Manager are eligible for 10% off selected training courses, including DV Talent’s renowned ‘Shooting & Directing’ camera courses, plus the new ‘Directing for Commercials’ and ‘Shooting for the Edit’.
You and the minimum wage
Did you know that employers can’t avoid paying the National Minimum Wage if it’s due by:
… saying or stating that it doesn’t apply
… making a written agreement saying someone isn’t a worker or that they’re a volunteer
That’s what the law says – it’s all in here…
https://www.gov.uk/employment-rights-for-interns
Oh, and if you have done work for free in the past (other than work experience as part of your course) there’s a calculator here which will allow you to claim what you are owed. You can claim for all your underpayments going back over the last 6 years!
https://www.gov.uk/am-i-getting-minimum-wage
It doesn’t matter how big or small your employer was, or whether you were full or part time, or you were getting expenses, or you agreed to do it, or even if you signed a contract saying you would work for free. As long as you were entitled to the National Minimum Wage you can still get it.
Don’t believe me? Need some help? Contact Mark Watson for some confidentialfree help and advice on getting paid what you are owed.
See also How Much Should I Be Paid?
New product placement marketplace for brands and producers
PRESS RELEASE
BRANDPLACER is the new product placement marketplace for brands and producers. Brandplacer.com is an online platform that will extend product placement opportunities to both film, TV and theatre productions as well as brands and products – of all shapes and sizes.
Brandplacer has one simple objective – to revolutionise the world of product placement by making it accessible to everyone. The website makes this possible by providing a cost-effective and transparent global platform where product owners can respond directly to placement requests made by media producers and their production teams.
The advantages to both parties are clear, as Brandplacer founder Murray Ashton explains. “Producers and their crews are always looking for new opportunities to make their productions look different and bring something new to their audience. At the same time, smart brands are looking for new, creative ways to connect with consumers and distance themselves from their competition,” he says.
“Product placement through Brandplacer presents a tremendous opportunity for these brands and productions to add value, improve their bottom line and significantly boost their profile.”
Brands already listed on the platform include Irish designer Philip Treacy, Amsterdam bike maker Roetz and Californian winemaker Fiddlehead.
Expanding access
As an affordable and transparent platform – with no agency fees or intermediaries – Brandplacer will also dramatically expand access to product placement opportunities. “Our goal is to empower anyone, anywhere, to fulfil a product placement opportunity,” says Ashton.
“I hope Brandplacer will enable both brand owners and production professionals worldwide to find creative product placement solutions that will prove mutually beneficial.”
Production Management for TV and Film – Book
“What Linda Stradling doesn’t know about production management isn’t worth knowing” The Documentary Filmmakers Group
Playing a key role in helping producers to interpret and realise the directors’ vision, production managers are responsible for all organisational aspects of TV and film production – from start to finish. Now this essential handbook tells you how it’s done. Written by highly experienced production manager and specialist tutor, Linda Stradling, this is a complete guide to the profession. It includes details on self-organisation and the best systems to use, budgets, schedules and cost control, hiring and firing, contracts, insurance, setting up a shoot, dealing with contributors, acquiring copyright, people skills and ethics. So whether you’re just starting out or want to improve your knowledge and skills, this is the book for you.
How to Get a Job in Television – Book
TV is a notoriously difficult industry to get into and progress within. There is no set career path and 70% of applicants rely on contacts to get a foothold. Based on the author’s experience as a TV researcher, series producer and recruitment executive, this contemporary guide will help thousands of hopefuls break into TV. It is packed with inside information and advice from training bodies, HR executives, and people working in the industry at every level, including for example: Conrad Green – the multi award-winning British Executive Producer of American Idol and Dancing With the Stars (US) Tim Hincks – Chairman of Endemol (makers of Big Brother) Grant Mansfield – Chairman and MD of RDF Television Kate Phillips – Head of Development at BBC TV From the do’s and don’ts of work experience, the role of the researcher, the ‘seven stages of CV’, pathways to series producer and how to move up the ladder, this is the TV job hunter’s bible.