Volunteer Work: National Take Over Day

National Take-Over Day

National Takeover day was a wonderful opportunity for young people to engage with people and businesses all over the UK. I was more than excited to take part in such an inspirational and productive day, we were able to interact and network with the children that took part and the warm welcoming doctors and nurses of Ward 10. The day involved the takeover of the Ward by the children, to take us and educate us on what Ward 10 is all about. With their confidence and striking personalities in front of a camera they took us on a virtual tour showing us where the facilities were and spoke about why they see the Ward as such a friendly and comfortable place to be. We were delighted to meet the Ward 10 clowns and playroom staff that keep the children well entertained on their visits, also taking part in an adventure trying to get rid of a squeak! Overall we rated the day as a success and hope to carry on being involved with events like this, especially at the brilliant James Paget Hospital. A special thanks to everyone that took part in the day. 

Ward 10. The clowns and activity for the day.

 The day began at 11, we arrived kitted up and ready to film, boom mic, 4 DSLR's and a 50ml lens. We met the children who were to be filmed taking us on a tour of the ward and interviewing the consultants and nurses on the ward. We had several duties and split up into teams, team 1 took pick up shots, which add effect to the production and give the opportunity to expose more areas of what Ward 10 has to offer. Team 2 and Team 3 worked together with the sound and the filming. My role was occasionally behind the camera and also communicating with the children helping them construct the lines and what to say on camera (as they were nervous). I also got a part on the video, introducing take over day and what it includes.

...Action! (myself in the middle)

 It was time to wrap it up and begin placing footage together, we filmed an introduction and an ending to the production. This was a really helpful experience for our media class because we were able to work with people of all ages, taking different kinds of shots and working with different people. We also learnt a lot about the roles in the hospital ward which was useful when filming because we were able to speak to our tutors back at college when reporting feedback of how the day went. I also got a sense of directing as you can see this image to the left, in this scene I was counting down to the action clapper sound so that we could effectively sync the audio into the footage. I also helped the children prepare and rehearse what they were going to say.

Editing time came and we had a bunch of footage, so we spent the first week arranging the files for audio and visual. Working in pairs we each had the opportunity to edit the footage and each place our own creative input on what would look best. This client work was very helpful to us because of the creative freedom we were allowed to have while filming and editing the content. We did however have notes to work from to keep in mind what the client did specifically note that they wanted to include, for example and introduction and a goodbye message from the children. The final product will be presented by myself and two other volunteers to the board of governors of the hospital. 








The finished product: 

Channel 4 Work Experience.

A few weeks ago I was looking for opening opportunities that I could apply for during half term/ summer, to build on my experience and learning in the media industry. I had recently attended a C4PopUp in Norwich to do with Channel 4's, 4 Talent (C4PopUp post is included in the blog opportunities section). I was extremely inspired by all the people I came into contact with when I visited Channel 4 previously and I knew from there this is somewhere I could picture myself working one day. The building has an atmosphere like no other, from the cleaners, to the security guards, to the catering staff and obviously the experts in the building that create amazing content, they are all the most friendly and welcoming individuals I have ever met.

Channel 4 Reception with the other successful work experience guys!

Out of 900 applicants myself and 17 others were the successful bunch! I arrived at the Channel on Monday 15th Feb for an induction day into the origins of Channel 4. Extremely surprised that it was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1982, and even more so that it was implemented by Auntie Margaret Thatcher herself! The main cause of Channel 4's existence is to promote diversity, change perceptions and to inspire change in peoples lives, also to represent society as it is and not what it ought to be like. And that's exactly what it does! I was most excited to see the 4Talent team again, after the C4PopUp I could not have been more inspired by the work they are doing for people like me, to help us get our foot in the door and encourage us to make something of ourselves.

Grange Wellington Hotel. (my awesome shot)

The induction day came to an end and it was time to check out the amazing accommodation Channel 4 had set up for us. I have never stayed in such a lovely and welcoming hotel, from the hotel lobby staff to the bar staff. I was especially excited to find out a few days before we arrived Gordon Brown made an appearance here! First time I have stayed away from home completely on my own and what better place to have that experience than in West minister, London, round the corner from Channel 4. 

My first day began in the Commissioning Features department (My first choice) I couldn't have been more excited. I met my mentor for the week Nicole Steven and I knew we were going to work well together, she was so bubbly and positive about me being there, I could tell I was going to learn a lot. The first area I learnt about was programme certification, and then I had the opportunity to certify a programme myself, this included picking out strong language, surgery scenes, nudity and more, to flag it up and record the time it appeared. The first programme I certified was Body Shockers and wow that was a good one to certify and gave me a hands on experience of being part of the commissioning branch. I also got to meet with guests and take them to the commissioning editors for meetings, this had to be one of my favourite parts, I love meeting new people especially when they are production companies! I couldn't stop geeking out asking them loads of questions and they were asking me questions too, it was a great atmosphere. I also got to meet the team, Gill, Alex, Helen and Lizi! Nicole was helping me arrange a meeting with Lizi to gain a better insight into what her job role was and how she got the opportunity to work at Channel 4.

My second day I got a chance to do some more programme certification however this one was different, I had to pick out any racism, sexism and nudity in a programme called It was Alright in the 60's and was this an eye opener or what! After I had picked out everything (of which there was a lot of certifying needed) I reflected on the show and wrote a piece in my notebook about how this is educational for ages like me to know and acknowledge that things haven't always been as equal as they are today. It provided me a greater insight into a society and what people had to experience being a part of society back then. I also thought it was good to see the celeb reactions for some who were in the 60's and some who weren't, to see how they reacted seeing content that was racist, sexist and homophobic, and to acknowledge that, that is not okay in today's society and shouldn't have been allowed back then. This follows the Channel 4 remit of changing perceptions and welcoming diversity, educating their audiences on what TV used to be like compared to how open and accepting it is now, where Channel 4 itself plays a massive part in delivering that. Today I had the opportunity got to meet with Lizi Wootton who spoke of her awesome experiences when she was in production, travelling all around the world to create brilliant content. I also asked her for advice for the situation I am in, debating Uni and trying gain as much as experience as I can from the industry. I found Lizi extremely encouraging when she spoke of what some people in the industry want to see on your CV and what she expects to see, it has given me motivation to get my CV looking profession, now I know what I need to include on it from a professional perspective. I also had the opportunity to speak to some apprentices, and be a part of one of their meetings to see what they get up to and how the apprenticeships work. Have to admit it got me really interested and made me realise that it is another path I could go down instead of University, keeping my options open.

The Drum!! Work experience meeting place.

My final day was the best day, Nicole gave me a project to do, something that I could feedback to the work experience group. She introduced me to a show called The Changing Room, this is what my project was based on. I watched it and had to note what worked well and what didn't work so well, I then had to re-write what talent I would use in it to make it more successful and possible segments that could be included. I also suggested it could be a short on All4 as that is becoming more popular by the day and over half of 16-24 year olds are registered with it. I ended up writing a script treatment without knowing! Nicole also provided me with an opportunity for Lizi and Helen to read this and give me feedback on it, they are the commissioning editors so they really know their stuff and it was an incredible chance for me to communicate my ideas to the professionals who deal with new ideas for content day in and day out. They were really pleased with what I had produced and the talent I chose was people that they themselves would have considered for the role, this is what has given me a sense of direction to get more involved in the industry, especially in an area like commissioning that I had never thought of before. I also had the opportunity to meet Simone Haywood who was the commissioning editor on the hit TV show Tattoo Fixes, I had a bunch of questions to ask her about the show, she explained it was Fact-ent, (factual entertainment) and that within commissioning there are different genres, for examples formats and features (features is where I had my work experience). I also asked her about possible routes into the industry and we spoke about the production side of the industry. I feel that I learnt a lot from everyone I had the chance to meet and I am grateful that everyone was so willing to talk to me and give me answers to all of my questions.

WHEN THE SQUAD IS LIT. Couldn't have spent this work experience time than with anyone better than these guys.

That's the best thing about work experience at Channel 4 everyone who applied is as outgoing and positive as you are, we may have only spent a week together but we each shared what we were interested in and where we could see ourselves in a few years. Everyone was so welcoming and we all exchanged contact info and still speak now, we ourselves could be contacts to one another if we need each other, and that is great to have.

Part of the 4Talent team is Gaby Power, she is an inspiration and someone who has encouraged me from when I first attended a C4 pop up, she gave the best advice about getting into this industry, how to be persistent, how to network efficiently and how to work on my own branding to promote what I can do. I could not thank her enough for everything she has done for me and everyone else on work experience. She is a networking G!!












This experience is like no other, I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of applying because it's worth the journey and taking the tube! (in rush hour). I can now definitely see a future for me in this building working at Channel 4 would be a dream, especially working with people that care so much about young peoples future and the efforts that go into the content they create. Channel 4's values are something I would love to work towards, this opportunity has opened up doors for me and contacts that will be so helpful for my future prospects. It has also provided me with the confidence to begin getting my foot in the door at the age I am. My knowledge of media so far was commended and as I was the youngest work experience (aged 18 without uni experience) this made me more determined to learn more possibly at university. I couldn't thank the 4Talent team enough for believing and encouraging me the whole way through, this is an experience I won't ever forget for.




This has also made an impact on my local community, My college and local newspaper commented on this opportunity.

http://www.eastnorfolk.ac.uk/News/id/99279563-4e14-4803-a1b0-6e8c97871c02 

Even Twitter got involved:

I was also in my local Mercury, Check it out : http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/east_norfolk_students_to_be_sent_to_america_1_4543841 

Community Spirit

Pasteur Rd, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 0DW

Even friends and family were taking selfies with it!

In my last year of high school I applied for the position of head girl and after interviews with peers and my principle, was successful at filling the position, this meant a lot of work to do with giving the students a voice and also community work and promoting our academy. There was many schemes that we done in order to get the community involved with what was going on at our academy, we had a open movie night where we invited the general community to watch a film in our newly built lecture theater, enjoying popcorn and snacks served by volunteering students. We also created the Random Act of Kindness week, where our students and teachers would go out of their way to do something nice for those in the local community, from carrying peoples shopping to their car, helping the elderly cross the road, even our principle paid for someones shopping, it was a great way to get involved and volunteer through my school to help those around us. 

Press Release 

As head girl we had to endure interviews with the press, I was also on the radio when the grand opening of the new academic building was complete, these opportunities have made me more out going and a successful representative of the academy I went to.  

The Channel 4 Experience

Channel 4 Experience 

The C4PopUp

In the summer of 2015 I was looking for any experience I could get in the media industry and looking for potential opportunities to get my name out there and meet those industry who could broaden my knowledge. The place I found out about the 4Talent C4PopUp was on Twitter, and ever since then I found Twitter to be a really good place to find out about opportunities going especially with this industry. Once I had read about what the aim was to get young people involved and getting your foot in the door I knew I had to go for it, I applied and was successful. On the 12th of August I went to the Open in Norwich by myself not knowing what to expect and found out I was in the Digital Media group. We were given a brief to design a campaign for the Rio 2016 Paralympic games, we worked in groups with people we had never met before which was a great experience to network and get to know people that have similar interests and goals as you.

 We began planning and thinking of ideas that could be different from ones they had seen before, having a label of digital media we also had to think of a social networking campaign that we could get all ages involved with. We came up with the hashtag #WeNeverGaveUp because we wanted to reflect the Paralympians commitment to their work and how their dedication can inspire others. We also wanted to shift the focus on what their differences were and focus on what the athletes have achieved and how they aspire and keep their motivation at an all time high.







We had our presentation cards at the ready and placed full confidence in our idea. We had to present it to our digital media room before we knew if we could take it to the final which was downstairs, on stage, in front of everyone at the event. After presenting we were offered the opportunity to go downstairs and present. Ready to go down to the main hall with all the other groups, (TV Production and Marketing). We had to present in front of Channel 4's talent team and other candidates.

After we had all presented we were awaiting the results, the groups that got through, got to go to the next round to an experience day at the Channel 4 headquarters, we all really wanted to go and retained confidence in our idea and presenting skills, the competition was amazing. It's crazy how so many different creative minds can come up with such brilliant campaigns.

YESSSSS! The #WeNeverGaveUp campaign got through and we couldn't believe we had the chance to go to the Channel 4 building and meet more industry professionals! One of the best things about this experience, other than the awesome industry knowledge, creating contacts, gaining networking and presenting skills, was the fact I made some friends for life. We all had so much in common and didn't realize how close we live to each other, ever since the event we had kept in contact and update each other on what we are all doing, it's great to have friends in the industry already.

The Experience Day

 The day came 21st of October had arrived after a long and curious wait, we headed up to the channel 4 headquarters and got to see my group again and get a chance to get to know them even more. We spent the journey practicing our pitch as we were told in the email we would re-present what the project was to a new crowd of people including from other C4PopUps and more 4talent staff! #WeNeverGaveUp

 We had to take a selfie at the headquarters, such an amazing experience, after presenting our idea and listening to other campaigns from other places that channel 4 had hosted to pop up, it proved that us young ones do have the best ideas! haha

The building was incredible we all met in the Lobby and got to know people who also had similar goals and different experiences to share on what they had worked on/ what they were working on. We also experience a tour round the building and the offices where the magic on channel 4 comes to life from paper to screen. We were then invited again back to the headquarters for a grand finale! the opportunities kept coming! We also got the opportunity to speak with some industry professionals during the networking lunch hour, this was great to hear about where these successful people started off and to where they are now.

The Grand Finale 

Late afternoon on the 14th of January we arrived back at our favorite building for the grand finale. To reflect on what work we had done and for those with the strongest campaigns to win awards. We got to meet the CEO of Channel 4 David Abraham he spoke about where he had started in the industry and how he came about to managing one of the most successful TV channels in the country. I felt inspired because everyone has to start somewhere and he spoke about what he was interested in at a younger age and how we went about taking on opportunities and finding his place in the industry.
We also had the opportunity to watch an interview from Michaela Cole and Arinze Kene, they spoke of how they came to writing, from acting in plays from a young age to writing their own scripts and Michaela had the opportunity to turn a play that she wrote into a TV series called Chewing Gum which airs on Channel 4 itself. They also both gave advice for us aspiring to be in the industry and that was to 'Keep going, because everyone else will get tired, don't get tired'. It was also refreshing to hear that they had both had set backs but that only made them more determined to succeed. I would like to thank Channel 4 for this amazing opportunity and I believe this has aided not only my networking skills but also my confidence from presenting in front of key channel 4 industry professionals to presenting in front of other peers. I have made some amazing connections and some friends for life, and I will continue to take on as many opportunities as I possibly can.  

The Interview. Source:https://www.instagram.com/p/BAh73aYLtuU/?taken-by=c4talent

The greeting 

We made it! The Grand Finale 

The photobooth