“Cheeriness and smiles - then long waits”: Young people’s experiences of working with the media
Charles Miller
edits this blog. Twitter: @chblm
Through my experience in the documentary Now's the Hour, I saw how the producer and the director can decide what will happen to a show. They have the power to decide who will play what part, who will say what, and basically how the show will go.
However, this doesn't mean that they abuse their power. They are always all ears to any ideas anyone has that would help the show. And mostly they make the best decisions about who will play what part, because they know everyone in the cast well enough to know which part suits who.
A group of young Scottish voters were invited by the BBC to take part in Generation 2014, a project that provided the media with a cross-section of views to be used in coverage of the Scottish referendum.
Now it’s all over, we asked them what they've learnt about the media. Many say they’d now like to work in the media, and one is even considering abandoning plans to study medicine.
BBC producer Dave Howard and the rest of the team behind Generation 2014 have a lot to answer for!
Here’s what the participants told us:
I learned from Generation 2014 that media is a fast-paced and chop-and-change world. While it looks very calm at the final stage, a lot of frantic running and changing of schedules goes on. I also learned from experience that anything can change at the last second.
I'd like to work in TV, film or theatre, so, as an aspiring actor/presenter, Generation 2014 has helped me learn from talented producers, presenters, cast and crew. Everything was recorded in one take - no script and no rehearsals. I have interviewed party leaders, met the Scots Makar, worked with top Scottish theatre companies, and even devised my own series of interviews. It's been a privilege to have contributed to such a historic event. I hope I can continue the amazing journey I have begun and contribute to programming in the future.
I feel that Generation 2014 really taught me what has to go into media and TV shows. I have never really thought about how Newsnight stories are filmed and recorded etc, and it was so exciting to be a part of that process and to be on the radio live. It was all so overwhelming, but in a good way. It’s an experience that many 16 and 17-year-olds can't say that they have had and I'm proud and so grateful to have been a part of this amazing project!
It is very interesting being on the other side of the media, especially on camera. There's so many lights and mics that it takes a while to create seconds of footage. The only thing I would say that is quite funny to me is the camera angles, where after all the recording you are filmed looking in many directions saying nothing so they have a different shot. It feels quite strange.
From Generation 2014, I've learned that the media isn't just full of serious, suited academics who can give you a statistic for any question or uber clever writers constantly prepared and waiting to demonstrate their endless supply of wit. It is actually an extremely varied and unpredictable branch of work. My experiences with the BBC have at points been fast-paced, sometimes casual, sometimes funny, sometimes repetitive, and sometimes just crazy. What I do know is that it has all been one of the best, most inspiring and exciting things I've ever been involved in.
By taking part in Generation 2014, I discovered how long it takes to actually take a 30-second clip, and all the people who work behind the camera in order to ensure that every single little detail is up to the highest possible quality. I also discovered how changeable news really is, and how quick the people of the BBC are to adapt and cover breaking news.
What I learned from being in Generation 2014 is that politics can actually be really interesting once you find something you’re interested in. I understand how important political balance is, and also how much more fun it is to talk about your views with friends of the same age.
I feel like I've learned loads being in Generation 2014. Although I was aware that the media can distort things, I was perhaps a little surprised at how much of it is cheeriness and smiles, regardless of whether you feel like it or not. Then the long waits. But it has all been lots of fun, and the waiting around is always worth it!
Through my experience in the documentary Now's The Hour I saw how the producer and the director can decide what will happen to a show. They have the power to decide who will play what part, who will say what and basically how the show will go. However, this doesn't mean that they abuse the power but they are always all ears to listen to any ideas anyone has that would help the show. And mostly they make the best decisions who will play what part because of them knowing everyone in the cast well enough to know which part suits who.
The highlight for me was definitely going down to London for three days. Two other young people and I interviewed opposing politicians: Pete Wishart, SNP, and Danny Alexander, LibDem. We asked them questions about what would happen after the vote on 18 September and their thoughts on votes at 16. It felt surreal being there asking them their opinions in person, instead of watching or reading about them. Not only did we get to meet these politicians, we also had an access-all-areas tour around 10 Downing Street and Westminster, which included the House of Lords and House of Commons. It really was a life-changing experience for me.
I learnt loads through Generation 2014! There is so much more to media than I first thought; so many different aspects and outlets. It's amazing how quickly things change in media, as you could one minute be doing a radio show but then stop that before you start and move on to something different! It's just a crazy and incredible world to be part of.
