Leah is an AV Sales Executive, and previous Production Coordinator. She has worked on high-end TV dramas like “Everything I Know About Love,” “Ackley Bridge” and “Peaky Blinders.” At University, Leah was Station Manager of Fuse TV and later a NaSTA Regional Development Officer, refusing to leave student TV behind.
We spoke to Leah before she'd made the move from Production to Sales.
What University did you go to and what subject did you study?
The University of Manchester - Linguistics & English Language and Social Sciences
What Student TV Station were you a part of?
Fuse TV
Why did you choose to get involved with Student TV?
When I went to University I wanted to explore as many opportunities as I could in terms of my extracurriculars. I knew university societies had so much to offer and, with the goal of becoming a journalist or copy writer after graduation, I got involved with a variety of media-based societies. Student TV was the one which grabbed me and flung me onto a totally new career path that I had never even considered possible.
What was the highlight of your time involved with Student TV?
Becoming Station Manager and going to my first NaSTA conference with my station.
How has Student TV helped you in your professional life?
Student TV helped me first of all realise what I wanted to do with my life. Following that it gave me confidence, ambition, drive along with connections and training. Some of the people I met through student TV have been truly inspiring to me and pushed me to strive towards my goals.
What did you do after graduating?
I tried EVERYTHING to get into TV: I made short films, I applied for all of the schemes and work experience placements I could, but to no avail. I worked in retail for seven months, then got a job working for Sky Media as a spot-sales assistant, selling the advert-break slots to advertisers. I worked there for three years, then finally got my first job in production working at an advertising production company.
What do you do now?
What's been a highlight of your career so far?
There have been many. One thing I never get over is seeing my name in the credits; especially the time I worked on “Peaky Blinders” and my name was there in THAT font, which was actually quite early in my career. I think the best moment was going back to “The Bay,” a job I had worked on on a previous series; the first day back on set was like going home. The crew and the cast were a dream and we had so much fun on that job.
What would you say to someone who is currently part of a NaSTA Station and is due to graduate soon?
Don't panic and connect with people. If you keep at it, it will happen - it took me a few years to “get in” but if you persist and make connections you will meet the right person at the right time and it will all fall into place, even if it's not right away. Use your time at university to get as much experience as you can and build your network; you are in an amazing position, so take advantage of it.
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