Author: Jamie Bellinger

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

bectu_advert_join

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”Google_Alerts
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

Read the full story

Companies offering Work Experience Schemes

Lizzie Evans has compiled a list of companies who offer specific work experience schemes:

She says: “This list is far from complete so I’m sure there are many many more out there that might be worth looking into. I should also note that most of these companies are based in London so I’m not sure how much use this will be for regional runners, but I hope it will help some people get the break they need.”
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Tiger Aspect:
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Endemol:
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Objective:
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Company Pictures:
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Lime Pictures:
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Maverick:
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Fremantle Media (Talkback, Thames etc):
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Carnival:
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Avalon Factual / Flame TV / Liberty Bell TV:
email arweng@avalonuk.com with a cover letter and CV
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Hat Trick Productions:
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Love Productions:
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The Garden
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Raw
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RDF intern scheme
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Nine Lives Media (Manchester)
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Blakeway North (Manchester)
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And here are some links to contact details for other companies who don’t mention work experience schemes on their websites, but who might be open to having someone in for a week or two:
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Betty:
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Fresh One:
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Icon Films, Bristol
http://www.iconfilms.co.uk/
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Juniper:
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Kindle:
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Mentorn TV:
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October Films:
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Popkorn:
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Power:
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Reef TV:
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Remedy Productions:
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Renegade Pictures:
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Roughcut TV:
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Silver River:
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Wall to Wall:
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Windfall Films:
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Zodiak Group:
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The Comedy Unit (Zodiak):
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The Foundation (childrens, Zodiak):
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Touchpaper (drama, Zodiak):
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There may be further leads in Useful Links For Runners
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If you have any to add please leave a comment below.

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

gov

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.”

www.brandplacer.com

 

 

Production Management for TV and Film – Book

Production_Management_for_TV_and_Film__The_Professional_s_Guide_Professional_Media_Practice__Amazon_co_uk__Linda_Stradling__Books

“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.

Amazon link