As one of many under-employed TV freelancers out there I really don’t have an excuse not to seize the mantle and introduce myself here. Popping my head above the parapet is revoltingly out of my comfort zone but, frankly, what have I got to lose?!I’m Emma, a Line Producer. I came to TV late having worked in... Read more
As one of many under-employed TV freelancers out there I really don’t have an excuse not to seize the mantle and introduce myself here. Popping my head above the parapet is revoltingly out of my comfort zone but, frankly, what have I got to lose?!
I’m Emma, a Line Producer. I came to TV late having worked in (amongst other things) Pop Videos, Insurance and PR before moving to Italy (where I renovated an old school in the olive groves & taught English) and then France (more teaching & renovating with some bar work for extra centimes…). I was merrily living an aimless, bohemian life in VERY rural France with my dalmatian Penfold & my 2CV Bluebell when a dear PM friend asked me to be their “local” runner on Fashion Rocks Monte Carlo for a few days. It was 8 hours by train (that’s how local I was!) but I LOVED it & met some brilliant people, many of whom I still know today. Someone offered me a Prod Sec job off the back of that which brought me back to the UK & I’m still here.
That was 2005 & it turns out I’d stumbled into a job that felt perfectly suited to me, allowing me to be a bit non-conformist while appealing to my love of creating order out of chaos. I’ve had some wonderful experiences & walked away from most jobs with lifelong friendships. Early in my career, I was told (more than once) that I was “too nice” to be a PM but, happily, I think we’ve moved on from those days & the fact I’m not an old-school scary PM no longer feels like a career-derailing character flaw!
Moving to Bristol in 2016 with partner David (a music film director) and our (now 10 yr old) son Albert, finding work was tough initially as my Reality/Entertainment CV didn’t ingratiate me to the Natural History programme-makers! I took on a few hybrid London jobs to fill the gaps and spent much time (and money!) on the Parkway/Paddington GWR before I was lucky enough to notice that RDF were looking for a PM for Tipping Point. There I found my TV family in the TP crew and the RDF team. I am indescribably sad they are closing.
Work’s been quiet for months (GULP) but having been so busy for so long, I’ve been trying to see this as an opportunity to spend more time doing things I often complain I don’t have time to do; being more present as a Mum, getting my house in order (literally, it’s an endless project & I’ve made inroads using only woman-power & no money), exercise, drawing.
Another mixed blessing is I’ve now got emotional space to grieve my mother who I lost in lockdown & who I miss every day. Turns out I’m good at finding silver linings; I inherited Polly, Mum’s Biewer Terrier, possibly the tiniest dog in Bristol. She’ll miss RDF almost as much as me.
The quiet spell coincided with the big 5-0, so I’ve been reflecting on whether I want to do something very different with my next chapter. I love my TV job, but I always thought I'd do something more creative so maybe this is time to explore that. I'm open to all of it and very handy with a paintbrush - try me!
I’m Emma, a Line Producer. I came to TV late having worked in (amongst other things) Pop Videos, Insurance and PR before moving to Italy (where I renovated an old school in the olive groves & taught English) and then France (more teaching & renovating with some bar work for extra centimes…). I was merrily living an aimless, bohemian life in VERY rural France with my dalmatian Penfold & my 2CV Bluebell when a dear PM friend asked me to be their “local” runner on Fashion Rocks Monte Carlo for a few days. It was 8 hours by train (that’s how local I was!) but I LOVED it & met some brilliant people, many of whom I still know today. Someone offered me a Prod Sec job off the back of that which brought me back to the UK & I’m still here.
That was 2005 & it turns out I’d stumbled into a job that felt perfectly suited to me, allowing me to be a bit non-conformist while appealing to my love of creating order out of chaos. I’ve had some wonderful experiences & walked away from most jobs with lifelong friendships. Early in my career, I was told (more than once) that I was “too nice” to be a PM but, happily, I think we’ve moved on from those days & the fact I’m not an old-school scary PM no longer feels like a career-derailing character flaw!
Moving to Bristol in 2016 with partner David (a music film director) and our (now 10 yr old) son Albert, finding work was tough initially as my Reality/Entertainment CV didn’t ingratiate me to the Natural History programme-makers! I took on a few hybrid London jobs to fill the gaps and spent much time (and money!) on the Parkway/Paddington GWR before I was lucky enough to notice that RDF were looking for a PM for Tipping Point. There I found my TV family in the TP crew and the RDF team. I am indescribably sad they are closing.
Work’s been quiet for months (GULP) but having been so busy for so long, I’ve been trying to see this as an opportunity to spend more time doing things I often complain I don’t have time to do; being more present as a Mum, getting my house in order (literally, it’s an endless project & I’ve made inroads using only woman-power & no money), exercise, drawing.
Another mixed blessing is I’ve now got emotional space to grieve my mother who I lost in lockdown & who I miss every day. Turns out I’m good at finding silver linings; I inherited Polly, Mum’s Biewer Terrier, possibly the tiniest dog in Bristol. She’ll miss RDF almost as much as me.
The quiet spell coincided with the big 5-0, so I’ve been reflecting on whether I want to do something very different with my next chapter. I love my TV job, but I always thought I'd do something more creative so maybe this is time to explore that. I'm open to all of it and very handy with a paintbrush - try me!
Although Bristol based, I've hardly worked for any Bristol company since COVID and I worry that the change from remote/hybrid work back to the office may make it impossible to carry on.
Hopefully it all picks up soon, but like you I might start exploring options.
All the best
Paul