Jackson Nderitu is full of praise for ScreenSkills' First Break programme, which gave him an entry into HETV. “It was a massive experience for me,” he attests of his three-week placement on detective series Strike (made by Bronte Film and TV for the BBC). “I'm very grateful to ScreenSkills for the opportunity.”
First Break is an initiative that aims to de-mystify entry into the industry for those from under-represented groups and for people who may not have considered a career in TV. The programme provides people with vital insight on what working in the industry involves through jargon free industry-led events, hands-on bootcamps and paid shadowing experiences on TV productions.
“I had been trying to get into the industry for while,” says Jackson. “It always felt 'gated' - that unless you knew somebody you couldn't find a way in through the normal channels. But to be on set and working with crews opened my eyes as to how I could navigate myself through the industry. And you start to build a network of people who can help guide you.
“When I was freelancing I wasn't working on big productions, and therefore wasn't building a CV, or a level of credibility. But working on a production being shown on the BBC – worldwide – gives you an in. It's like being vetted, in a way.”
Jackson was born in Kenya and his family moved to the UK when he was 10; he was always interested in the creative industries, initially thinking he might become an actor. But, he says disarmingly, “It wasn't my strong suit.” He studied animation at the University of West London and while there started making short films. “I enjoyed it, and found that I liked being behind the camera.”
After college he worked in retail and as a freelance videographer but it was during the Covid lockdown that he considered how he might break into HETV, and heard about the First Break programme.
He applied and in March 2022 gained a three-week placement in the technical department (sound, script and camera) on Strike. Immediately after he got another placement on lighting and camera on the ITV drama Unforgotten, where one of his colleagues, Eli Hughes – just about to start DP work on an independent film - asked Jackson to do some sparking for him. “So of course I said yes, and it was fun.”
Jackson has been steadily adding to his CV and is working towards eventually being a DP or cinematographer. “Any chance to be in the camera department, I will take it up,” he says. “I want to keep the momentum going.”
He says the First Break placements have helped him focus his ambition: “I was able to see how things work on set, talk to the DPs and how they frame things and paint a picture with lighting. Having this experience through ScreenSkills has allowed me to home in on what I want to do.”
In just a few months Jackson has worked on both big and small productions and describes them as having “a different energy”.
“Big productions obviously have more money and a bigger crew, so everything is more structured and everyone knows their role. There's little room for error and things tend to run smoothly. But with smaller productions it can be much more 'run and gun'. On one small production, for example, we had a last-minute location change and had to improvise. It's slightly more chaotic but can be more hands-on.”
Another aspect of the First Break programme is that it highlights the huge range of roles available and, crucially, shows applicants how their current skillset could be exactly what the industry needs. Jackson found this aspect of the programme very helpful.
“When I was trying to get into the industry, I was just listing my technical knowledge on my CV,” he says. “But when I attended a CV-writing workshop I was encouraged to think about my other skills, such as effective communication, for example. Communication is key in this industry and ScreenSkills helped me see that.”
Getting into the screen industries
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