TV Hierarchy: Patronise the Runner at Your Peril

I loathe TV hierarchy, even though I'm sometimes complicit in it. TV is a small, young and fiercely competitive industry. I know 27 year old Heads of Development, 26 year old Producer/Directors and 30 year old Series Producers. So when you're clicking your fingers at the Logger, barking orders at the Runner or doling out unreasonable requests to the Intern, just remember that in a few years, you could (and probably will) be working for them. 

There's a saying - be nice to people on your way up, because you'll meet them on your way down. Or in TV, be nice to the Runner, because they could be Commissioning your show in a few years.

We all know that crewing up for productions relies heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations and your reputation always proceeds you. Before Talent Managers or Execs start to scour Talent Manager, trawl Facebook Groups or tap into their CV database (I'm sceptical that these ever get a second glance), they will of course call people they know, have worked with before or those who their TV friends and colleagues have suggested. So don't rub people up the wrong way, whether they're the Prod Sec or the PM, because regardless of their status in the TV pecking order, their character reference of you is just as valid. 

The thing I love (and at times, loathe) about TV is that you don't have to 'do your time' necessarily to get ahead. If you're competent, likeable, diligent and a quick learner, you can quickly establish yourself in the industry and if you impress, there is opportunity to quickly work your way up the slippery TV ladder. 

One of my pet hates though, is people try to jump ahead without the necessary experience. There is a growing culture of freelancers wanting a Researcher credit when they've only been Running for 3 months, or APs who want to be Casting Producers when they've only led the casting of a couple of mediocre shows. It's not that I begrudge people who move up the ladder quickly, I certainly did, but there's nothing worse than feeling out-of-your-depth. 

Don't expect someone working on less than minimum wage to work the same hours as you (when you break down their £300 weekly Runner rate to the hours they're putting in over weekends and late into the night). It's exploitative and unfair. Nor should you patronise people when they ask questions or don't know what certain wanky TV terms mean. I remember asking what 'C4' stood for on an e-mail from my Head of Development at a well-known indie, and being forever grateful when he discretely told me and reassured me (without a shred or condescension) it was a confusing term. 

I remember on a shoot trying to bluff that I understood when a cameraman asked me to put the 'strawberry filter' on (which I later found out means pretending you're shooting to make the contributor feel special but not actually recording). And there was a time when terms like 'up-sync', 'b roll' and 'non-sync wides' completely baffled me. But I was always grateful to the people who took the time to explain things properly and still remember the bitter souls who snapped at me for not instinctively knowing.

So my advice would be - get your head down, learn all you can from people above (and below) you, never get too big for your boots and treat people with the respect they deserve. Because that snotty-nosed Runner who is getting ahead of herself and throwing in ideas where they're not wanted, could well be your Commissioning Editor in 5 year's time. Just sayin.