Hey John ,
Not sure if this is still your active e-mail ..? Anyways…. I’ll track you down one way or another.. If I don’t hear back. :)
Few things that I wanted to discuss with you. Details below, nothing heavy…
Some updates: Magalie is back in Australia and just waiting for her new contract with Schneider electrics & hoping to buy a house with a pool! I’ll probably get over there at Xmas for a swim. :). I’m still living in the same lovely flat in Brixton and off to a music festival this weekend called Mucky Weekender near Winchester. But missing my partner in gigs / events (Magalie) . So I really don’t mind moving out to the country side (Farnham way) if they need me (details below).
Though you might be up for this.. if your available & interested..?
My Friend Sharon is an Art Teacher at a well-to-do grammar school in Canterbury and is looking for people in the Film & TV industry to come and talk & motivate their 6th form students about careers and opportunities.. That kind of thing.
Looking for someone to do a presentation, Q & A etc.. Here is her outline: 'We run lecture slots on a whole host of things to motivate students in ‘out of school context’ ways, It’s first thing Friday mornings (9-10), when they have a slot for these kind of talks. It would be in the hall and for the whole of year 12 ( first year sixth form 16/17 year olds - around 150), so a presentation kind of thing. The school is Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School, Canterbury. It’s a co-ed sixth form. - mid September/early October. If you could propose that, I’d be so grateful.' -
TBH: I would find this incredibly scary but I thought you might be the right guy for the job…. ??
Sharons contact info.. : xxxxxxxxxx
Also.. I’ve just been for a chat with UCA Farnham re: Technical Services Manager post: looking after their studios, facilities and Staff. I did a presentation and spoke about the 10 Years that I worked on / off at the NFTS, as well as commercial work and LSBU. I mentioned you and the DFX dept..Where you employed me, now and again, between 2008 - 2018. There is a small chance that they may want to follow up my presentation and discussions and I hope you don’t mind that I mentioned you as a previous employer. I know it was previously alot of Hassle with Bianca the HR at London South Bank University when they previously asked you for references for me etc. And they were really pedantic / idiotic about the whole process.. Maybe you still have your response and that could work for UCA..? Anyway it’s just a possibility and the logistics of getting to Farnham, Surrey everyday might not be feasible.
— Ive just bought a ticket to see the ‘Death Cult’ at the electric Brixton in November. Not ‘The Cult’ or ‘Southern Death Cult’, but essentially the same people, doing all their old ‘goth rock’ songs for one last time. So music from around 82 - 85 ish .. No new songs. I guess everything up to ‘she sells Sanctuary’ but really concentrating on the early years. Would you be interested in coming along..? I’m going on the last night of the tour.. at the electric Brixton. November 21st…
This sort of thing: https://youtu.be/YV9Xo_7xPRc?si=YlT8MaEk8RDGhzYe https://youtu.be/uod2gdVKP6c?si=Ws8JruyNA7rKQ6ND
It’s ages away but I'm planning ahead… Let me know .. :)
Have been reading about this mega camera ‘Big Sky’ recently; looks like more disruption coming soon to the industry if we’re not all going to just use verbal prompts in Runway.ai to create films in the future? : https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/sphere-studios-unveils-most-advanced-camera-system-in-the-world
Creative projects on the go: music, paintings and stuff: chk here: https://linktr.ee/tch1. Have a look if you have a sec.
Personally Ive been out of work (consulting!) for the last few months and thought I might be better suited back in education. As much fun as the commercial world has been, its been very tiring and full of egotistic big babies.. That’s just how I feel at the moment. But currently nice and sunny so I guess I’ll jump on a bike and head out to enjoy.
Catch up soon.
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Hi Tony,
I hope all is well!
Its been 24 months since I moved on from LSBU and I thought I’d contact you and give you an update of what I’ve been up to…
Two years in the commercial world as Studios manager for Camberwell Film & TV Studios and Greenwich Studios too.
I've
recently been reflecting on my time working for LSBU & as an
employee in TSS, considering what worked and what obstacles I
encountered. Particularly with the move of the school of ACI from the
London Road site to Borough Road. Both the achievements and the
setbacks, good and bad, dealing with the various contractors, our
technical staff (some of whom did not like change and actively rebelled
against it & me), the previous director of the school, and maybe
how I would go about things differently in retrospect. This came about
as a task & application I recently did for UCA Farnham for the role
of Technical Services Manager. I was invited to do a presentation and
used an ishiwaka (fishbone) diagram to look at the root causes of some
problems I perceived along the way; also I didn't slander or mention
anyone in particular..
I hope that my ‘legacy' on the multiple
projects that we undertook and my determination to provide the best
facilities possible are still part of the foundations of the school of
ACI and the various courses we supported. From the 4k Cinema and the
‘broadcast journalism' space with NDI capability and Newtek TC-1 vision
mixer as well as the training I organised for the team. Along with my
eye & ear for detail and making sure the studios were equipped to
their best capability, keeping the pressure on MARIS persistently to fix
their errors, inc: silent AC in studios, connectivity to the other
studios etc. This was also true for supporting the sound department and
the installation of Dante in the edit suites.
I am still in
touch with Tim Fransen (Technical Tutor) and enjoy hearing about
developments within the department and team. Personally, I have
employed multiple ex-members of staff and students on my subsequent
projects. From hiring Ilaria (ex-kit room) on a Muhammed Ali feature
film we produced at Camberwell studios. To training ex-students to work
on live streams for one of my clients Inc. Tik Tok. Recently, I was
complimented by a film graduate who was working for me at Greenwich
Studios when he found out I was the previous Studio Manager responsible
for his old course he stated that the studios at LSBU were ’Sick’.
Which was high praise. Another thing that I mentioned was that I was
on site, looking after the spaces, during the whole of lockdown.
Working with the health and safety department at LSBU in my capacity as
Unison H+S rep. Along with writing new guidelines and SOP's for the
courses we supported and helping with the other schools as well.
I
also initiated the digitalisation of Screen Studies core texts and
negotiated a separate server for them from IT. I found and and framed
all the cinema posters around the studios, including a display cabinet
for awards; which no one had thought about doing before. As well as
introducing the software CeltX for the producing students and the Albert
(sustainability) scheme to the film production department which are now
both part of the curriculum. Along with looking after the BFI player
subscriptions for all the staff and students, Inc. liaising with them. I
also volunteered to edit the course profiles for marketing, in my
attempt to break down divisions between departments.
It was
really unfortunate that I had to leave Lizzie’s research project after I
moved to her department after two years within TSS. You probably
know that there were huge delays (12 months!) with the refurbishment of
the studios I was involved with creating at Maidstone TV Studios, this
was partly down to the pandemic, getting the right contractors in place
and subsequently missing our window for a timely build. It was a
‘dream’ job for me and I was very disappointed with the delays and that
we could not look for another site to refurbish instead. Very
frustrating. I did, however, change the whole direction of the project
for all the ‘hubs’ and partners that we were working with and was very
happy that everyone embraced my ideas and went with the new direction
and approach that I suggested. . Again, I believe my influence was key
in making this happen through my research and presenting it to all the
stakeholders.
This also meant that I unpacked my boxes, as I
was moving to Kent and closer to the new studios, and was left in
limbo.. with nowhere to go.. Luckily a studio near me in Brixton needed
my skills and soon took me on where I put all my Health and Safety
training to good use and got them up to speed. Clients include Ben
Malloby (academic on the film course) with Ruby Wax & LSB students
on the crew, Feature films, music videos and producing documentary
work.
Recently I have been working on TV projects inc. the
Eurovision Song (BBC) contest and The Booker Prize. However, I am
looking to use more of my skills in facilities and advising on H&S
and production in higher education and a role came up at UCA Farnham
that I am keen on exploring. Utilising the experience and knowledge
gained over my career and using my experiences at LSBU as an exploration
of what I thought worked and what I would do differently now, on
reflection.
With all the above in mind, I
thought you, as my former head of department, might be the ideal person
to corroborate or give your own account of my conclusions...? So I hope
you do not mind that I put you down as my former employer in case UCA
want to move forward with my application.
