Northern Lights

“Multi-platform” is today’s media buzzword.  Computer games spawn feature films.  TV programmes launch music careers. Social networks form the new hubs for boutique video content.  How does a media industry that traditionally recruited and trained along clearly demarcated and segmented channels find the talent to develop the ideas of tomorrow?
From now on they may be graduates of a new four week industry-based training programme being developed for Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with some of the biggest names in the media sector in the North West: the BBC, McCann Erickson Communications House, Onteca and Made in Manchester.

Northern Lights is an innovative multi-platform media production course being piloted this May.  Sixteen new entrants to the sector will gain specialist training in one of four media disciplines, TV, Radio, Gaming and Digital Interactive.  They will then apply these skills to one of four live industry multi-platform briefs. The best students will be offered the opportunity to continue their involvement through a placement in one of the four partner companies.

Moira Kean and Andrew Thomas are running the programme. Moira has recently left the BBC with over twenty-five years of production and training experience. Andrew up until the end of last year was the eBusiness Director at Bounty, the UK’s favourite parenting club.  He has over ten years interactive sector experience in the North West.

The programme begins on May 11th and candidates are now invited to apply. Closing date for applications is Friday 17th April.