TOP TIPS for aspiring media professionals...
1.Think very hard about why you want to work in film/TV/new media. If you think it's all about fun and glamour and high wages - well, think again. A lot of people do have a great time and earn decent money, true, but there's often a lot of slog involved and, particularly in the earlier years, wages can be low and work unpredictable. It's an industry that's very heavily based on freelance work, which is often unstable. There are so many different types of work in the media, too. It comes across as a bit flaky, to be honest, when people say I want to work in the media. What does that mean? A writer? Director? Costume designer? Location manager? Accountant? Catering assistant? Lighting camera? Working in drama, factual, entertainment.
2. Do thorough research into the area you want to work in. Watch TV, go to the cinema regularly, play computer games, etc. That looks obvious but it always surprises me how often I meet people who say they want to work in TV and they hardly watch it, or they want to write for films and have no idea what sort of films are currently being made in the UK. And, importantly, you should start to develop critical approaches to the work. Why do you think certain programmes or films are successful? It's not enough to be a fan (although that's a definite advantage) you need to develop a professional appreciation. And consider the creative qualities of the different areas available, too. If you want to write for soap operas - great, nothing wrong with that at all - but watch them and think about why some episodes - some scripts - are working better than others. If you want to edit game shows - again, great if you like game shows - but look to see how they are put together. Try to talk to people doing the work youíre exploring to see if itís really what you want to do.
3. Be flexible. Be stubborn. Don't give up.