:: Chris Turner's Journal ::

:: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 ::

Assessment

My assessment with the BBC went really well, I think. The Media Village is a really impressive place - they only opened it earlier this year, and it's just about the most modern place I've ever been. It's a bit psychedelic inside the media centre (lots of lime green and purple), but still looks like a really nice place to work. There's also lots of company bollocks all over the walls seemingly everywhere - "We are One BBC!", "Great things happen when we work together!", "Creativity is our lifeblood!". It's almost like 1984 in reverse.

First off, we had a group discussion exercise where we had to allocate 2 runners to various tasks throughout a working day. Most of us were absolutely fine at this - we had 40 minutes to sort out a multitude of problems, and just as we'd got everything sorted out, the assessor threw in a whole heap of new problems for us to manage. There was one guy who suggested sacking the runner who turned up 15mins late (not a good idea), one girl who kept on giving the runners tasks for 8am (they were supposed to turn up for work at 9) and another chap who barely said two words throughout the whole thing. I saw a rather astonished look of surprise on the assessor's face when he said "Yes, that's a good idea." And that was about it.

Afterwards, we had a PC literacy test - we had been told it was to do with Word and Outlook, but in reality it was just Outlook. I scored 90% (19 out of 20 correct answers), but I fucked up "Requesting a Read Receipt" because it's a function I've never used. Answers on a postcard, please. I don't think my career hinges on it, but it's irritating all the same.

The people I met were really nice. Most were very inexperienced, and only one other had ever worked on any independent films. That surprised me - but I suppose being a Runner is the entry-level job. Quite a few were film/television studies students, but I'm not sure how many have a realistic idea of what they've applied for, judging by the conversation in the waiting area. I did meet one lovely girl, Victoria, whose absolutely charming demeanour hit me between the eyes like a baseball bat. We've swapped numbers & stuff, so I hope to see her again in the near future.

:: Plod 07:25 [+] ::
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Busy Busy

I'm rushed off my feet right now, and I'm starting to wonder how I'll ever get my MA dissertation completed! I can't help it - I find working at the moment so much more interesting, and having an MA hasn't made me any more employable! Oh well. It was fun.

I have an interview with the BBC on Monday which, if I get the job, should fit in nicely with my film work. The job will start in September (after filming) and is a 6-month contract, which will mean we'll be in a position to start pre-production of the full feature if all goes well. And if it doesn't, I can keep my job with the BBC - so smiles all round! :)

It's so much nicer to be busy than sat at home all day.

:: Plod 07:45 [+] ::
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Update

Its been a while since I posted, so I figured for whatever reason I may as well scribble down what's been happening recently. Maybe this site will become a piece of internet history and my grandchildren will stumble across it in 60 years' time or something.
 
Work has been going very well. I've been hired as a Production Assistant at a film company, working on pre-production of a major feature due to come out around 2006. Its been written by Irvine Welsh (author of "Trainspotting") and it's an excellent script. The money's excellent - soon I'll have enough to start renting my own London flat instead of living here. I've also got an interview with the BBC on Monday and should be able to fit in some work with them as well before we start production on the main event.
 
There's not much else in my life news at the moment - I'm still gloriously single (sorry, Brandon, will desperately try to find some old nude pics of ex-girlfriends soon) so nothing much new to report there. However, my new job is great for meeting people!
 
Hope all's well out there with whoever reads this too :)

:: Plod 23:03 [+] ::
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Latest Life News

The job hunt has been going very well of late. Having fired off (literally) hundreds of CV's, I'm currently working as a Production Assistant in a film - the money's excellent, and it really is a dream job. How did I get here? Luck and perseverance, I guess.

I got two jobs in hospital radio - they've both worked out really well. Then I started taking unpaid jobs on film sets as a Runner, building on the experience I'd gained in 3 years at Sheffield. After that, I got my first break on a paid job at the start of this month - which led to this one :) It's a pilot / test shoot for a Ridley Scott film being made by one of RSA's junior producers, and if all goes well (i.e. the boss likes the short) then it'll be made into a full feature.

:: Plod 22:22 [+] ::
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