Greece is the Word

WHEN Patrick Boyle started his media training placement with Northwest Vision and Media, he never thought it would lead him to a Greek island. But earlier this year he found himself performing sound department duties for a TV production in the sun.

And now Patrick, 24, from Marple, has now also been named Trainee of the Month for November by Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the digital and creative industries in the Northwest to grow a world-class digital and creative economy within the region.

“I’m really excited about being Trainee of the Month. It’s a real recognition of the work I’ve been doing on my placement,” says Patrick, of his time at production company Acrobat Television in Stockport. “Every day I’ve been learning more and more about working in sound for TV and film, and it’s been brilliant. Especially my trip to Greece!”

Patrick’s skills were put to the test on the recent weeklong Greece shoot to promote a sports holiday company. “I got the chance to work with some cutting edge technology. We were working in HD, and we also broke in a new PDW700 camera so I now understand how it works,” he says.

According to Patrick, work at Acrobat Television is hard but rewarding, and extremely varied: “On top of every day routine tasks, I also have to be available to do anything at the drop of a hat, whenever I’m needed. I’ve been to quite a few places now on a shoot, and I’ve learned a hell of a lot. It’s been a steep learning curve!”

He explains: “We can have a tight turnaround from being on a shoot to working on post-production, so I can be on shoot for three days of the week before even starting to work on the post-production sound. It’s very challenging, but I am feeling the benefits of what I’m learning already.”

In addition to his training in sound engineering, Patrick is also getting an education in offline editing from James Fuller, Acrobat Television’s Head of Editing. “I’ve been given a whirlwind education in radio mics, booms, and even an SQN mixer,” he explains. “People can spend ages learning about production in theory before actually using these types of equipment properly, and I’m getting there a lot faster than most. It’s very hands on.”

Following a degree in Moving Image Production at Leeds Metropolitan University a couple of years ago, Patrick fell into the landscaping business through summer jobs. But he never gave up his dream of working in media production and after a couple of side projects and freelance positions he won his post at Acrobat Television.

Patrick’s line manager at Acrobat Television informed him of the Plug In training placements on offer at Vision and Media, and now Patrick’s enjoying a lot more support. In addition to his placement, Patrick has also benefited from a free mentoring session with Jim Mooney from Manchester post-production facility The Basement.

Says Patrick: “Jim’s been fantastic, and really honest about the current situation in the media industry. He’s given me loads of advice about how to present myself, and how to make the most of what I’m learning.

“He’s given me the perspective I need to look forward to my future in this industry. I definitely see myself becoming more of a freelancer,” says Patrick. “I’ve worked on a couple of music videos in the past, and I’d love to get more involved in making them. But for now I’m just enjoying my placement, and learning from all the experiences I’m being offered.”