BBC Local Apprentices: Behind the scenes at London Comic-Con 2015

Meeting a movie monster, chatting to a superhero and interviewing a favourite writer - all in a day's work for BBC Radio Cornwall's Adam Beckett.

The Local Apprentice was reporting from London Comic-Con 2015 in his first experience of being a member of the press at a large-scale event. Here he shares his experiences of the day, his interview advice, and his top tips on being a roving reporter.

What was it like to have a press pass? 

The event was a bustling hive of activity, filled with hundreds of people - some dressed in costume. I was a victim of Freddy Kruger, met many Spider-Men and had amazing conversations with authors, comic artists and filmmakers.

The pass gave me access to all the talks taking place and let me interview some of the special guests. There was an exclusive press talk on the first night that featured three of the main cast of the Back to the Future trilogy who answered questions from the crowd - a really fun experience.

Doing one to one interviews was amazing, and getting them wasn’t as difficult as I had thought. Once the manager had checked to see that it was okay I simply rocked up with the microphone and did the interview. Simple as that 

Interviewing is a lot of fun but also incredibly nerve-wracking (even more so if it's your first interview and it's someone you highly look up to). 

What have you learnt? 

The event taught me a fair amount about myself. Namely that I'm a fairly patient person, far more so than I originally thought. The constant heat and the hundreds of grumpy people is a lot to test you.

Also, in relation to interviews, planning and research are key.

Just throwing out questions during interviews, especially if you're really limited on time, can go horribly, horribly wrong. It can make your interview feel rushed or incomplete. Something I learned when interviewing singer-songwriter and actor Reeve Carney.

I have learnt to research people more, spend less time worrying about the interview and more time concentrating on the questions.

I also know that I can take my time during an interview; there is no shame in being silent for a second or two whilst you catch up with yourself.

What advice would you give a trainee journalist going to an event like this one? 

1. Don’t be scared to ask for interviews.
2. Always research the guests you want to interview. I can't stress this enough.
3. Things may not always go your way. For example, you may be denied interviews and you may not be able to get that “one good interview” because the star is utterly worn out.
4. If someone is in costume ask them about it. People are proud of what they've worked on and a costume is no different. 
5. Have a plan of what you want to do for both editorial and for yourself. Know where you're going, what time and who you're going to see. I did this, and it really helped me out far in advance and allowed me to work out when I had time to myself and when I had time to interview people.
6. To add to this, if you're able to confirm the interview the day before it really helps.
7. My most important tip is to have fun. Easy to do at an event that celebrates pop culture! 

There’ll be more from the apprentices on the Academy website throughout the year. You can keep up-to-date with the latest via Twitter using #BBCLAS or via iPlayer Radio.