Film Forward Step Up Role: Production manager in film
Merv grew up in Milton Keynes and although he had always wanted to work in the creative industries, he took a degree in business information systems at Salford University. He later did a Masters at London Film School.
His entry into the industry came via a friend who was studying film and TV, making a short Bollywood film. He asked Merv to be a runner. “I got on well with the 1st AD,” Merv recalls, “and a few months later he asked me to be a runner on a TV show. From there I never looked back.”
Merv is a great fan of ScreenSkills and acknowledges its contribution to the industry; as well as going on its training courses - “Its help is invaluable” - he's in his third year of assessing potential candidates for floor runner trainees as part of the new entrant Trainee Finder programme.
“I think it's important for people in my position to give back,” he says. “You get people from all walks of life, some have experience, while some have no experience but have a dream – similar to me when I started out. Some people just need a chance and if I can help, I do.”
Merv was aware of the previous cohort chosen for Film Forward and when he saw details of it on the ScreenSkills website thought its aims were interesting, put a reminder in his calendar and made sure he applied.
Familiar with the programme and its aims, he describes Film Forward as “a very good initiative”, one he hopes will offer him the guidance he’s looking for to progress further. “I'll be able to shadow an experienced PM and pick their brains and see how it's done first-hand,” he says, explaining how it helps people to gain more experience if they have a skillset that's suitable
Merv likens Film Forward to somebody “holding my hand,” allowing him to put his experience and knowledge to the test. “I'll be trying my best; production is where I see myself and this is the opportunity to step up.”
He says he is “very eager” to move from assistant directing to production. “Although I've never been in the production role, the two work very closely together and I can see the overlap very clearly. My strengths as a 2nd AD would work very well as a production manager, but of course there are gaps in my knowledge and I will work very hard to fill them.”
He believes that Film Forward can help to address the industry's tendency to pigeonhole people in their careers. “There's an accepted career progression in most roles and for someone to move departments is quite rare. This could be a good way to transition, I hope.” His ambition is to be a line producer in a few years.
Merv, who is Black, says although he's aware of unconscious bias in the industry, he has “always approached everything without that in mind. “I don't use that as a barrier to entry. It's not my mindset because I don't think it's helpful. If I didn't get a job, I don't think it's because of that, it's because I fell short in some way, or there was a personality clash, or I wasn't the right fit in that role. But obviously I can't speak to somebody's else's experience.”
He has though, often been the only person of colour on set and says he “can count on one hand how many Black ADs I've met, and never a Black HoD”.
He believes the problem of diversity in the industry comes down to addressing the barriers of entry and suggests that in the more technical roles where qualifications matter, it's possible that is an economic burden that some people may not be able to overcome.
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