Steve Crabtree || Ladder Approach || Module 13 Day 3 || FEA || Video 2 ||

Summary

Steve Crabtree's journey to becoming an executive producer of BBC's 'Horizon' is a testament to hard work and passion. Starting as a runner, he climbed the industry ladder, mastering each role along the way. His advice for career progression includes showing passion in interviews, doing homework, and bringing fresh ideas. Crabtree emphasizes the clarity of the career structure in television and the importance of aiming for the next rung with determination and authenticity.

Takeaways

• 📺 Passion for Television: Steve Crabtree had a clear passion for working in television from an early stage in his career.
• 🔑 Starting from the Bottom: He began his career with work experience at the BBC and worked his way up from the ground level.
• 🔑 Networking: A friend's recommendation led to an opportunity as a runner for an independent production company, highlighting the importance of networking.
• 🔑 Quick Transition: After his interview with the independent company, he started working immediately, showing the fast-paced nature of the industry.
• 💼 Financial Stability: The job as a runner provided financial stability, allowing him to pay rent and establish himself.
• 📞 Opportunity Call: A call from the BBC's Horizon team later offered him a chance to return to the BBC, indicating the importance of keeping in touch with industry contacts.
• 🔑 Career Ladder: The script outlines a clear career progression path in television, starting from a junior role to an executive producer.
• 💡 Becoming Excellent: Crabtree advises to excel at each stage of the career ladder rather than skipping steps.
• 🔑 Clear Structure: The script emphasizes the clarity of the career structure in television, which helps in setting clear goals and expectations.
• 🔑 Preparation for Interviews: Passion, enthusiasm, and thorough preparation are key to succeeding in job interviews.
• 💡 Bringing Ideas: Bringing ideas to the table is crucial for career advancement and standing out in interviews.
• 🔑 Learning from Stories: Listening to the career stories of others is an excellent way to gain insights and learn about different career paths.
• 🔑 No One-Size-Fits-All: The script reminds us that there is no single correct approach to a career and that it's important to find what works best for the individual.
• 🔑 Adaptability: It's essential to be adaptable and willing to change your approach as you progress in your career.

Q & A

What was Steve Crabtree's initial goal in his career?

Steve Crabtree's initial goal was to work in television.

How did Steve Crabtree start his career in television?

He started by doing work experience for the BBC and proved his potential to climb the career ladder.

What was the first job Steve Crabtree got after his work experience at the BBC?

He got a job as a runner for an independent production company after a friend recommended him.

How long did Steve Crabtree work as a runner for the independent production company?

He worked as a runner for a few months, approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

What was the significance of the job as a runner for Steve's career?

The job as a runner was significant because it provided him with income to pay rent and get established, and it led to a call from the BBC's Horizon team.

What is the typical career progression in television according to the script?

The typical career progression starts as a runner or junior researcher, then moves up to researcher, assistant producer, producer, producer director, series producer, and finally executive producer.

Why is it important to excel at each stage of the career ladder in television?

It is important to excel at each stage to clearly understand the responsibilities of the next job and to be prepared for the challenges of the higher positions.

What advice does Steve Crabtree give for career progression in television?

Steve advises to go into any interview with passion and enthusiasm, prepare by doing homework, and bring ideas to the table.

What are the three big ideas mentioned in the script for progressing through the career ladder?

The three big ideas are to have passion and enthusiasm, prepare for interviews by doing homework, and bring ideas to the table.

How does Steve Crabtree describe the structure of the career ladder in factual television production?

Steve describes the structure as clear and well-defined, with a set of criteria to aim for and hit in order to move up to the next rung of the ladder.

What is the importance of hearing people's stories in understanding different career paths?

Hearing people's stories is an excellent way to learn and gain insight into what one can do and how to do it in their career, providing a more authentic understanding of different career approaches.

What does the script suggest about the flexibility of career approaches?

The script suggests that there is no right or wrong approach to a career, and that individuals can always change their approach as they go, experimenting to find what works best for them.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Steve Crabtree's Journey to Executive Producer

Steve Crabtree always had a passion for television and started his career with work experience at the BBC. He worked hard, proving his potential and eventually became an executive producer for BBC's flagship series, Horizon. His career began with a job as a runner for an independent production company, which he secured after a successful interview. This role provided him with the financial stability to establish himself. Later, he was called by the Horizon team at the BBC, leading to a developmental role within the organization. Crabtree emphasizes the clear career ladder in television, suggesting that one should aim to excel at each stage, from junior roles to executive producer.

Keywords

💡Work Experience

Work experience refers to the practical knowledge and skills gained through employment or internships. In the context of the video, Steve Crabtree's work experience at the BBC was foundational to his career progression, demonstrating the importance of hands-on learning in the early stages of professional development.

💡Career Ladder

A career ladder is a structured path of job positions that one can progress through within a field or industry. The script describes a clear career ladder in television, starting from a runner or junior researcher up to an executive producer, illustrating the importance of understanding and following a structured path for career advancement.

💡Runner

In the television industry, a runner is an entry-level position responsible for various tasks such as fetching equipment and supporting the production team. The script mentions the role of a runner as a starting point for Steve Crabtree, highlighting the significance of beginning at the bottom of the career ladder to gain foundational experience.

💡Independent Production Company

An independent production company is a business entity that produces television or film content outside of major studios or networks. The script refers to Steve Crabtree's experience as a runner for an indie company, which provided him with the opportunity to prove his potential and gain industry experience.

💡BBC Horizon

BBC Horizon is a flagship documentary series produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Steve Crabtree's role as an executive producer for this series is mentioned in the script, emphasizing the pinnacle of his career progression and the prestige associated with working on such a well-known program.

💡Passion and Enthusiasm

Passion and enthusiasm are strong emotions and eagerness that drive one's interest and commitment to a particular field or activity. The script advises bringing these qualities to interviews, suggesting that they are crucial for making a positive impression and demonstrating one's dedication to the career path.

💡Homework

In the context of the video, doing one's homework refers to the preparation and research done before an interview or professional encounter. It is presented as a key strategy for success, underlining the importance of being well-informed and ready to discuss relevant topics.

💡Ideas

Ideas in the script refer to creative thoughts or proposals that one brings to the table during professional interactions. The speaker suggests that offering new ideas is a way to stand out and contribute positively to one's career progression.

💡Factual

Factual refers to content that is based on facts and reality, often used in the context of non-fiction television programming. The script mentions that the speaker works in factual television, indicating the type of content they produce and the nature of their work.

💡Series Producer

A series producer is a role in television production responsible for overseeing the entire series, from concept to completion. The script positions this role as a step above a producer and below an executive producer on the career ladder, indicating the level of responsibility and oversight required.

💡Executive Producer

An executive producer is a high-level role in television or film production, often responsible for the financial and managerial aspects of a project. Steve Crabtree's achievement of becoming an executive producer is highlighted in the script, showcasing the top of the career ladder in television production.

Highlights

Steve Crabtree's early aspiration to work in television.

Starting with work experience at the BBC.

Proving potential and climbing the career ladder.

Becoming executive producer of BBC's Horizon series.

Recommendation to work as a runner for an indie production company.

Quick transition from interview to job at the indie production company.

Financial stability from early job opportunities.

The call from BBC's Horizon team leading to a BBC job.

Clear career progression in television from runner to executive producer.

Importance of excelling at each career stage.

Advising against leapfrogging in career advancement.

Career ladder visibility and understanding job responsibilities.

The structured approach to career progression in factual television.

The value of a clear career structure for ambition and planning.

Three big ideas for career progression: passion, preparation, and ideas.

Multiple career paths and approaches available.

Learning from others' career stories for insight and inspiration.

No one-size-fits-all approach to career development.

Encouragement to experiment and find what works best for the individual.

Transcripts

[Music]

from an early stage Steve Crabtree knew

he wanted to work in television he

started off doing work experience for

the BBC put in the work and proved his

potential to make his way up the career

ladder to become executive producer of

BBC's Flagship series

[Music]

Horizon

a friend had recommended me um to be a

runner for an indie um independent

production company I then went had an

interview got that job straight away um

to be honest literally went in had the

interview and started an hour later

didn't leave the office um and then did

that for a few months took maybe 6 eight

weeks um which was amazing cuz that

meant I had money so I could pay rent

and start to get established um and it

was after that then I got the call from

the

BBC um from the um Horizon team um which

uh led me to eventually get a job um

back in the BBC um in

[Music]

development luckily in television there

is quite a clear ladder um that you

progress up through you generally start

as a runner or a junior researcher then

a researcher then an assistant producer

then a producer producer director in

factual I work in factual our producers

tend to be uh producer directors um then

a series producer then an executive

producer so that's the kind of basic

structure and what you realize or the

advice I would give is that at each

stage of that ladder you need to become

as good as you possibly can be there is

no point in leap

frogging the ladder approach for me and

people like me um is useful because you

can see where you're going very clearly

and you can understand the

responsibilities of the next job and the

one above it and the one above that so

it's really clear the structure is

really clear um you know exactly what

you have to do on the next job and

exactly what you have to do on the job

above that so if you are if you if

you're ambitious and you like to work in

that sort of a a a a far clearer

structure I mean some people might say

that's boring and that you can move

around and do for me I I like that kind

of process um which is useful because it

gives you a set of things to aim for and

a set of criteria that you know you have

to hit to to make the next rung of the

ladder the three big ideas that you need

to progress through the ladder is you

need to go into any interview with with

passion and enthusiasm you need to

prepare for that interview by doing your

homework and you need to bring ideas to

the table these are just two of many

possible career paths and approaches

available hearing people's stories who

have a career you're interested in is an

excellent way to learn and gain Insight

on what you can do and how you can do it

it's important to remember that there is

no right or wrong approach when it comes

to your career and you can always change

your approach as you go you need to

experiment and find what authentically

works best for

[Music]

you