7 Hours To Create A Newscast: An Action-Packed Day at CNN’s Newsroom

“Budding journalists create their own CNN show” – see article and official CNN Newscast here.

When I received the news at work that I had been invited to take part in a CNN Open Day in partnership with the Creative Diversity Network, my first reaction was to jump out of my seat, much to the confusion of my colleagues. To be given an opportunity like this, to join 19 other budding journalists, producers and editors to temporarily “take over” a world renowned newsroom for a day, was something I hadn’t imagined possible.

The experience was a lot more hands-on than I thought it would be, and eye-opening, considering that it may not matter what your background is if you wish to pursue a career in news broadcasting. We may have only been at CNN’s London headquarters for a few hours, but boy did we manage to squeeze in a fair bit!

First of all, we met several members of the editorial team: Nick, Adam, Eve, Jill and Natalie. Each of us who had applied online to the news day gave them a little introduction. We were a diverse bunch – some of us had journalism qualifications, others had degrees in seemingly unrelated topics, others hadn’t ever been to university…but what connected us all was our shared passion for news, be it watching bulletins or producing content ourselves in the form of blogs, YouTube, radio and TV packages.

Introductions aside, we got started with pitching ideas for possible new features we could produce. Most of us had scoured reputable sources (*cough* Twitter and Facebook trending topics) for inspiration. Suggestions included World Toilet Day (hard to believe, but it does exist) and the recent medical reports that suggest coffee could reverse the effects of alcohol-related liver damage. In the end, we settled on 4 pretty diverse subject areas: Syrian refugees in the USA, Islamophobia, HIV awareness week and, to end the show on a more light-hearted note, the Black Friday sales.

We then took to the streets in groups of 4, with a professional cameraman, to capture the public’s opinions. This was a quick lesson in street casting for all of us – how to persuade the public that they should speak to us on camera, even if it wasn’t for a real live broadcast. This turned out to be much harder than it looked! Our group, tasked with producing a short report on HIV awareness week in light of Charlie Sheen’s admission that he was HIV positive, struggled to get people on board initially. The typical responses to our enthusiastic approaches? “Sorry, I don’t have an opinion on the matter” or “I’m not good at this sort of thing. You should ask my friend, they’re great at talking” (unfortunately so great that they were absorbed in their phone conversation and couldn’t take part!). In the end, we used what charm we could muster to encourage people to share their views on camera, ready for a member of our team to edit the soundbites on a computer for the reporter and anchor to discuss at the end of the day.

When we returned to the office, it was all hands on deck, working as a team to put together scripts for the anchor and reporter. The producers prepared for their roles in the gallery – to communicate with those on-screen and to operate the auto-cue to ensure the show could run as smoothly as possible. Much like the day-to-day environment of a busy newsroom, we had tight deadlines to meet. Before we knew it, half of us were getting nervous in the studio waiting for our turn to be an Anchor (myself included!), while the other half were no doubt quaking with fear behind the scenes.

It all seemed a far cry away from our relaxed lunch break, where we had been reunited with the editorial team, who shared their careers journeys with us and offered advice for taking the next steps in the industry. Gill Penlington, who is Director of Programming, told us that persistence is key. Coming from a state school background and with no previous media contacts, she had to work her way up to get to where she is today. Nick Hart, who had originally paved a career in the film industry, moved across to work in TV news and hasn’t looked back since. One thing that I took away from the Open Day is that it really isn’t important where you started out, but where you want to go and the creative skills that you can bring to the table.

On a guided tour of the office, we also spoke to members of the CNN Sport editorial team, including producer Zayn Nabbi and anchor Amanda Davies. Zayn has had the chance to work on a number of exciting projects, from the London Olympics to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Amanda who, like me, graduated with a degree in a seemingly unrelated subject – Geography – started out doing basic office tasks and is now the host of CNN’s Formula 1 Show!

As the end of the day grew closer, it was time to bring our news stories to life. As I sat down in the studio, I was miked up by a member of the crew and it dawned on me that, in a matter of minutes, I would be “live” on air. No room for mistakes – or so I thought! There were moments during the broadcast when a few things went slightly wrong, whether there was information missing from the script or the autocue was a bit delayed. However, I think we managed to deal with the situation extremely well for our first attempt and, with the help of Adam’s Jedi-like editing skills, we were able to create a piece of real online content, which is available on Turner Europe’s website.

During the CNN Open Day, we were all exposed to the range of roles available in news production – researching, reporting, producing and editing – and I think it is fair to say that our interest in gaining newsroom experience has grown. A huge thank you to everyone who made the day possible, especially Adam Dunnakey, Nick Hart, Gill Penlington, Natalie Orchard, Eve Parish and of course the Creative Diversity Network!

 

Celeb Masterclasses & Industry Visits: 12 Weeks with the Multi-Media Genius Trainees

(From top to bottom: group photo with poet, rapper and academic Akala; all smiles on a visit to one of Media Trust’s corporate partners, Discovery Channel UK)

Halfway through my 6 month traineeship at London360, 30 fresh new people, who were passionate about working in media, entered the Media Trust office. They had enrolled onto Multi-Media Genius Training, a 12 week fast-track course covering TV, print and online journalism, which would involve masterclasses from industry experts and special guests, visits to Media Trust’s corporate partners and one-to-one mentoring to guide them towards their dream jobs. The fantastic thing about this scheme is that it gives people aged 18-25, who are not in employment, education or training, the chance to get their teeth into the industry, with the perks of meeting inspirational people and paying visits to some of the most renowned media companies. What’s even better is that no experience was necessary to qualify – only a proven interest in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to become all-round media jedis!

The first thing I noticed when I entered the boardroom for the first time with my fellow reporters during their first week here was the sheer diversity of people. It may sound a bit cliche, but everyone was so different it terms of their background, personality, interests and ages. While some people in the group had only just left college, others had previously worked full-time or already had children. Some were outwardly confident and keen to ask lots of questions in the first hour, while others were perhaps more reserved and contemplative (this is starting to sound like an analysis of human behaviour). Nonetheless, they seemed to gel really well as a group right from the get-go.

At first, I wasn’t sure how much I would be interacting with the “NEETS” (Not in Employment, Education or Training – it’s probably easier to say this for now rather than referring to them as “the 30 young people”). Working full-time, we have a lot to be getting on with, from researching new ideas for future London360 shows to shooting and editing our latest TV packages. Fortunately, on Fridays, we were invited to attend the corporate visits with them. These included trips to Google/YouTube (see my previous blog about the visit to Google’s London Headquarters), Discovery Channel, The Royal Albert Hall and Hearst Magazines, which owns publications such as ELLE UK and Cosmopolitan. At the end of each action-packed week, it was nice to have some down-time on these outings with one of the most fun-loving group of people I’ve ever met.

In addition to this, I also worked alongside some members of the group when I went on shoots which included an arms fair protest against the world’s largest weapons exhibition, a visit round award-winning houses for Open House London and a bike project for refugees. It was fantastic to have some extra support with filming and to work alongside people that I can now call friends. Most of the NEETS already had extensive filming experience, whether it was through managing their own YouTube channels or producing their own short films, but some of them had never touched a professional camera before. Regardless of their experience, all of them were keen to collaborate and to pitch in with ideas, a quality that will ensure they go far in life, whether they aspire to be an Oscar-winning director, an on-screen presenter, a multi-media jack of all trades…or decide they no longer want to work in media. Even for those who perhaps realised that this wasn’t the industry for them, it was no doubt a highly useful introduction to pitching stand-out ideas, vlogging, blogging and editing videos among other skills.

We also had the privilege of meeting some of the industry’s biggest stars: BAFTA winning actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke, singer/presenter extraordinaire Alesha Dixon, multi-talented rapper, poet, journalist AND academic Akala and hip-hop sensation Tinchy Stryder. But rather than just posing for photos with them (which we unashamedly did at the end!) we also had the chance to pose questions to each of them on a range of topics, from the biggest challenges and opportunities so far in their careers, to their thoughts on the most topical issues in the news, including the European refugee crisis and whether attitudes towards body image are changing in the worlds of fashion and music.

As their 6 weeks of intensive training at London360 came to a close, there was only one way to celebrate their time here and the new friendships it had generated:- a big night out! (When I say “big” night out I mean a sit-down meal at a local restaurant rather than hitting the clubs but in my “old” age nothing beats a chilled out evening). For the next 6 weeks they will be receiving one-on-one mentoring and CV guidance once a week, and already the office feels a lot emptier without them. I’m not too worried about it though. Reunions will undoubtedly be planned and I’m sure we will see many of their names on the credits for some of the nation’s most-loved TV programmes and films. Watch out!

Multi-Media Genius Training in pictures:

The group with music superstar Alesha Dixon

Posing with the boys on a recent visit to ELLE UK at Hearst UK’s headquarters

On a shoot for The Bike Project which helps refugees with Michael, Sarah and Susheel

Filming voxpops outside Open House London with Ranel

The “NEETS” giving excellent feedback on the London360 reporter team’s largest ever Monday morning pitch meeting!

Lights Camera Action! Selfie with the team that assisted me at a busy protest: Michael, Savan and Jodie

Having a tour of another of Media Trust’s corporate partners, The Royal Albert Hall

London360 sure know how to pose with rapper Tinchy Stryder

Some of the London360 reporter team, who shared their experiences of being on the 6-month traineeship, with actor/director Noel Clarke

Work hard play hard! Celebrating the last full day of the Multi-Media Genius Training course. Good luck everyone!

Teach Me How To Pitch For TV

Pitching is often a taken-for-granted term in the TV world. It’s business jargon for how you go about selling your idea. But it is so much more than simply coming up with a programme idea that sounds great in your head. Do you have the resources, contacts and funding available to realise your dream?

Nav Raman, the Creative Director of Sugar Films, is arguably a queen of the TV world. Having been an Executive Producer for CBBC and Endemol UK, a Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 Factual Entertainment as well as a Director of Development for indies Pioneer Productions and Nutopia, it’s fair to say that she’s racked up a fair bit of experience over the years.

She visited the Media Trust offices to speak to past and present London360 reporters and other TV enthusiasts in an intimate but informal Q&A chat. Here are the main hints and tips I took from the interactive session.

1. Get to grips with TV jargon – changing your tone to match the commissioners you are pitching to could make you stand out. Show you know the industry better than most. Speak their language.

2. Know the schedule slots – you can pitch a show idea for a daytime slot (usually less money but a higher volume of content) or the night-time audience. Early peak time is from 6-8pm, with family orientated content and popular quiz shows such as Countdown. Peak time is at 9pm, when commissioners will pay more for your programme. But beware! Competition is at its fiercest at this time.

3. Think about the gaps – which days and times are fewer people pitching ideas for? The smaller the competition, the more likely they are to consider your proposal in depth.

4. Consider your audience – people often tune in to ITV for broad based entertainment, Channel 4 for more relaxed programmes and comedy, whereas they may go to the BBC for more fact-driven informative content. Which channel suits the type of programme you want to make?

5. Realise “there is no original idea” – try not to cling to the belief that your idea is so unique and that someone might steal it. What are you going to bring to the table to make them realise that you are the ideal person to see it through and not a different production company? Use post-it notes with different genres and themes and throw 2 of them together and see if you can come up with an idea that blends them. You could surprise yourself and find an interesting angle that hasn’t been done before.

6. Have a unique selling point – this could include access to something (e.g. a secret filming location) or someone (e.g. the talent that could present the show).

7. Know what you want – keep the pitch as short as you can while still answering the all-important 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When and Why). Be clear in what it is you want from the pitch.

8. Know what the commissioner wants – do your research on the company and the genre that you think is best suited to your show. Consider the format as well. Will it be a chat show, a fly-on the wall documentary…or a more innovative format? Commissioners are concerned with ratings, audience (broad or niche), reputation and whether your work fits with the channel’s brand. Show genuine knowledge e.g. what worked and what didn’t in a programme.

9. Make a sizzle reel – shoot, edit and make your own trailer for your show! Make them trust you that your idea has been well thought out and is plausible. Plus everyone enjoys a good visual representation to break up a pitch. After all, they are all humans who enjoy a novelty aspect as much as the next person!

10. Describe your core proposition in 5 sentences – or don’t bother pitching it. Less is often more. Think Dragon’s Den for the media industry. Talk about things such as the genre (documentary, factual, specialist factual (history, science etc), current affairs, drama etc. Also talk about the format you want it to take (e.g. The Farmer Wants A Wife and America’s Next Top Model are highly successful formats which have been used across the world).

11. Be attached to an indie – commissioners will very rarely take you on alone. They often go through professional production companies. Teaming up with an independent one is more likely to help you get your idea developed to the stage where it could be broadcast on TV. Start making industry contacts now!

12. Don’t sell what you can’t deliver – ultimately, TV is a business, and your pitch is like a negotiation.  But you need to have a proposition that you can follow through with, making yourself and the company that backs you money.

13. Have fun with the pitch – Inject your personality and not only will it calm your nerves, it could also keep the commissioners talking about your idea long after you give your presentation.

Follow these tips and you are sure to stand out in front of the commissioners! Now go kick some (media) butt.

Ain’t No Party Like An RTS Futures Party

Combine people with a love of watching and making TV, with the prime location of the Design Museum right by the River Thames, and you have the makings of a fantastic event – The RTS Summer Party run by RTS Futures (the “younger” branch of the Royal Television Society) and the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival Talent Schemes (The Network, for new entrants, and Ones To Watch, for emerging talent).

Over 100 people attended the party at the Design Museum, from industry professionals to TV enthusiasts

The evening kicked off with a panel discussion, hosted by TV, radio presenter and occasional stand-up comic Kirsten O’Brien, arguably most known for fronting SMart (one of the most successful children’s shows if I do say so myself)

The topic centred around one great question: “is TV out of touch”? With such a diverse range of people in attendance, from the TV insiders on the panel to media fanatics, critics and “newbies” in the audience, it was clear that no definitive conclusion was going to be reached that night! Nonetheless, the panel gave their best responses.

The panel discuss the current state and future of TV (L-R: Kirsten O’Brien, Faraz Osman, Camilla Lewis, Dom Bird and Damian Kavanagh)

Damian Kavanagh, controller of BBC Three, clarified the BBC’s position, following the highly publicised backlash against the proposed removal of the channel’s TV platform in 2016. He explained that, while channels are expensive to run and maintain, BBC Three content would not simply disappear. Rather it would be re-distributed to BBC One and Two in order to save money and to maximise viewing figures.

However Faraz Osman, Managing Director of production indie Lemonade Money, stated that £20 million less is being spent on commissioning programmes for young people. It troubled him that the largest media corporations were beginning to move young people online, at the risk of alienating young users.

Camilla Lewis, CEO of her own production company Curve Media and Chair of RTS Futures, begged to differ. “The stories aren’t dead” she insisted, arguing that there is no reason to panic over the future of TV, as the young generation are increasingly becoming multi-screen, tech-savvy users who can adapt to these changes.

Following questions from the audience, talk turned to the extent to which TV is successfully representing our nation, in terms of both programming and recruitment. Dom Bird, Channel 4’s Head of Formats, argued that targeting different age groups is vital to the corporation’s success, citing E4 as a channel that has specifically reached out to the 18-34s.

Much like his fellow panellists, Dom agreed that more needs to be done in TV to better reflect the population, particularly when it comes to finding and recruiting people behind the scenes. This, he argued, could lead to a greater diversity of on-screen talent. While not a final solution to the diversity question, shows such as The Last Leg and The Undateables are steps in the right direction, as they seek to reduce the stigma surrounding disability in broadcasting.

As the question and answer session reached its close, Faraz rounded it off with a saying that stuck in my mind. He said that, whatever you end up doing in TV, “don’t make money your motivator, make fun!” On that note, it seemed appropriate to make the most of the opportunity to mingle with other guests, from the TV talent schemes and beyond.

Networking…with The Network talent “schemers” of 2015

The thing that stood out to me the most was the welcoming atmosphere. It didn’t matter if you rocked up alone or with an army of friends, by the end you were guaranteed to have made a few new friends, contacts…or even just learned something new about someone you had never met before. One thing is for sure:- TV people definitely know how to throw a party. Here’s hoping for more events like this in the near (RTS) future.

For more information, including the full event report, interviews and photos visit RTS Futures

Follow @RTS_Futures on Twitter for upcoming TV-related events and information

7 Reasons You Should Apply to The Network (GIFs included!)

It can be daunting to go through online applications. Have you covered everything you want to say? Have you said enough? Have you said too much? It can be easy to keep putting off the process until the last minute, even if it’s something you really want to do. It helps to put aside the application for a moment and to really think about why it is you want to apply. I find it helps to write out a list, as I did for The Network:

1. Gaining PRACTICAL TV making skills. This was perhaps my top reason for applying to The Network. It’s good to talk about things theoretically but I think there is nothing better than going out there and getting stuck in and learning through doing. Some of the best lessons I learnt in filming came from being involved in Guild TV, my university’s TV station. Things like ensuring the sound recorded properly onto the zoom and getting to grips with white balance in tricky lighting conditions. If yo’d like to try multi-camera directing, The Network offers the chance to have a go at this, as well as researching, scriptwriting, producing and vision mixing to name a few.

2. It’s FREE! This is a bonus as many introductory filming courses cost upwards of £100. You only have to pay to get to Edinburgh as the accommodation, travel and food are all paid for. But train tickets aren’t always cheap so it’s worth investing in a Railcard (16-25s usually get 1/3 off travel. They’re also available for people who are disabled, elderly, have children…and there’s even a discount card for couples travelling together! See Railcard‘s website for more details).

3. Coached by leading programme makers. Learning about a range of topics through interactive talks and workshops. This includes icebreaker games, for instance, which help you to learn more about the business of TV and how shows are commissioned. Last year’s schedule also included CV clinics and masterclasses from directors, talent managers, production co-ordinators etc. What could be better?

4. Meeting like-minded people. It’s a great networking opportunity, not only to meet people who have already made it in TV but also to team up with talented people who aspire to work in the same industry as you. There are social events in the evenings too.

5. A great CV booster. Not only will you develop key skills and build your contacts, but you will also be able to talk about your experiences in future job applications and interviews. With such a wide range of industry sponsors, this experience could really make you stand out.

6. It’s open to everyone over 18. As long as you’ve had less than 3 months paid TV experience (anything over and you’re probably doing quite well for yourself already!) and in your final year if you’re a student, you are eligible. It doesn’t matter about your background or where you’re from.

7. It’s in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and the host city of the The Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival, a charity which has been running this prestigious media event, by and for the TV industry, every year since 1976. The Network runs from 25-28th August which coincides with the TV Festival as well as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. After The Network finishes, why not go and check out some of the fantastic shows and events on offer?

These are my reasons for applying to The Network’s scheme for those starting out in TV. But why not see for yourself? Take a look at the promotional video for it below and check out the website for more information or follow them on Twitter: @TheNetwork_TV. Subscribe to the Edinburgh International Television Festival‘s YouTube channel to see what successful The Network alumni got up to during their 4 days in Edinburgh.

Good luck everyone and make sure to finish your application by Mon 4th April 2015!