Whisper Films

• Sunil Patel, managing director

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

I look for people with passion and ambition, who challenge the norm and are confident without arrogance.

We’ll give them responsibility and really push them.

Jenice Patel started as a production co-ordinator two years ago and is now junior production manager of our NFL show; Elli Hall joined last year as team assistant and has moved up to researcher; and Carly Brown has moved from edit assistant to senior edit assistant.

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

A lot of people come in through word of mouth, are recommended by a member of staff or have previously worked with us. Our recently opened base at Royal Holloway University of London will offer a pipeline to young talent through mentoring and internships.

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

We encourage staff to come to management with courses they would like to go on, and offer the opportunity to shadow senior members of the team.

The most important thing for us is constant and constructive feedback. That allow members of our production teams to keep learning.

What one thing could make Whisper Films a more attractive place to work?

A more diverse portfolio of work. We currently operate mostly in sport production and branded content, but we hope to add a different variety of contracts in the near future, as well as looking at the factual entertainment genre.

We want to specialise in women’s sport – an area in which our team has great experience. It helps that we have a higher percentage of female staff, which is unusual for a sport indie.