Meet Leah, one of our brilliant team at Silverback Films. We asked Leah to share what a day-in-the-life of her role is like, about her career to-date and what advice she’d give to others looking to work in the TV and Film production industry.
Staff profile: Leah, Production Coordinator
Hey, I’m Leah, and I’m a Production Coordinator at Silverback Films. If you’ve heard about production coordinating, you might have heard that no two days are the same…which is nothing but the truth! My day could consist of booking accommodation, sorting contracts for the crew, or more hands on activities like checking and packing the kit needed for the shoot.
Aside from my day-to-day tasks, I also host a junior / trainee support group, which generally involves catching up at lunch about work or non-work-related activities and going for walks (when the sun decides to show!!)
My career path into the TV industry wasn’t the most conventional. I started off on Boomsatsuma’s Film and TV Production course, then worked in a local pub for a couple months. After pouring copious amounts of lager and eating a ridiculous amount of pork scratchings (don’t judge they’re nice), my manager at Boom put my name down for the runner role at Silverback. Shortly afterwards, I embarked on my career ladder at Silverback from runner, trainee PC, junior PC, to PC!
The highlight of my career that springs to mind is having my name in the credits of Our Planet II. I never thought I’d have my name on a big Netflix show this early in my career, so I guess that’s something to celebrate. It’s also been a pleasure working alongside a bunch of talented people, which has made the process of developing my PC skills much more enjoyable. Oh, and how could I forget the staff parties too?!
One piece of advice I would give to someone looking to get into my role or the industry is to be proactive! Reach out to people working in the TV industry whose names are on credits or LinkedIn, sign up for any courses on Screenskills or events that may be happening in your area. One skill people love is proactiveness, and although the TV world may be new to you or it seems unnerving to talk to someone in the TV industry / go to an event (trust me, I’ve been there many times), do it anyway! It shows you have a can-do attitude and are keen to learn, which is a highly respected and employable skill in the TV industry.
