Tom works mostly in factual and light entertainment TV, including Our Yorkshire Farm, Race Across the World and Rogue Traders. He has also worked on high-profile entertainment shows including Strictly Come Dancing and The Voice and occasional freelances as a film journalist.
What University did you go to and what subject did you study?
Exeter and English.
What Student TV Station were you a part of?
XTV
Why did you choose to get involved with Student TV?
I had aspirations to write and make my own shows, and student TV seemed like a great way to start doing that.
What was the highlight of your time involved with Student TV?
There are too many to count! Teaming up with a friend to write and direct a 4x30m sitcom about a student newspaper team was one highlight. As was writing/directing/producing my own hour long film and camera operating on live sports events with a local company.
How has Student TV helped you in your professional life?
It gave me a great grounding on how programmes are made and gave me a good all-round skillset. We may not have been professionally trained in student TV, but I learned enough from other students and from teaching myself that when I actually entered the industry I had some key foundational skills that gave me an edge.
What did you do after graduating?
TV is a very competitive industry, so be prepared that it might take a little while to break through. I managed to immediately get a two-week placement on Strictly Come Dancing via the BBC work experience scheme, which led to some work as a runner. But after that it took a while to break through properly. I progressed from runner to junior production roles, with a few random camera-operating and editing jobs along the way.
What do you do now?
I'm a production manager and I've just finished work on a documentary series about the Ice Age for Channel 5.
What's been a highlight of your career so far?
Probably my current production, a documentary series about the Ice Age for Channel 5. It's the biggest team I've managed and one of the most ambitious programmes, involving international travel, several high-profile presenters, and complex archive and VFX.
What would you say to someone who is currently part of a NaSTA Station and is due to graduate soon?
If you want to work in TV then you're in the perfect place. The industry can be tough and competitive to break into, but it's also so much fun and gives you the kind of opportunities you can only dream of. You'll meet experts and celebrities in their fields, you'll travel and have the kind of access to incredible places that the general public never would. Good luck!
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