John Forrest, a TV and Radio producer, is a Vision+Media Trainer and has worked as a freelancer for the last nine years. He is also director of the Insight Film Festival. This followed a long period on the production staff of BBC and ITV.
My career began with BBC Radio Manchester. I was on the staff the day station opened. So last week (September 10th) was a significant career mark for me along with the station’s birthday. I thought I’d celebrate here with a few bits of perceived wisdom I’ve picked up over the years.
‘YOU’RE TOO YOUNG TO GO FOR THAT JOB’
Funny! I spent half my career being told I was ‘too young to be a producer’. Then one day I was told I was ‘too old’. I learnt that I was never the right age and never had the right experience. Whatever I’ve done there are always better people ready to say their experience is better. I began to realise I had to believe in my own abilities and value my own experience.
‘THE BEST IDEAS ARE THE ONES WHICH GET COMMISSIONED’
No they’re not – and to prove it I have boxes full of brilliant ideas that have never made it! The fact is there are two sorts of ideas – brilliant, creative, innovative, world changing ideas; and ideas you can sell to one of the gate keeping power brokers who will put it on telly, or film, or into a game or whatever. You have to come up with enough of the second type to survive and you’ll be blessed if you can come up with the first type and manage to sell them. But, whatever don’t let the grind of rejections quell your creative spirit.
‘IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES, THERE’S NO MONEY TO GIVE TO YOUR PROJECT’
These are words have I’ve heard constantly over the last quarter century. It seems like this year it’s easier to take them seriously - and there really is no money around. But, come to think of it, I believed it just as much ten years ago … and twenty years ago … The moral? Forget what they tell you, keep sharpening your ideas, and keep on pitching.
‘BROADCASTING HAS A SHORT MEMORY’
Ah, well I have to admit to feeling the reality of this one. Especially since it looked like Radio Manchester forgot that I was one of the original voices on the station. Fortunately they played an old tape of opening day – and there I was! But it’s true, once you’ve moved on from a project and someone else takes over ‘your baby’, it soon belongs to someone else and you get forgotten.
There are more media clichés I could muse on - like ‘there’s no such thing as a new idea’, ‘it’s who you know that counts’, or ‘you’re only as good as your last programme’, but space and time allow just one more. So I think it has to be …
‘BE KIND TO THOSE ON YOUR WAY UP, AS YOU MIGHT NEED THEIR HELP ON THE WAY DOWN’
So wise that it has to be true. My career path has taken me through local radio – TV researcher – network radio producer – network TV producer – freelance everything. I’ve been helped by many kind people and wish I had returned the favours more often. I get a real buzz from interfacing with ‘new entrants’ to the media industry. Sometimes I’m not sure how much those new entrants realise that long serving media professionals often face the same uncertainties, insecurities and even fears that they do. All of us need to keep dreaming – and that’s something we can do together, whatever the position of our career.
www.johnforrest.tv