Colin Savage, an award winning programme creator and executive producer, treated us to an intense 2 day creativity workshop. Words cannot describe how fantastic these two days were. I learn more about the creativity process and pitching tips than I have done over the past 4 years at college and university. It was a fantastic experience, and so far has been the highlight of the course.

The day consisted of fun activities to try and open our minds and break down the barriers that may bloc creativity. As the day went on, all 9 of us began to really open up and the ideas and concepts we were pitching by the end of the day were fantastic. The next day, we were given a BBC brief, which we had to pitch by 4pm the same day! We had to pitch to the BBC using only pen and paper! Luckily, with a bit of creative thinking, we made it work quite well and believe it or not, we were chosen by both Colin and an esteemed panel of judges as the best group of the day! It just proves that fancy technology is one thing, but without the right content it is useless

Gen up Day 1

Day 1 - Induction Day

Travelling From Newcastle on the Train , I made my way to Vision and Media, which is based in Salford. After arriving I got a chance to talk to some of the other guys on the course, but we were quickly whisked into the boardroom to start the day. The induction day did exactly what it said on the tin, we were introduced to each other and the guys running the initiative and we also got to chat to some of the people based at Vision and Media.

To start the day, Carol Sinclair and Helena Ward introduced us to TRC Media and more information about what to expect over the next 5 weeks. Afterwards we had our very own XFactor style photoshop, first an individual shot then a group shot. The photoshoot was probably more fun that it should have been!!

After lunch, we had visits from, Lynn Kelly (Radio and Skills) and Enda Carey (Games, Digital and Creative Services) from Vision and Media. Both shared their experiences within the industry and how they got to where they are now. They were also very happy to answer any questions we had.

To round of the day, Fay Shannon from Northern Net came in to tell us about a new company that aims to provide super fast file sharing using specified Hubs across the North of England. (oh and we got a free USB stick :P)

My Gen up Placement Journey

What is Gen Up?
Gen Up North is TRC media’s training initiative for emerging digital talent. It is designed for graduates or those new to the industry who have a real talent for creating digital content for multiplatform.

Gen Up North is a unique immersion programme which will give you an opportunity to learn from leading experts in multiplatform, games, animation, television, advertising and digital design and marketing. The programme offers a range of expert seminars, hand-on workshops and industry placements.

Gen Up North is sponsored by Northwest Vision and Media, Northern Film & Media, Screen Yorkshire, Northern Net and Channel 4.

What’s on offer?
During this full-time, five week programme you will receive in-depth training plus hands-on experience through placements at network broadcasters and digital media companies. These placements are:
- A week at Channel 4, London
- Five days at a digital media company - either Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle
- A week at BBC in Scotland

All other seminars and workshops will be rotated around the North of England, specifically Salford, Newcastle and Leeds.

Topics for the seminars and workshops will include:
- Digital communications and advertising overview
- Games and animation overview
- Television and multiplatform overview
- Creative ideas
- Creative pitching
- Legal and finance
- Professional development