Category: diversity

  • Need advice on how to find jobs within the TV & Film industry?

    There are SO many places to find entry level TV and Film jobs and opportunities. The most obvious place we can recommend to find jobs is right HERE on our TCN Talent Pool (it’s completely free to set up a profile and apply for job opportunities!), but we’ll give you a run down on some of the places you should looking to find the best opportunities out there and how to maximise your chances of landing your perfect job!

    Some top tips for Job hunting:

    ● Always answer your phone!

    It can sometimes feel a little daunting picking up the phone to unknown numbers, BUT this will help to make sure you never miss an opportunity as jobs can go quickly! Same with emails…Always check your inbox/spam often!

    CV Tips

    • If you’re happy for your CV to be passed around for employment purposes a way that makes it extra clear and speedy for potential employers to know about you, save your CV file name as ‘NAME – CURRENT JOB TITLE – DATE AVAILABILE FROM’. If you’re starting out in the industry or unsure what to put as your current job title, put the role which you are looking to apply for e.g. Runner. (it’s also a good idea to put a GDPR statement on your CV!)

    ● Tailor your CV to the job you’re applying to. You can have different CVs for different roles/genres and use experience that suits each one. You can write things like ‘I am keen to gain experience in TV and have a particular interest in X Y Z’. This will give whoever is reading your cv an idea of what you are interested in and where they can place you

    ● Make your skills clear on your CV. e.g. If you can drive, TELL US on your CV.

    Our Tips for Cover Letters:

    1. Keep it short
    2. Tell them where you saw the advert and what the role is you’re applying for
    3. Put the information they’ve asked for first. Did they ask if you have a driving licence? If you’re based in a certain area? If you’re available for certain dates? Then answer their questions first, in a really easy to read way – think bullet points!
    4. Check your spelling and wording. It just doesn’t look great if you haven’t taken the time to check your spelling, or if you’ve copied and pasted a bit from a previous application and haven’t changed the company name for example. Make sure it’s accurate!
    5. Do not write one ‘cover letter’ and use that for all applications. It is obvious if it’s a copy and paste job.

    When writing a cover letter a basic thing is to put yourself in the shoes of whoever is reading your application and to try and make it as easy for them to pick out why you are right for the job!

    Places to find jobs and opportunities!

    · TriForce Creative Network Talent Pool – on the TCN Talent Pool website you will find some of the best opportunities available in TV and Film for all kinds of roles and levels of experience. All you need to do is sign up to our Talent Pool and from there you can apply to all the amazing jobs that we update everyday! It’s free to set up a profile and apply for as many job opportunities as you like! https://thetcn.com/the-tcn-talent-pool/

    ● Facebook Groups

    Facebook groups are a key way people of all levels find jobs in the industry. From Costume Networking groups to Sound TV and Film jobs groups, there are Facebook groups for whatever department you’re looking for. Here are some of the best groups on Facebook for opportunities, but there’s LOTS more:

    • People in TV: Runners, opportunities for entry-level work – https://www.facebook.com/groups/tv.runners
    • Neel Mookherjee’s Facebook TV, film and video jobs groups with over 125000 total UK members so far. All Neel’s groups have a strong ethical focus –

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/lovingyourwork/

    https://www.facebook.com/tvandfilmjobs

    ●LinkedIn

    LinkedIn is a great place to connect with people who are working in the roles you aspire to work in and is also a great space for hiring. Get a profile set up and start to grow your network!

    ● Other Places

    Jobs and opportunities can be found in other places too. Make sure you check these sites for some of the amazing things they put out.

    – BBC Writersroom always have great opportunities available https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/

    – Triple C/DANC https://triplec.org.uk/

    – Screen Yorkshire https://www.screenyorkshire.co.uk/skills-and-talent/

    – Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) https://screen-network.org.uk/

    – Creative Diversity Network https://creativediversitynetwork.com/

    – Screenskills for all kinds of info, training and opportunities related to TV and Film https://www.screenskills.com/

    – Screen Alliance Wales for education and training opportunities in Wales https://www.screenalliancewales.com/

  • Announcing Handle With Care: Jimmy Akingbola

    TriForce Productions first feature documentary will be hitting your screens this Autumn on ITV.

    In this deeply personal film, acclaimed actor Jimmy Akingbola traces his own journey and, in doing so, uncovers the truth about growing up in the care system in England.

    Now a celebrated actor, starring in award-winning, global productions across film, television and theatre including Bel-Air, In The Long Run and Most Dangerous Game, Jimmy reflects on how his upbringing shaped him. 

    Exec Producer Fraser Ayres said “We’re very excited to be working on such a personal story as our first documentary. Not only does this revealing programme explore Jimmy’s upbringing, we also take a wider look at the experiences of those growing up in care in the UK.”

  • DEAD CANNY on DAVE!

    Triforce Productions is pleased to announce our new sitcom ‘Dead Canny’, premiering Wednesday 24th August 2022 on Dave at 10pm. Dead Canny follows ‘Kay’ (Sarah Balfour), a questionable young psychic from Consett, Co. Durham, whose ability to see dead people earns her a few quid cash-in-hand down the local pub. Unfortunately, it turns out people are just as annoying dead as they were alive.

    Sarah Balfour as Kay

    Our stellar cast stars: newcomer Sarah Balfour, Laoise Sweeney, Denise Welch, Dean Bone, Steph Lacey, Mark Benton, Aryana Ramkhalawon, Rhea Bailey and our very own Fraser Ayres!

    ‘Dead Canny’ is written by the talented Anna Costello, who is one of the finalists from our popular WriterSlam competition which had writers vying for an opportunity to have their project produced and broadcast on Dave in partnership with UKTV.

    WriterSlam is Triforce Creative Networks writers programme to help TV production companies and broadcasters access UK based new writers from diverse backgrounds who represent the society that we live in, and who will offer different perspectives, experiences and opinions. The initiative with UKTV was to encourage writers to tell a story we’ve never seen on TV before, or whether it’s simply a universal story told by a different voice.

    Three other productions will also be shown as part of the season, they include: Holier Than Thou written by Misha Adesanya and produced by Big Deal Films, Perfect written by Laurence Clark and produced by Happy Tramp, and The Other Half written by Kate Reid and Zak Ghazi-Torbati and produced by Ranga Bee.Pete Thornton, Head of Scripted, UKTV, said, “We’re excited to be working with TriForce Creative Network and DandI.org.uk on this unique UKTV WriterSlam and to be throwing this opportunity open to all underrepresented voices from any background”.

    Fraser Ayres, Executive Producer and CEO of TriForce Creative Network, said “This is what a ‘360° approach’ actually looks like. If we’re going to find more Michaela Cole’s and Tim Renkow’s we need to develop pathways that provide access and then perhaps those much needed voices won’t have to traverse so many obstacles to be heard. This move is unprecedented and kudos to UKTV for taking this tangible and giant step to truly move the dial with us.”

    Minnie Ayres, Executive Producer and dandI.org.uk CEO, said “By utilising our dandI.org.uk talent pool, we’re in a unique position to ensure inclusion and open access at all levels” added “From creatives to crew this will be fully inclusive, allowing us to also address the gaps we have identified by levelling up talent that is ready, but yet to be given their shot”.

    Dead Canny’ will premiere on UKTV’s award-winning comedy entertainment channel Dave, at 10pm, Wednesday 24 August 2022!

  • Be in the audience for SIDK Season 3!

    Free tickets are now available to book for the studio recording of Sorry, I Didn’t Know season 3!

    We’re very excited that ‘Sorry, I Didn’t Know…’ the comedy panel show about Black history is returning this year for season 3!

    TriForce needs YOU!

    We’ll be filming the show at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith Sun 12 June – Tues 14 June and once again this year there are FIVE shows.

    The show is a hilarious comedy panel show, unearthing everything you didn’t know about black history. We’ve all heard of Mary Seacole and Martin Luther King, but did you know that the first self-made female millionaire was black? Or that the inspiration for the character Monostatos in Mozart’s The Magic Flute’ was black classical composer Joseph Bologne?

    We’ve got an amazing panel lined up for the show, including our host Jimmy Akingbola, the lovely Chizzy Akudolu and guest appearances from the likes of White Yardie, our favourite Chaser Shaun Wallace, Russell Kane and Verona Rose.

    For more information and to book your ticket, click the button below!

  • How to access the NEW TCN Talent Pool!

    We’ve had a bit of a makeover with our jobs site! Check out the info here on how to access the new site, find your profile if you’ve already registered, or set up a new profile if you’re new to us!

    We are now working with over 70 production companies and broadcasters and have updated the system to make it even easier for you to look for work and apply for jobs.

    Now you can:

    • Apply for jobs directly from your profile
    • See previous job applications
    • Have complete control over your profile for uploading latest CV, updates/corrections etc.
    • ‘One-Click Apply’ for jobs.

    I already had a profile on the TCN Talent Pool – how do I access my profile on the new site?

    You won’t need to fill in your profile again! (A collective sigh of relief…)

    Click THIS LINK and click ‘Forgot Password’, where you’ll be directed to a page to assign a new password, which will then connect you to your profile.

    -PLEASE NOTE- For it to be able to find and link to your account, you need to enter the SAME email address that you ORIGINALLY SIGNED UP to the TCN Talent Pool with.

    Once that’s done, you can now access your new profile!

    Please take a look and make sure all of your information is up to date and correct as the more information you provide, the more effective we can be in finding you the perfect job.

    Then what?

    You can then log into your candidate portal and apply for jobs directly from there. Just click the ‘Jobs’ tab on the left hand side.

    You can also access all our jobs on the new Career Site here  where you can see all the current jobs as well as login to your profile. (Click Sign In on the top right hand corner to log in!)

    Applying for a job –

    You can now apply for jobs with just one click using the ‘Easy Apply’ button at the top of every job post.

    This will then automatically take your CV, profile details and Personal Statement (So make sure they’re up to date!) and apply you for the job.

    If any additional information is required, a pop-up questionnaire for you to fill in any details will appear.

    I’m new to the TCN Talent Pool, how do I set up a profile?

    Simply go to the new Career Site here and click Register in the top right hand corner.

    Can I apply for jobs without registering?

    You can, just look at the job you’re interested in on the career site, click I’m interested and then you can fill in a form just for that job. However, if you take the time to register, you’ll only have to fill that form in once, instead of every time you apply!

  • Looking For Louis Winner!

    We’re very excited to announce the finalists and winner of our Looking For Louis competition, in association with Mindhouse, Amazon Studios and Edinburgh TV Festival.

    Our six finalists were:

    Alim Jayda – Both Parents Deaf

    Ginna Cheng – Becoming a Chess Boxer

    Jessica Brady – A Male Stripper Experience

    Remel London – My Grandad’s Secret Society

    Sharon Walia – Queerjabis

    Tiger Cohen-Towell – As God Intended

    Their micro documentaries were completed in just a week, after their pitches were selected from over 600 entries.

    The finalist films were showcased at a live session with Louis Theroux today at Edinburgh TV Festival, with the winner announced as well.

    Our overall winner was Ginnia Cheng for her exploration of the strange and wonderful world of Chess Boxing!

    Ginna wins a six-month, exclusive option with Mindhouse. She will work together with Mindhouse’s creative team to develop projects and pitch them to commissioners with the aim of winning commissions that will be executive produced by Mindhouse and authored or presented by Ginnia.

    In addition, Amazon Studios will offer Ginnia a bespoke 12 month programme of mentoring and training to help them achieve their career goals.

    All six films are available to view on the Edinburgh TV Festival app, along with the films of our other shortlisted filmmakers, Emb Hashmi, Iman Amrani, Rakeem Omar and Tasnim Nazeer.

    Congratulations to all!

    If you’re interested in meeting with any of the shortlisted or finalist filmmakers, please do get in touch on [email protected].

  • Laurence Clark joins UKTV WriterSlam!

    We have another addition to our UKTV WriterSlam pathway! Laurence Clark will be joining the team developing his sitcom idea, Perfect.

    Laurence Clark is an internationally-acclaimed comedian, writer and actor who has cerebral palsy.  His observational, political stand-up and filmed stunts demonstrate the endearing naivety and ridiculousness of human behaviour by seeing the world through his eyes with humour and warmth.  He’s performed everywhere from the House of Commons to a double-decker bus in Sheffield.

    We can’t wait to see the final drafts of all the writers work in the Autumn!

  • Looking for the next Louis Theroux!

    Louis Theroux teams up with TriForce and Amazon to find the next documentary star!

    TriForce Creative Network have joined forces with Louis Theroux’s company Mindhouse, Amazon Studios and The TV Foundation (the charity arm of the Edinburgh TV Festival) to launch ‘Looking for Louis’. Building on the success of our previous WriterSlam partnerships with Amazon, this time we’re looking for budding journalists and documentary makers who think they could be the next Louis Theroux.

    We’re looking for exciting documentary ideas, with the filmmaker front and centre as the on screen talent. Whether your idea is about telling a story we’ve never seen on TV before, or whether it’s simply a universal story told by a different voice, we want to hear from you. We’re looking for talent who represent the society that we live in, and who will offer different perspectives, experiences and opinions.

    You might have never worked in TV before but spend all your spare time making YouTube and TikTok content, or you might be a budding broadcast journalist looking for an opportunity to present your own documentary, or just someone with a great idea who’s confident in front of a camera! If you live in the UK, and you’ve got a great idea for a 2 minute documentary, we want to hear it.

    All you need to do is send in a one page pitch about your documentary idea.

    Competition Details

    We’re asking people to fill in a short form on the TriForce Creative Network website and attach a one page pitch of an idea for a 2 minute micro-documentary. 10 people will then be selected by a panel put together by Mindhouse, Edinburgh TV Festival Fest and Amazon, who will be asked to make their 2 minute doc, shot on their mobile phone. All 10 shortlisted filmmakers will be given financial support to make sure they can deliver their film.

    Louis Theroux will watch the films and select 6 filmmakers to go through to the Edinburgh TV Festival online final. Their films will be showcased online to the Edinburgh TV Festival audience during the session and Louis will then announce the winner.

    They will win a six-month, exclusive option with Mindhouse. They will work together with Mindhouse’s creative team to develop projects and pitch them to commissioners with the aim of winning commissions in that time that will be executive produced by Mindhouse and authored or presented by the talent.

    Amazon Studios will offer the winner a bespoke 12 month programme of mentoring and training to help them achieve their career goals.

    Theroux said: “I am very excited to be part of this initiative. For me, one of the best parts of launching Mindhouse is being involved behind the scenes with new talent who can tell fresh stories in different and exciting ways. To paraphrase Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon, I’m getting old for this shit, and my knees aren’t what they once were. We need to safeguard the future of irreverent and intelligent on-camera reporting by bringing up the next generation of presenters.”

    “Documentary filmmaking in the UK is world class, so we’re excited to be helping unearth the future generation of filmmaking talent, and mentoring and training them to help propel them to the next level in their career,” said Fozia Khan, UK Unscripted Executive at Amazon Studios.

    “We’re really excited to be working with Mindhouse to offer budding journalistic talent the chance to be front and centre presenting their own ideas,” said Fraser Ayres of TriForce Creative Network. “It’s such a great opportunity to accelerate the winners’ careers.”

    The competition is open to residents of the UK only.

    Submissions are open from 10:00am on Wednesday 14 July – 11:59pm Tuesday 27 July.

    For more information on how to submit, click here to go the Looking for Louis page

  • WriterSlam Finalists Announced!

    UKTV and TriForce Creative Network announce finalists for WriterSlam!

    Our most popular WriterSlam competition yet, in partnership with UKTV, received close to 1600 entries with writers all vying for an opportunity to have their project produced for UKTV’s award-winning comedy entertainment channel Dave.

    1600 entries were shortlisted down to SIX and those writers will now receive paid development and an opportunity to work with a script editor to progress their idea into a 30-minute script.

    From those six scripts, UKTV will select four to be produced by either TriForce Productions or another independent production company before premiering on Dave in 2022!

    The standard was, as always, very high, so it was difficult to whittle down the entries, but we will have more opportunities later this year, so please do keep an eye on thetcn.com.

    And the finalists are….

    • Anna Costello
    • Misha Ade
    • Prithu Banerjee & Sruti Banerjee
    • Leon Mayne
    • Naomi Sumner Chan
    • Kate Reid & Zak Ghazi-Torbati

    Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted – those entries constituted the top 3%.

    And a huge congratulations to our six finalists. We’re looking forward to working with you!

  • WriterSlam Gets UKTV Boost

    UKTV are partnering with TriForce Creative Network to turbo charge their groundbreaking WriterSlam programme.  

    The successful programme has been running for over ten years, with the very first winner, Sophie Petzal, now an award winning writer and many other first time writers getting their first development commission and an agent through the programme. Over the years the TCN has partnered with (amongst others) Amazon, Hat Trick, Audible and Sky on these events 

    UKTV will be taking WriterSlam to the next level, promising not just a development commission, but a greenlit season of originals on Dave in 2021/22.  

    As usual the WriterSlam competition is open to any UK resident, regardless of their previous experience or age. Whether your script is about telling a story we’ve never seen on TV before, or whether it’s simply a universal story told by a different voice, we want to hear from you. We want writers who represent the society that we live in, and who will offer different perspectives, experiences and opinions.  

    It doesn’t matter if you don’t have an agent, or have never written professionally before – if you live in the UK, and you’ve got an ideaor a story to tell, we want to hear it.   

    Competition Details 

    UKTV will select six writers who will receive a paid development commission to work up their original TV ideas into 30’ scripts suitable for broadcast and for potential expansion into full length series. These writers will benefit from several writing workshops in addition to working with a script editor and experienced executive producer over a three month period. Individual mentoring and support from TriForce Creative Network will also be available over this timeframe, culminating in a table read of all six scripts performed by a troupe of handpicked professional actors which will help inform the final selection process 

    Four of these scripts will then be green lit to be produced for Dave, with TriForce Productions taking on some of the shows but with others being produced by emerging Indies to make under their umbrella with support from TriForce Productions. All the productions will be supported by D and I – TriForce’s diversity and inclusion support service, to help them crew up in an inclusive way. Its anticipated that the season will air on Dave either in late 2021 or early 2022. 

    Pete Thornton, Head of Scripted, UKTV, said, “We’re excited to be working with TriForce Creative Network and DandI.org.uk on this unique UKTV WriterSlam and to be throwing this opportunity open to all underrepresented voices from any background. This is a truly inclusive initiative, and we want to hear from people from ethnic minorities, those from underserved socio-economic groups, the LGBTQ community, those who identify as having a disability and basically anybody who feels that their voice isn’t currently heard clearly on our screens. We’re offering dedicated support and mentoring over a three-month writing period and then the opportunity to see your show prepped, cast, shot, edited, marketed and broadcast on Dave next year.”  

    “This is what a ‘360° approach’ actually looks like“ said Fraser Ayres, Executive Producer and CEO TriForce Creative NetworkIf we’re going to find more Michaela Cole’s and Tim Renkow’s we need to develop pathways that provide access and then perhaps those much needed voices won’t have to traverse so many obstacles to be heard. This move is unprecedented and kudos to UKTV for taking this tangible and giant step to truly move the dial with us. 

    “By utilising our dandI.org.uk talent pool, we’re in a unique position to ensure inclusion and open access at all levels” added Minnie Ayres, Executive Producer and dandI.org.uk CEO. “From creatives to crew this will be fully inclusive, allowing us to also address the gaps we have identified by levelling up talent that is ready, but yet to be given their shot. 

    Writers will be asked to submit a onepage pitch of their idea, as well as a 10-15 page sample of their writing.  

    Submissions are open from midday Thurs 18 Feb – 11:59pm Thurs 25 Mar 2021. For more information on how to submit, go the WriterSlam page. https://thetcn.com/writerslam/ 

    A separate call out will be going out for emerging production companies to coproduce oa number of of the projects later in the year.  

    About WriterSlam 

    Building on the success of our MonologueSlam UK initiative for actors, WriterSlam UK is our programme to help TV production companies and broadcasters access UK based new and established writers from diverse backgrounds.  These TV industry professionals then support the writers in their career development, providing tangible outcomes for participants. 

  • ScriptSearch Writers Commissioned!

    We are very excited to announce that not one, but two scripts from our ScriptSearch competition with Greenacre Films have been selected to be taken forward for full development.

    We received over 1000 entries for the competition in 2020, with 6 writers winning a paid development contract to take their idea to treatment stage. From the final 6, Greenacre were planning on taking just one script to the final stage, with a contract to develop a full-length feature script for the winning writer. However, they were so excited by two of the writers’ ideas, that they’ve now taken not one, but two scripts through to the final development phase.

    The writer’s and their scripts are:

    Funmi Adebanjo – Melanation

    A big opportunity leads to an unexpected connection… and a new level of conflict between feuding family restaurants.

    Jingan Young – No. 2 Daughter

    He’s proud of his Chinese roots. She forgets to take her shoes off at the door. Will a past romance blossom again between a self-proclaimed ‘black sheep’ of a British Chinese family and the cute, self assured boy next door?

    These two writers will now win a paid contract with Greenacre to create a feature length film script of their idea. Greenacre hope to take both scripts to production following this next development phase.

    Amanda Jenks and Nadine Marsh Edwards of Greenacre Films said: ‘We are thrilled to be working with Jingan and Funmi, it was a really difficult decision as all the finalists were amazing. We would like to thank TriForce, Sheryl Crown and our trainee script editors for their hard work and expertise, and we are now looking forward to working with the writers to bring No.2 Daughter and Melanation from script to screen.’

    Fraser Ayres and Minnie Ayres of TriForce Creative Network said: “This has been a fantastic project with Greenacre, it’s so exciting to see real, tangible outcomes to script competitions, and what could be more tangible than a company wanting to get your script filmed!”

  • WriterSlam with Amazon Prime Video!

    Prime Video in search of new writers for paid development commission!

    Building on the success of the 2019 partnership, WriterSlam have once again joined forces with Prime Video to offer one new writer the opportunity to develop a new script. The process will last for six months.

    Whether your script is about telling a story we’ve never seen on TV before, or whether it’s simply a universal story told by a different voice, we want to hear from you. We want writers who represent the society that we live in, and who will offer different perspectives, experiences and opinions.

    It doesn’t matter if you don’t have an agent, or have never written professionally before – if you are a UK resident that is over 18, and you’ve got an idea, we want to hear it.

    Competition Details

    The four selected finalists will have extracts of their work performed by actors at an online showcase event on Tuesday 15th December 2020, when the winner will be selected by Jonathan Lewsley, UK Head of Scripted for Amazon Studios. Industry guests will be invited to attend the online showcase, giving our finalist writers a further opportunity to share their talent.

    One winning writer will be selected by Prime Video. Following their win, the writer will receive a paid development commission where they will be mentored by Jonathan Lewsley, UK Head of Scripted for Amazon Studios, for a six month period to develop their idea into a full episode script.

    We’re really excited to be partnering with WriterSlam again – we were delighted with the 2019 submissions and our winners Celia and Omari,” comments Jonathan Lewsley, UK Head of Scripted for Amazon Studios. “We know there is a vast reserve of writing talent in the UK that, for one reason or another, haven’t had the chance for their voice to be heard, and that needs to change. As an industry, there’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re committed to being part of that change.”

    Please note: securing this placement does not guarantee a full commission.

    For more information and to enter, please go to our WriterSlam page.

    About WritersSlam

    Building on the success of our MonologueSlam UK initiative for actors, WriterSlam UK is our programme to help TV production companies and broadcasters access UK based new and established writers from diverse backgrounds.  These TV industry professionals then support the writers in their career development, providing tangible outcomes for participants.