Shine TV

• Sandra Smith, director of production

How do you spot talent and develop members of the team?

From runners upwards, everyone has clear reporting lines, which helps to identify talent. If someone has a particular path they want to follow, we will do all we can to train and place them on relevant productions.

Runners have gone on to build successful careers as production co-ordinators after discovering a talent for organisation and logistics. Lucy Curtis joined us as a researcher in 2011 and then moved into development.

After helping to formulate Channel 4’s Hunted, she went on to work on it as a producer. She achieved this by taking advantage of every training session offered, and being versatile in what she worked on. A Broadcast Hot Shot 2016, she is producing our new Mary Berry series.

How do people get a foot into your company? What is your approach to apprenticeships and mentoring?

We have three runners at any one time – generally people who have had the foresight to send us their CV and express a desire to work for Shine. There is no educational requirement for this, just a willingness to work hard and be positive. They are offered three-month contracts to a maximum of one year in that role.

As well as taking a graduate from Mama Youth Project and a placement from the Indie Training Fund (ITF) every year, we run our own trainee researcher scheme.

How workable is formal training in the modern TV environment – and what do you offer?

Very workable, if it’s tailored to people’s availability. There are one-day camera courses, and researcher courses off site via the ITF. We also run bespoke courses in-house, including casting for diversity, unconscious bias, C300 camera operating and how to write a good pitch.

In 2017, we will be holding programme and format masterclasses, which will be open to all and be run by an exec who will talk about how a particular production was made.