Broadcast Magazine – 22 August 2019

F

iscal incentives and quality UK talent,

crew and facilities have given the UK a

competitive edge in attracting high-end

TV drama and big-budget film productions,

boosting the sector and economy. BFI statis-

tics show inward production surged 87%

between 2016 and 2017, but maintaining

this vitality brings its own challenges.

Alison Small, chief executive of The

Production Guild of Great Britain, says

the organisation’s biennial Production

Question Time event, which is supported

by business partner Sargent-Disc, provides

a “barometer” of key industry issues. This

year it once again highlighted that main-

taining quality, by growing crew bases and

helping experienced talent develop skills, is

key to future opportunities.

The challenge facing the industry is how

to encourage young people to build media

careers and develop existing crew skills.

Neil Hatton, chief executive of the UK

Screen Alliance, notes the government’s

Apprenticeship Levy policy has proved

difficult to work in TV and film “because

many of the roles are freelance and are for

short-term project-related engagements”.

“However, apprenticeships in VFX, where

permanent or long-term contracts are the norm,

12 | Broadcast | 23 August 2019 broadcastnow.co.uk

Developing the UK skills base

Ensuring the next generation have the skills needed to maintain the UK production

sector’s competitive edge is essential, and firms like Sargent -Disc have a role to play

have been delivered since 2016 and have seen

some spectacular successes,” he adds, noting

the growing apprenticeship intake is diverse in

terms of gender and ethnic origin.

More apprenticeship standards for roles

in VFX, post-production and animation

are coming and the UK Screen Alliance’s

Apprenticeship Levy Transfer scheme

can fund placements.

“It links large apprenticeship levy payers

who are willing to donate a proportion of

their levy contribution to smaller companies

who are willing to take on apprentices,” says

Hatton. “The motivation is to help develop

talent for the benefit of the whole industry.”

Christine Healy, chair of ScreenSkills’

High-end TV Council and New Pictures’

Head of Production, says ScreenSkills

initiatives such as Trainee Fund and Make

a Move have encouraged production

companies to put skills development at the

heart of their production plans and budgets.

Small adds: “The Production Guild is

working with industry and strategic agencies

to ensure production department skills gaps

are filled. This year, the guild worked with

Netflix to provide classroom training, with

successful participants working on the SVoD’s

productions. Furthermore, the ScreenSkills-

supported Assistant Production Accountant

Training Scheme returns next month.”

The Mama Youth Project charity provides

another solution by addressing inclusion.

The charity, which helps to get young people

from under-represented backgrounds into

production, provides a range of training

programmes that equip them with the

necessarily skills. The charity’s founder

and chief executive Bob Clarke says: “In

our industry, authentic inclusion will have

a positive ripple effect on our society in all

areas. That’s why it’s crucial we work with

all our partners, such as Sky and the BBC,

to make it a reality.”

Production service companies also have

a role to play. Laurence Sargent, director at

Sargent-Disc, says his firm is committed to

training and educating industry practitioners

• sponsoring Production Management
  Diploma scholarships at the National Film
  and Television School and creating 26
  academic Movie Magic Budgeting and
  Scheduling partnerships with BA and MA
  production courses across the UK, with four
  more in Ireland and others in Europe.
  Emanuela Borruso, a 2018 NFTS Produc-
  tion Management Diploma student, says her
  course has presented students with opportu-
  nities to partake in various projects. “None
  of this would have been possible had I not
  been supported by my tutors and, of course,
  Sargent-Disc, whose scholarship I feel so
  very blessed to have received,” she adds.
  The industry is working hard to ensure the
  production sector is in good shape by striving
  to maintain and develop skilled crew levels
  and make the most of high-end TV drama
  production opportunities. The processes to
  provide stability for the future are in place. n

Apprenticeships in VFX, where

permanent or long-term contracts

are the norm, have seen some

spectacular successes

NEIL HATTON

UK SCREEN ALLIANCE

http://www.sargent-disc.com

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

The Production Question Time panel: (left to right) Christine Healy, Victoria Stone, Bob Clarke, Caroline Cooper Charles and Laurence Sargent