Owen Charnley (Camera Trainee)

What made you decide to apply for your trainee position on the Northern Routes Training Scheme?
I was looking for a new experience after my last job and thought a high quality BBC drama would look good on my CV.

Please give a brief outline of your previous experience, related to this training position.
I have been a Camera Trainee on Shameless and Waterloo Road, both for fairly long stints.

There were nearly 500 applications for 22 places across the north of England, how did it feel to be chosen?
Suprised and very happy, it showed that there are always opportunities.

What have you been up to so far on your placement?
My main job is to make sure that Monitors are always cabelled correctly and that the crew and director can always see a picture. Apart from that just general assistance of the camera team.

What's been the best bit(s)?
Being trusted to work alone and depended on to provide the best service to the crew. It shows they trust me to represent the camera team unassisted.

What are your long term career aims and how do you feel this scheme will help you achieve them?
I want to work with cameras for the rest of my life and want to learn more about dramas and see if it's the correct path for me.

Case StudyCaroline Silk - Hair and Make-up artist

Caroline Silk has been working as a make-up artist for several years.In January she did a two-day flawless airbrushing course thanks to Screen Yorkshire funding from Skillset.
"Continually updating my knowledge and developing new skills is important; it's also about keeping up with technology and moving with the industry. Airbrushing is an essential skill to have, especially for high definition television and, ultimately, the more skills I can offer a production, the more employable I am. Screen Yorkshire has always been helpful.My applications for funding have been dealt with very quickly and queries are answered in a friendly and professional manner."

Caroline is also listed on the Screen Yorkshire crew database which has led to work on a feature film. She thinks her future continues to lie in the region: "Yorkshire is easy to get around
and it's a short hop to other filming hotspots like the Midlands, Liverpool, Manchester and further north. We've got everything a production needs from pre- and post-production facilities and kit hire companies to plenty of crew who are experienced at all levels."