Madeline Addy and Luwam Haile: BA Hons Media Production

Madeline Addy and Luwam Haile

BA Hons Media Production, 2002

Madeline Addy is a PA for Tiger Aspect Productions

Luwam Haile is a Runner for Tiger Aspect Productions

Madeline is now PA to Charles Brand, head of the history and features department at Tiger Aspect Productions, who was one of the executive producers on Billy Elliot.

She was also production secretary on two programmes being made in that department, a documentary for BBC 2 and a series for Channel 4.

She said: "It's hard to get into TV. An award-wining documentary film about a WW2 prisoner of war we made at University helped as it shows what you can do, but it is also essential to get to know people in the business when you go on work experience while doing your degree.

"I would advise anyone to do a lot of networking - don't wait until you finish university. I enjoyed my three years at Luton and the course was really good. But you also have to get to know a lot of industry people to get on.

"I have just finished working on a BBC sitcom - I got the job from someone I knew when I did work experience. I want to be more involved in programme-making, but it takes time. I sent a copy of our film to Jon Snow who I met on work experience - he was impressed with it."

"Luwam is now on work experience here as a runner. She hopes she might get a job here too. We are both on the bottom rung of the ladder and it will take time and hard work to get more involved in what we want."

Dave Green, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Media Arts, who deals with video production, said he was delighted that his students had won the award and impressed that they had both got a foot in the door of the TV industry.

Photo courtesy of the trustees of the Imperial War Museum: Luwam Haile,on left, and Madeline Addy.

Interview took place in 2003.