Hear from Rhianna from the 2020 core Grierson DocLab cohort about her work placement

During my month's placement at BBC Studios, I was working with the team on The One Show. I assisted different units of the programme and got the chance to take part in a range of different tasks and activities, developing new skills as a result.

I really enjoyed logging footage and transcribing interviews. It gave me a chance to watch raw footage from the day's filming and see how contributors respond to the camera, and also learn more about the role of a logger and their responsibilities. 

I (virtually!) sat in on lots of different meetings, getting an insight into how researchers build up their pitches and how much detail goes into each story, and had a go myself at researching ideas to put forward, as well as helping the team find contributors or case studies for certain stories. This made me learn a lot about what sort of ideas were ‘right’ for the programme, and how important representing the viewer on screen can be. 

I also assisted production with more logistical tasks such as finding options for travel, accommodation and parking for the crew, and also helped research potential filming locations for various types of films. 

The highlight was being lucky enough to go on a shoot with the team in Oxford, seeing first-hand how the PD’s work whilst filming, for example how the crew set up shots or work with a script during filming, how they work with a presenter and the role of each crew member on the day. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the team working on such an interesting film. 

I’m so grateful for the whole experience and thankful to the team for making me feel so welcomed straight away and going the extra mile to always make sure that not only I was enjoying it, but that I was learning and growing throughout my time there.

Applications for 2022 Grierson DocLab are now open! Find out more and apply by Friday, 11 February 2022.