Holly Miechowski, Class of 2007 | Casting Producer’s Tips into TV

Holly:  Casting Producer , TV

Holly: Casting Producer, TV

During my Media Production Degree, I applied for work experience at a Birmingham based Production Company, Maverick Television. When I got the placement, I was extremely grateful for the opportunity, one that I believe I may not have had without the encouragement and support from my lecturers at the University of Lincoln School of Film & Media. It was a great few weeks, and I worked hard, making sure I networked with who ever I possibly could. It was exciting; I was working on the hit Channel 4 Series, ‘10 Years Younger.’  This is where I got to see how a Production worked. My role involved various admin duties in the office, helping with shoot prep (prop buying etc.) and also being able to go out on the shoot and see first hand how it all worked!

Following the work placement, I went back to University to finish my degree, graduating in 2007 with a 2.1. I then moved to Manchester where I knew there were plenty of TV opportunities, and also because, well, I wasn’t quite ready for the big smoke that is London! It was hard to begin with, I sent many, many, emails and letters, applying for Runner work. It was hard, there was a lot of competition, I had no employment history in the industry, only my work experience and my degree. Whilst I was looking, I signed up to a Recruitment agency, I didn’t really want to do anything other than TV work, but I had my rent to pay and I was no longer living on student loans!

TIP NUMBER 1: Continue reading

Media Mentors, Gallery | LSFM Student Opportunity

See some of our marvellous media mentors. Thanks to professionals who kindly volunteer their time from their busy work schedules to mentor a student from the University of Lincoln School of Film & Media. Commitment with a student-mentee is to have at least 6 contact times (either online or in person) across an academic year. If you’d like to be a mentor, details are here and register your interest any timeLSFM’s_MENTOR_Registration-Form

20 mentors are required for LSFM Mentoring each new academic year, so we check who’ll be available from our mentors’ database. Here’s a snapshot of some of our mentors and we’re proud that many mentors are our alumni! 

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LSFM Mentoring is a partnership between the Lincoln School of Film & Media and Careers & Employability. Continue reading

Joanne Newton, LSFM Student | Peru17 Challenge update

Hola from Joanne Newton! LSFM final year Media Production undergraduate with fellow students from the University of Lincoln are doing voluntary work on a media literacy charity project in Peru with Challenges Abroad. Today is their last day said Jo: surrounded by all of the children, their parents and some teachers we watched everyone’s creations. They were so amazed when they saw their little faces on the big screen! We gave out prizes to them and then said goodbye with hugs from all. I won’t lie I even shed a tear! It was incredible and will stay with me forever.

Timely now to reflect with snippets from her blog about the first teaching day: I was feeling a little nervous that morning, not knowing what to expect from the school or the kids. Continue reading

Chloe Ambrose, Student | Creative Skillset Course at MediaCity

Chloe-Ambrose_LSFM_studentA LSFM Facebook notification alerted my attention: ‘FREE spaces available on a Creative Skillset Children’s Production Co-ordinator Course in MediaCity’. I clicked. Expanding the information, it dawned on me that the requirements I needed were not things held on my CV: ‘at least one year’s experience as a production assistant, production secretary, runner, and assistant location manager’. Despite this, I emailed the course and was reassured by a lovely lady that the course was very flexible in accepting those with equivalent university experience, and put me down for a place. But then came another dilemma. I was filming a wedding on the 22nd and therefore could not attend the assessment day. This was a big concern as for the course to be ‘free’ I had to participate in all three days or I would have to pay £350. My free place was looking impossible. So, I called explaining my circumstances. Once again, I was welcomed with a surprising flexibility and understanding of my situation. Here, I was allowed to partake in the 2 days’ training and be assessed via email or phone. Result! But wait… how would I get there? Continue reading

Emma Bridgewood, Student | Film Experience, The Nativity Factor

Emma-Bridgewood-workexp-NATIVITY-FACTOR-Logo_ITN-ProductionsThe weekend of the 28th November I was lucky enough to be one of 4 people from across the UK to win work experience with ITN Productions, making a Christmas Short Film for The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts.  Everyone’s competition entry for The Nativity Factor was very boring and consisted of them blabbing on about how they did Media Production, and needed work experience. I took this in to consideration – after all, Media is all about standing out from the crowd – so turned myself into an elf, and made my entry. Thanks to my charm and comedic twist on the brief I won!


The work experience was all paid for, and I was whisked away to London staying in a hotel for 2 nights in Edgware. On Saturday morning I met with the Producers from ITN Productions as well as David Schneider, our Director for the day. Continue reading

Fredrika Sutcliffe, Student Photographer | Meet the Grads

Fredrika SutcliffeFredrika-Sutcliffe_LSFMStudent is a final year media production student who captured the Lincoln School of Film & Media’s networking event Meet the Graduates on 11th November 2015. She has her own blog because she said: My interests are taking photos, if I see anything interesting or that catches my eye then I photograph it. Meet the Graduates was an inspiring and helpful event that encouraged me to have confidence in myself to connect with others.  Thanks Freddie for your photos of the Graduate Question Time panel, hosted by Darren Scales  (2008) with Sarah Worcester (2015), Steve Smailes  (2012), Gemma Lowe (2012), Jerome Smith (2013), Holly Smith (2010) and other alumni in the audience and at the networking session. Thank you to all our graduates and students at the event #MtGLincoln  Continue reading

Lucy Davies, Student Work Experience | Whistledown Productions

Lucy-Davies_pic_2015GraduandFrom the 8th June until 12th June I received a brilliant opportunity to work at an independent radio production company called Whistledown ProductionsThe indie produce weekly programmes for BBC Radio 4 including Feedback, BBC World Service’s Over to You as well as several documentaries on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4. Whistledown have won a variety of awards for their work including a Sony Award in 2003 and Indie of the Year at the Radio Production Awards 2014.

I undertook several jobs at the company which included learning how to use SADiE which is a piece of editing software that the BBC use and is a very important programme to learn if you want to create programmes for the BBC. Continue reading

Emily McSorley, 2015 Graduand | Intern now a Job, North One TV

EmilyMcSorely_2015GradI was fortunate enough to receive a four week work placement with North One Television on June the 1st. After just finishing my final year jumping into this four week internship was amazing! From my first year I always knew I wanted to work in television so I worked incredibly hard to receive work experience including one week as an Office Runner at Objective Productions, freelance work as a Junior Researcher and working on a Lincolnshire feature film as a Production Assistant. It was these snippets of work experience and an obvious determination to work in factual entertainment that I believe secured me this position and I would urge all students to take on whatever experience you can as it will benefit you massively when applying for entry level positions. Continue reading

Louise Davies, Film & TV Student | Work Experience at Big Talk

Louise-Davies_pic1Last summer (2014) I emailed a variety of production companies with my most up to date CV asking if they offered any work experience opportunities. Luckily enough Big Talk Productions got back to me offering work experience for two weeks at their offices in London.  I was so pleased and excited as Big Talk was a company which produced some of my favorite films such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the World’s End and TV series such as Friday Night Dinner, Him and Her and Spaced, specialising in comedy and drama, which are my favorite genres. Having done some background research on the company, it was motivating to know that Nira Park the founder of the company began as an office runner and had worked her way up through her talent of producing.

The two weeks involved myself taking the role of a office runner working in Big Talk Pictures (Film) office the first week and then Big Talk Productions (TV) office the second week.  Continue reading

Bryony Hooper, Student Volunteer | Sheffield Doc/Fest

LSFM student-mentee and 2015 Graduand Bryony Hooper said: BryonyHooper_groupshot-Sheffield DocFest2015I had the honour of attending Doc/Fest (5th-10th June 2015) for free by volunteering for it. This has to be one of the best media experiences I’ve had. I got to network, see films and enjoy the overall festival.  My job for the week was Cinema Steward, which is basically letting people into the screens, scanning the badges and taking tickets. However I believe there was a number of volunteers that didn’t show up and because I was based in one of the main rooms I was used as a runner as well. I didn’t mind doing this as I got to see more of the festival, however carrying quite heavy chairs across Sheffield isn’t the best way to spend an afternoon. Continue reading