A year as a Junior Production Assistant
Spark is always looking for ways to find, nuture and develop young talent. We look for skills and passions in our staff who are newer to the environment, provide opportunities for them to explore these to develop the next generation of producers, directors, and developers.
We know from experience how difficult it can be for newcomers to get into television without knowing someone who works in the industry. For TV to stay evolving and growing it’s essential we ensure our world is accessible to those from diverse and non traditional backgrounds. We created our Junior Production Assistant role, specifically for those at the beginning of their TV careers who otherwise might not have had the opportunity otherwise.
To tell you about the role we’ve asked Ella, who joined us in September of 2023 to tell you about her experiences in this role.
I was told by a teacher at school that doing anything creative was a waste of my intelligence and stupidly I listened. Inevitably 10 years later it dawned on me that was terrible advice and my passion for TV and film was more than just a hobby and definitely something I should pursue. Having spent over a year trying to convince people to take a risk on me when I didn’t have any credits on my CV, didn’t know anyone in the industry and was years too late for a graduate scheme, I finally found the Spark team.
And thank goodness for that! This job has been such a brilliant introduction to the industry my experiences have been varied and challenging and have ultimately guided me to see my future path in TV.
I have had drones delivered to rural France with 18 hours notice, neatened up leeks with scissors before their close up, dropped suddenly into a artichoke patch in Greece to avoid being in shot of a rapidly panning lens, I have participated in many, many rounds of a quiz we were developing and most importantly I have spent quality time cuddling our various Spark puppies.
I started by learning the ropes on our long-running show Chateau DIY. The production team helped me learn how to:
- Manage, maintain and clean kit
- Manage petty cash and consolidate finances
- Manage data, wrangling and hard drive management
- Book and plan international and local travel as well as book accommodation
- Find, brief, interview and cast participants for our shows
After a few months it was all hands on deck for a development project we were refining, I got to sit in on development meetings and learn as the team planned and trialled a quiz format. I was so interested to watch as the planning went from big ideas to fine tuning smaller formatting points like prize money and ‘the steal’ moments. The process culminated in recording an ‘episode’ of the show idea which really helped me understand the full development process from idea to pitch.
Not long after that I was delighted to be asked to help plan the next series of Ancient Civilisations by Train. Using the skills I had learned working on Chateau DIY, I felt much more confident to plan and book accommodation and flights, organise kit and buy carnets, arrange visas and write call sheets. I also really enjoyed watching and learning from series director Paul Crompton as he planned the shape of the series, considering the merits of different storylines and other points of interest.
I have had the freedom to explore what I enjoy, learn from the impressive and capable people around me, ask questions to learn about the processes involved in production and ultimately I feel empowered that when it is time for me to move on to my next job I will have the support of the wonderful Spark team. But most importantly I will be making space for the next person to have the amazing experiences I have been blessed with over the last 12 months.