#4 First day on a TV Drama set

I have worked in the industry for nearly 20 years. I started out as a general helper on small commercials and music videos. I absolutely loved it. The big questions that people always ask me are, "How did you get your big break?" and "What was your first day like?"

I started working in the industry on music videos and small commercials through a university internship. I said yes to working on anything and doing any job. I didn't work for any money in the beginning. Prior to that internship, I had always worked backstage at the local am-dram theatre, which was brilliant!

I remember my first day on a TV drama very clearly and how I got the job. A friend had messaged me, asking me to send my CV to someone who was looking for a runner. I didn't have a CV at the time, so I quickly made one up. I emailed it over using a very unprofessional email address; it was the early noughties, and everyone had bad email addresses (make sure you have a good email address to use when sending CV's out). I didn't hear anything, and then at 4 a.m. on a Monday morning, I had a phone call from someone in production. They asked me if I could be at work in an hour. I said yes. I did not know what I was about to step into. I borrowed my parents's car and drove into York.

I know there will be people who read this blog and say they can't drive. I wanted to drive because I lived in a small village and I had no choice; I already knew that I had to. Living in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, and Cardiff all have great transport links. And if you can't afford to learn to drive at the beginning, there are many public transportation options. I would encourage anyone who wants to join the industry to learn how to drive. 

I walked through the unit base for the first time, seeing a huge array of trailers. I was told to fill them with fruit and water and then take breakfast orders to the trailer. The first trailer I knocked on was Sean Bean's, and the second was Sam Neil's. I actually dropped the bacon sandwich. The whole day was a huge learning curve. I had no idea what I was doing; I had never worked a radio before, and I didn't ever know that it was the 1st AD that said action.

But that whole experience taught me to ask for help when I needed it, listen to the radio, and always check in with your superior (in my case, the 3rd AD). I was really fortunate to be working with a great team of people, and they really helped me. I will never forget how nice the make-up designer was to me and all the advice she gave me, more than anyone else.

We worked 16-hour days; I couldn't walk at the end. I cried a couple of times and felt totally out of my depth. But I kept an open mind and basically did what I was told to do and always said yes, and if I didn't know what they were asking me to do, I asked for help.

My advice to anyone who wants to break into the industry is to accept any job, no matter how small it is. If it wasn't for those small music videos I worked on, I wouldn't have worked on the TV drama. One job always leads to the next. Just go into each job with open arms and open eyes; each one is a learning curve, and every set is different. Also, people are always happy to give advice and help. We want the next generation of new starters to come into this industry with the keenness to learn and make the set a great place to work. Anyone with a negative, no, attitude won't last in this industry, and anyone who can't do long days will struggle. But if you want it, you will get it.

On my second day on that job, I had the pleasure of being Joss Acklands assistant for the day. I just had to look after him. He was a wonderful man, and he made my day. Sadly, he passed away last year. I wanted to say thank you to him. Not all actors will chat with you or make you feel included, but he did!

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/2296977.cobbles-and-crusoe/