NI's TV Industry in Lockdown - An Update from the Industry's Top Women

Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well amidst all of the craziness going on with the pandemic (oosh, now I'm opening my blog the same way as my emails) 

From socials, it was clear to see that the TV industry hadn't come to a complete standstill. So, dying to know exactly what was happening in the NI sector, I asked the amazing Maeve McLoughlin, Vikkie Taggart, Sara Gunn-Smith and Erin Comiskey all about how they were able to continue their jobs in lockdown, and if they had any advice for young people whose plans to get into the industry have been stalled for the moment (meeeeee!!!!!!!)

Maeve McLoughlin - BBC NI Youth Executive

Have you been able to continue your work as the BBC3 NI Youth Executive during lockdown?

Yes it's business as normal for the BBC. We just recently completed a pitching round for BBC NI and some great ideas were given the green light. I am commissioning exec on series 2 of Angels of the North, and it's currently in the edit so I am able to deliver notes on that remotely. 

Are you able to tell me if you’re still being pitched/commissioning new TV projects remotely?

We are hoping for for some further pitching rounds to open soon so watch this space.

Would the majority of these projects be able to be created remotely or would production have to wait until the lockdown was over?

We are moving forward on the early stages of production where we can and completing casting remotely. Filming of these productions is having to be delayed until we are given the go ahead by the government to start filming, but these are being planned to be completed with social distancing in place.

What adjustments have you had to make to be able to work from home?

I've had to get used to working remotely and not being in the room with companies and colleagues. It's involved some slight adjustment, but all in all I'm lucky I can work so easily from home. 

Vikkie Taggart - Director of Operations at Stellify Media

Have Stellify continued to operate through lockdown?

Yes, we have been incredibly lucky to be able to continue working. We all work from home now and have adapted with great ease to our new situation. We have daily check ins with each department and still have our weekly team meeting and drinks catch up, just via video now. We made a deal before lockdown that we always video call so we feel like we are in still seeing each other. I’m really proud of how the teams have continued to work at full capacity during this difficult time.

Have productions been able to continue remotely or is everything on hold until after lockdown is over?

We have a few productions which we have paused and are ready to start back up again once restrictions are lifted. Luckily there are a few things that Stellify are able to continue working on during lockdown.

Have the development department been able to pitch to  commissioners online or are they only able to work on their recent slate?

Yes, absolutely. They are generating amazing new ideas and we are pitching via Zoom/Teams every week to as many commissioners as possible. We are finding that commissioners are very responsive to requests for meetings at the moment. That part of our business is actually busier than ever and the development team are a well-oiled machine.

Do you have any advice for young people who’s entry into the industry is currently on hold due to lockdown?

Stay focused, stay positive, this is only temporary. Use this time to hone your skill set, research and source as much online training as you can to perfect your skillset. Use this time to be creative, generate new ideas / content, work on your showreels. Now is also a good time to introduce yourselves to Indie’s. Just because we can’t meet for coffee face to face doesn’t mean we aren’t up for a video coffee chat, for me anything that isn’t home-schooling right now, is a welcome distraction.

Sara Gunn-Smith - Marketing and Audiences Officer at FilmHub NI

FilmHubNI have been active and posting content/updates on social media, can you tell a bit about how  your job’s changed during lockdown?

Film Hub NI is based at Queen’s Film Theatre so we knew that when the cinema closed, we would be moving to working from home too. The first week or so was spent keeping in touch with the small Hub team, the Hub membership of film exhibitors, our QFT colleagues and our colleagues from across the BFI Film Audience Network. We were also working out new technologies and figuring out what exactly we were going to do. The first couple of weeks were very difficult in terms of also managing anxiety and stress but that settled down as we got into a new routine. We took the decision early on to focus our attention on communications and keeping our social media and website channels open, as well as contacting all our members on a weekly basis with an update and assuring them we are here to provide support (practical and moral). We are also now working through applications to the COVID-19 Resilience Fund that was set up by BFI and administered through the Film Hubs across the UK. Most of my job is either promoting events, managing events and providing advice on audience development for independent film, so my job has changed somewhat but still has the same focus – providing the best possible support to film exhibitors, at a time when financial support, and the support of a strong network has never been more crucial.

Can you tell me a bit about the adjustments you’ve had to make?

I am now working from home, which is tricky as my husband is also working from home and we have a 6 and a 8 year old to education/entertain while still working. It is difficult, but over the weeks I have realised that we can all only do so much. It is important to switch off in the evening and have some level of difference between the working day and home life. There is a lot happening online in terms of webinars, networking, watch parties etc. but I find now I have less time than ever. I have only watched about 4 films so far – usually it’s 2-3 per week! I can’t wait to get back into a cinema, and back to our office

Do you think it’s still possible for young people to get involved in the TV/film industry during lockdown or would they be better off biding their time until it’s all over?

I think there are lots of things that young people could be doing now, while production/exhibition is halted. Make sure your CV is up to date and looking great. There are also many online courses being offered by Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Skills Ireland, ScreenSkills and other organisations, so take the opportunities while these are being offered for free/low cost. Developing skills will be useful in the long run so take the opportunity while you can.

Erin Comiskey - Production Assistant Trainee at Afro-Mic Productions

I can see you've ben casting recently, could you tell me a bit about how the process in lockdown is different to how it normally works?

Casting for this has been so much fun, we were very lucky to have had an overwhelming response to our casting which shows that teens really do have a voice and want to share it! Regarding casting methods we have been doing what we normally do promoting over social media for example so on that front nothing has really changed. However, street casting is something we obviously aren’t able to do at the moment but as we were looking for teens all across the UK and Ireland we wouldn’t have used that method for this particular series so Covid hasn’t affected this much. 

Can you tell me about the adjustments you’ve had to make to be able to work from home?

Zoom has been a total game changer when it came to working from home, it has made the whole transition a lot easier. At the beginning working from home was quite different and took a moment to get used with, but we very quickly set schedules and put plans in place so that everyone knew what they were doing and it has really paid off as we are working really well together and being a lot more collaborative. 

Do you have any advice for young people who’s plans to get into the industry have been halted by Coronavirus

I know this is a very difficult time, especially for those trying to break into the industry but I would use this downtime wisely! Be proactive, work on your show reels, do your research maybe try and develop some ideas so that when things start to pick back up you have something to bring to the table! 

And there we have it! I was so grateful for these amazing (and clearly very busy!) women to take the time to provide clarity on how the industry is doing right now, and for their advice!

So far my checklist for the remainder of lockdown is to finish up my uni work, take as many shifts/hours as I can (take a shot if you're an essential worker!), keep the blog going, attend some online animation workshops (did someone say, 'expanded skillset?') and DEVELOPDEVELOPDEVELOP my own TV show ideas so when the industry opens up again, I can hit the ground running.

Since I opened this blog like a corona-email, it seems fitting to close it the same way. 

Best wishes to you all and stay safe,

Stacey