How to Break into TV
I get asked this a lot. Not because I am particularly big in the television world (I’ve done a fair few series for Children’s TV and am now making my way in Engineering television), but because I am just a normal, everyday person. I didn’t go to a private school, or drama school, I’m not from a media family and in fact I knew absolutely no-one in television before I got my break. So, when people ask me “How did you get into TV?”, what they are really asking is “How Can *I* get into TV when I have no idea how to?” and it is a valid question.
Here, I share 10 top tips about how to get a break into this seemingly exclusive world and how to keep sane and genuine whilst doing so.
1 | Ask Yourself “Why?”
What message do you want to share?
Why is it that you want to get into TV? So many times I have met people who can’t answer this and it is beyond frustrating. Media, especially TV, is a powerful story telling tool, use it wisely. What story have you got to tell? What amazing passion do you want to convey via the screen? Once you know the answer to this, it’ll guide your TV journey.
Also, if on asking yourself this question, you find that the real reason you want to get into TV is that you want to be popular/successful/happy then maybe TV isn’t the answer to the questions you are asking yourself.
2 | Ask Yourself “What?”
There is so much more to TV shows than just the presenter
What role would you like in the TV world? So many people leap on ‘being a presenter’ as their first choice, but this isn’t for everyone. And there are a thousand other roles available too. If you think you want to be a presenter ask yourself “Why?”. And be honest. Is it for the attention? Is it because you want to be the ‘face’ of your message or passion? Or is it simply because it is really the only role you know about in TV? For me, I chose to become a presenter as I was frustrated by the lack of strong females on children’s Science and Engineering programmes and I was the strong female I knew best. I did, and still do, also have roles behinds-the-scenes, which are sometimes more influential. Everyone has their own reasons for liking different roles. Know what yours are.
3 | Do Research
Know what already exists… this is your route in
Once you know the area of TV you would like to go into, research, research and, you guessed it… research. Seek out and watch each and every programme that piques your interest and note the following about them (you can usually get this information from the end credits):
- Which company makes it?
- Who is the Production Manager?
- Who is the Executive Producer?
4 | Be Cheeky
If you never ask, you’ll never get
Firstly, let’s break through the jargon. Production Companies are the companies who make programmes. Production Managers are the ones who seek out the people to work on programmes- as well as a thousand other things. Executive Producers lead the team and ensure the overall theme, narrative and quality of the show is in-line with the objectives.
Secondly, armed with the information in Section3, start sending emails. Send them to the general email of the company that makes the programme, its Production Manager and the Executive Producer. If you don’t know the email addresses, search for them. Most people in television are freelancers so may have their own website, linked-in page or the like.
Your aim? To meet them for a coffee. The coffee meet is popular in the media world, and it is the equivalent of a job interview in any other career (although you should never dress like it is one). Your email should contain details about why you like the programmes they make, the type of TV you would like to be part of and, of course, your CV. If you don’t get a coffee meet, then settle for them putting your CV on file.
5 | Aim High
As terrifying as it may be, go in at the top (you may be surprised)
The more important a person becomes in a company, the fewer emails they get asking for help from beginners. And despite what may be said about the media world, most people do actually want to help as we all know it is a tough world to break into.
So, go on… email that ‘important’ person (what’s the worse that can happen?). Your aim? To get a name of a relevant person to email that actually works on the shows you would like to part of. When you email that second person, be sure to name drop the ‘high up’ person. There’s nothing like saying you were given someone’s email by their boss’s boss to get them to reply to your email quickly.
If, for some reason, that first ‘important’ person will actually meet you for a coffee themselves… amazing. But don’t waste their time, go with ideas about the TV you want to be involved with and what you’d like to get out from the meeting.
As a side note, I once emailed a person who was ‘Number 3’ in the whole of the BBC (I had no idea at the time, obviously) asking about a new programme. They kindly replied with the name of the correct person to contact and an email address for them. It was gold dust.
6 | Research. Email. Repeat
You need people to remember you for them to offer you a job
Don’t send out just one batch of emails and then expect replies for the next two years. Repeat the above process every three months. Often staff turnover is high, as is the number of emails people receive. One email can easily get lost.
However, don’t nag, or be salty by the lack of a reply. Trust me, they very much wanted to reply, it’s just they forgot, then your message got buried at the bottom of an email avalanche. And in each email remember your aim. Tell the person what your ideal result is. I have had very long emails in the past from people who seem fantastic, but I have had no idea what they are actually asking from me.
7 | Know You Will Start at the Bottom
You are never too important to make a cup of tea
You will start as a runner. If you don’t it is because you know someone (therefore this article isn’t for you), or you are very lucky. You may be one for a year, or just a few weeks. But you will be one. Yes, even if you have a PhD. Enjoy it. Use it as a time to discover the TV-making process. Though being a runner is by no means easy. Wear comfy shoes and a smile.
And work hard at it. Those who grab the runner responsibilities with both hands are much more likely to be promoted than those who think it is beneath them.
8 | Get in There First
The younger a show is, the less fussy its makers are
Getting your toe into popular programmes is usually pretty difficult… unless you can get in on the first series. Imagine how hard it is to get a job on Bake-Off now, compared to when it was in Series1 and no-one had ever heard of it. Keep your ears open for companies making the type of programmes you would like to be a part of. How do you do that? Well, unfortunately the best route costs. In the form of Broadcast magazine. This is the weekly industry magazine and runs stories on programmes when they are in their initial stages. I used to turn up to meetings early, just so I could read the Broadcast mag that was in the reception of the Production Company I was meeting with. You can also do that. Or perhaps group together with a few friends and subscribe together to share the cost.
Once you see an article about a programme that takes your fancy, email all those mentioned. Quickly.
9 | Be Flexible
TV wants you to work to *its* timetable
This is the most difficult and, in my humble opinion, one of the reasons for the lack of diversity in the TV world. Being flexible isn’t always a choice and yet in the media world it is (wrongly) seen as a symbol of your commitment to a role. For example, working in TV often involves short-terms contracts and so it is easier for those with a secure background to *be* more flexible as they know that if it all doesn’t work out, they will still be OK financially. Those not from money or with caring responsibilities, are risking much more if they have to leave their full time job for a six week(!) contract, and with this risk there naturally comes a degree of uncertainty and trepidation. This is something I feel the media world is yet to fully recognise and understand.
TV wants and expects you to work to its timetable, whatever that may be. As you progress through the ranks I promise you things do become better and you can be more discerning about what you drop your life plans for, however at the beginning it is difficult because if you say “no” once, it is highly unlikely you’ll be asked again. If TV is where you would like your career to go, think about how you could shift your plans last minute, at least at the start of your career (and yes, I completely understand that is not always easy). Do you have someone who can provide emergency childcare? Do you really need to lock in that Italian holiday six months in advance? Are your friends, family and partner understanding and prepared to help you towards your goal, even if it may mean rearranging your life at the last minute?
Also while you are at it, as wrong as it may be, think about how you could potentially do a few weeks work experience whilst getting paid next to nothing (or perhaps actually nothing). And when I say “a few weeks”, I mean one or two, don’t accept work experience for months, that is just pure exploitation. When I was making the transition into TV, I knew I would have to do some work experience to not only get my foot in the door, but also to see if a job in TV was actually ‘for me’. I didn’t have the money to not earn whilst I did this, but fortunately I had a job that allowed me to take annual leave at the last minute, which meant I could use that holiday to do the two weeks work experience and not be out of pocket. Do you have a way you could potentially crowbar in some work experience for a few weeks?
Personally, I think the whole media world does need to change in order to accommodate those who (for a multitude of reasons) cannot work off last minute plans. But for now (unfortunately) flexibility, or ‘availability’ as it is often labelled, is seen as an instant tick and so we all have to play the game by the rules currently enforced. That doesn’t mean that, once on the inside, those rules can’t be changed… even on a small scale.
10 | Make Yourself Proud
TV can be powerful, life changing stuff, make sure you change lives in the right direction
TV is a funny old world. The smallest mistakes can seem like the most important thing world when you are right there, in the moment. However, always try to keep your head and never be forced into doing something. If you see something you think is wrong, speak up.
Try to work on programmes you are suited to. Yes, an offer to work on a programme may be exciting. But do the programme’s aims align with your own views and beliefs. Don’t be a part of a programme you don’t morally agree with.
And work hard, but don’t be taken for a ride. You may have to do work experience for a few weeks. But for a year? No way! Sure, you may have to do some jobs you feel are beneath you, but ask yourself is this task ‘wrong’ or is it just your ego thinking someone like ‘you’ shouldn’t have to do it. If it is wrong, don’t do it.
With all that said, TV is hard work. If you don’t like working to tight deadlines, with moving goal-posts and sometimes rather unclear objectives, then a job in TV is just not for you. However, if you can think on your feet, if you work well in an adrenaline fuelled environment, if you like being part of something bigger than yourself, being a small cog in a rather large machine that has the potential to influence the way people think about a certain area of life, then yes, you could suit a job in TV. And I wish you all the luck in the world in getting it.
You’ll need it.
