Role

Production Assistant, Runner

About

I have been working as a freelance runner since graduating from The University of Leeds with a 2:1 BA (Hons) degree in Television Production in July 2011. I have acted as a runner in a variety of different environments, from office to post-production house to studio. Notable productions that I have worked on include quiz shows Wall of Fame and A League of their Own, documentaries Sun, Sea and A&E and Coroners, adverts for Marks and Spencer, Max Factor, and most recently the Adidas 2012 Olympics print campaign. I am available immediately.

Working in a variety of environments has equipped me with many varied transferable skills, including production paperwork, handling petty cash, operating a professional coffee machine a good knowledge of the Central London area and acting as follow spotlight operator for a catwalk shoot, as well as the more basic client hospitality skills including organising meals and drinks for a production crew of 60.

I have an excellent level of written English, and strong typing skills. I consider myself very computer literate, and am always willing to learn new things. I am friendly and polite, and enjoy meeting new people. I am very organised, and have a lot of experience in working to strict deadlines. I have been told on many occasions that I am excellent at finding the balance of being very helpful and attentive without being overbearing or getting in the way.

Credits / Experience

February 2012: Fever Media for BBC3, Runner and Casting Team Assistant
• Fever Media are producing a new dating programme for BBC3, and I assisted the casting and transport team to get things ready for the live event, which involved matching 1000 single people from all over the country into 500 couples in a single day, on location.
• I also worked as a studio runner on the event day, which was highly pressurised and time-constrained. I assisted in all areas, from working on check-in and reception and asking contributors to fill in release forms, to aiding the filming team, distributing schedules to the outside-broadcast team and studio floor staff, talking to contributors about any issues they had and making sure that everyone got on the correct coaches when leaving the event.

February 2012: Blind Productions, Runner
• I worked as a runner on a British Gas shoot, getting involved in all areas of the production. This included providing meals and drinks for a large crew and cast and maintaining the upkeep of the private property where the shoot took place.
• I also assisted with set design, props, sound effects and lighting, as well as acting as a cable basher.

October 2011 – Present: Hangar Seven, Freelance Runner
• I am currently working as a freelance runner at Hangar Seven. This involves being in charge of client hospitality, ensuring that everyone has everything they need and assisting on shoots. I have learnt to deliver a high standard of customer service without being intrusive.
• I have worked on castings and shoots for high profile companies such as Marks and Spencer, helping with the filming of their television advertisements. I have also acted as follow spotlight operator for two separate 3-day catwalk shoots for Marks and Spencer.
• In January 2012, I was the head runner on a print shoot for the Adidas Olympics campaign for 2012 and was responsible for looking after a large number of Olympic athletes each day, as well as a large and very busy production crew.

November 2011 – December 2011: The Station, Post-Production Runner for the Christmas period
• I worked as a full time runner at The Station, a large post-production house servicing high-profile clients whose output is regularly shown on BBC channels, Channel 4, Sky and Channel 5.It is a very busy and client-focused place to work, and this environment meant I needed to be proactive, finding jobs that needed doing rather than waiting to be told what to do.
• There were also various administrative duties, including working on reception, operating the switchboard, organizing petty cash and keeping track of deliveries, distributions and tapes entered into the tape library amongst others.

November 2011: Soul Rebel Films, Freelance Runner and Distributions Assistant
• I assisted the distribution side of production, paying particular attention to the film festival circuit, and gaining exposure at film festivals.
• I was also responsible for entering films into festivals and had to stick to a tight budget to ensure the films were entered into the most appropriate festivals.

August – September 2011: Bitesize Films, Editor
• I worked as an editor at Bitesize Films for a fixed period one month contract, using Avid Media Composer 5 and Boris Red for effects. During this time, I was responsible for entire projects and had to be organised in order to finish work to strict deadlines to a very high standard.
• The company specialised in corporate videos and I edited pieces for Cambridge University, as well as top law firms such as Clifford Chance and Allen and Overy.
• I also added graphics and effects to the pieces, then exported them in a variety of formats for different purposes.

April – May 2011: CPL Productions, Studio Runner and Office Assistant, Placement

March – April 2010: Sue Moles Editing Company, Runner and Assistant Editor, Placement

January 2010: Opera North, Editor, Volunteer

Skills

• I am very experienced at using Avid software, both from work placements and from practical experience during my degree. I have been the lead editor on two projects we have completed as part of the course and can very capably edit both video and audio.
• I have spent a lot of time working in the University television studio, which is BBC specification, and have experience in many different areas, including working on the cameras, sound desk and particularly assisting with the graphics.
• I am familiar with production paperwork, and the care that has to go in to these documents. I have drawn up risk assessments, contributor release forms, storyboards and call sheets, amongst others.

Academic and Technical Skills

• I have a good knowledge of editing software including Avid and Adobe Premier Pro, as well as basic training in Final Cut Pro.
• Knowledge of and ability to use Sorenson Squeeze, Boris Red and scriptwriting program Celtx.
• I am proficient at using Microsoft Word, Works, Excel, Powerpoint and Publisher.
• I can type sixty five words per minute.
• I have undertaken a sports leadership award in dance, where I had to teach a group of young children to dance. This scheme culminated in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, and taught me communication and organisational skills.
• I can confidently use and maintain a professional coffee machine.

Website

http://wix.com/ziacovou/portfolio