Hot Shots 2022: Rebecca Arnold

Meet the “queen of the Post-It notes”. Not the most common accolade, to be sure, but a well-earned one for Rebecca Arnold, who deploys the sticky paper in vast quantities to map out the labyrinthine interweaving narratives of Channel 4 ob-doc series Emergency.

As series producer, she leads 36 producer-directors in multiple hospitals, ambulances and helicopters to convey the challenges facing the London Major Trauma System.

“Rebecca is formidable in her ability to keep track of multiple crews, multiple narratives and multiple complex compliance issues while keeping an editorial overview of the whole series,” says The Garden head of factual Spencer Kelly.

“Her organisation and communication skills are second to none and, more importantly, she does it with warmth, humour and thoughtfulness. Her teams love working with her – she is clear, collaborative, caring and leads by example.”

Arnold earned the position after wowing Kelly as a producer/director on 24 Hours In A&E.

“Rebecca consistently delivered some of the best films, with editorial acuity, an instinctive knack for compelling storytelling and a sophisticated creative flourish,” he says. “She directed a number of films and every single one was impressive. She always had a playfulness that gave her films a freshness and spirit.”

After a stint as a runner on EastEnders and a researcher for BBC2’s Wonderland strand, and two docs with Dawn Porter, Arnold made her first doc, How To Snare A Millionaire, for C4’s First Cut new director strand. She broke through with BBC1 doc Childbirth: All Or Nothing, taking the reins of development, pitching, filming and editing. Stints on BBC1’s Hospital and C4’s Sun, Sea, Surgery soon followed.

For Kelly, Arnold is the “beating heart” of Emergency. “Becca is a force of nature – there is no other way to describe her.”