TRAINING
THE SKILLS GAP
what causing people to fly out of post houses Recently introduced, post-production
technical operator apprenticeships are another welcome initiative. Bray and Neil Hatton, ceo at The UK Screen Alliance, led the creation of the qualification, which joined existing industry apprenticeships in vfx and animation. Apprenticeships in the business of camera hire are also on the move. 2021 saw the inception of a Camera Technician Apprenticeship, with nine apprentices at a number of camera hire companies, including three from VMI, where managing director Barry Bassett has been instrumental in getting the qualification off the ground.
ALL3MEDIA/LIME
We’re dealing with squeezed budgets, schedules are tighter
While acknowledging the excellent
industry training that is out there, Bray voices an widely-held industry concern that post production should get more access to training and subsidy. “It’s a disproportionate burden placed on the post sector that’s faced with other pressures.” Studios are in a different position again.
With stages being built across the country, each construction project will eventually need to be manned. “You’re talking about a level of expertise of knowledge and a range and scale and it’s not going to happen overnight,” says Kumar at ScreenSkills. “I’d urge a studio to do a mapping of the likely skills challenges, so we have a common plan to achieve success.” Dagenham Studios has done just this, envisaging how it might work with the local community, as well as the industry, to find and nurture a skilled workforce.
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televisual.com Winter 2021
“With the generally recognised shortage of skilled and experienced people within the industry it becomes ever more important for us to ‘grow our own’” says Fiona Brown, head of HR for Lime, “and that means providing relevant, timely and effective training across the workforce.” With Lime’s support roles, such as those working in legal, HR or finance, the indie provides ongoing CPD. It also arranges and funds specific training, ranging from Steadicam training for members of the camera team, to specialist hair and make-up training. At entry level, the indie is focused on those who don’t have existing links or contacts within the industry. Currently, they have two 12-month internships via Mama Youth and a six- month training placement in Costume. They have provided placements for two trainees on 12-month contracts – one
trainee script editor and one development assistant - funded 50/50 with C4. Based in Liverpool, the company has also provided 12-week internships for students on the University of Manchester MA Screenwriting course. At mid level, they have a 24-week training scheme to move Camera Operators to DOP. While Channel 4’s Black to Front initiative gave rise to a promotion in the Art department. At a leadership level, Lime accesses All3Media Group’s regular formal management training, as well as funding training on specific topics including giving feedback, performance management. Acknowledging the need for meaningful training within already tight schedules, Lime has been are rolling out online learning to its workforce. In 2022 this will be made available to freelancers.
FULLY FOCUSED
This not-for-profit indie, based in London’s King’s Cross has a mission to provide opportunities to young people from under- represented backgrounds. Founded ten years ago, by Teddy Nygh and Nick Bedu, it works with leading broadcasters. One current project is a BBC Three comedy drama PRU. It also has a YouTube channel Million Youth Media that’s had 68m views. The Fully Focused MYM Academy provides long term investment for under-represented young people. “The reason that they don’t get access to careers in film and TV is that there’s a myriad of obstacles” say producer at Fully Focused, Leah Henry. They might be from a low income or single parent family, involved in the justice system, or not accessing education. In October, there were 70 young people on its MYM three-stage Level-Up programme: trainees move at their
own pace through beginner, intermediate and advanced. Fully Focused’s commitment is for a minimum of six months and often three years, with paid roles on productions, expenses for trainees and funding wherever possible. Netflix funds practical film training on small projects. The Academy’s online free access training was tapped into by 16,000 young people during lockdown. MYM has also joined with Screenskills on a Film Fixer three-day programme, to get people Set Ready, with a placement at the end, including roles on Top Boy, Eastenders and a Marvel feature. On the post production front, Fully Focused recently worked with Goldcrest and Final Cut to train up three people. “Everything we do has a youth and training focus,” says Henry. “We act like their foot in their door.”
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