Starting My Placement: Thursday 9th April

Hello readers! A different kind of post from me today (and one of many to come). As you know, I am in my third and final year of study at Newcastle University and this term I am enrolled in my school's Cultural Industries module. For this module, I will be taking on a 60-hour work experience placement. I'm going to blog each day of my experience and track my journey.

Today I started my first day of work experience at Bridge + Tunnel Productions. Bridge + Tunnel are a independent media production company based in Newcastle and so this placement is going to provide me some insight into an industry I'm truly interested in. I am the station manager of my university's television channel and so I feel like I already have some insight into the industry. I think I would like to go into film in the future which is why I'm so keen to learn more during my placement!

Bridge + Tunnel's offices are actually located above World Headquarters in Newcastle City Centre. WHQ is a nightclub which I have frequented quite a few times over my three years at university here, so it was strange for me to be there in the daytime, and sober. There's something a little unnerving about that. I was obviously nervous and keen to make a good first impression, so I made sure I was early and looked smart. I didn't know the office dress code, so I attempted to strike a balance between smart/casual in the hope that I'd fit in.

My nerves were completely dispelled when I arrived and met the people in the office. The office is small, with only two members of permanent staff, so I quickly felt comfortable with the new setting. Nelly and Beatriz are super friendly; as soon as I arrived they showed me around the offices and got me to sign confidentiality agreements and health and safety paperwork. The offices are large and trendy - it's a warehouse building and there's even a ping pong table in there. I'm hoping I'll get to have a go before I leave!

I had been emailing James Baillie, B+T's Executive Producer, so I already had some idea of the tasks I would be set. I met up with James and discussed the work I would be expected to complete during my placement. I have been assigned the role of Marketing Assistant; I am to work on the distribution of Tina Gharavi's debut feature, I Am Nasrine.

I began researching contact details for international television companies and put them into an Excel spreadsheet. (My ECDL qualification has finally come in handy for something!) This took so long and so when I left today I had only gone through about half of the original list!