The BBC Academy Podcast

Expert Voices is a nationwide BBC initiative which aims to get more Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) experts from a wide range of fields on air and on screen. The all-day training events give delegates the chance to meet senior industry figures, share their own knowledge and expertise with other like-minded people and to learn skills that could help them work on air as contributors or presenters. We joined the event in Birmingham to talk to delegates about their experiences as they learnt to take part in television interviews, radio panel discussions and also recording pieces to camera. Most importantly they received feedback from media experts including keynote speaker BBC Asian Network DJ Noreen Khan, former Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere and journalist and broadcaster Marvarine Cole.

We went to the RTS Futures Careers Event – the first of its kind – to speak to broadcasters such as BBC, ITV and Channel 4, as well as organisations such as the Mama Youth Project and Creative Access, to find out exactly what schemes they had on offer. You'll also hear from apprentices past and present as they talk about their experiences of applying, what they did during the scheme and what they've done afterwards. So whether you want to get into development, become a journalist or want to do the artwork for productions like Channel 4’s Indian Summers, there’s a scheme for you!

In this podcast we hear from Pat Campbell, production designer on the hugely successful BBC drama Wolf Hall starring Mark Rylance and Damien Lewis. Pat outlines the role of the production designer on set and tells us about the starting process for any project - scouting for locations. She also talks about the scale of the art department with its many different roles, discusses the relationship of production designer with other members of the production team and also reveals how she got into this field.

In this podcast we hear from costume designer Joanna Eatwell, lead designer on the landmark BBC adaptation Wolf Hall starring Mark Rylance and Damien Lewis. She tells us how she "fell into" costume design initially training in theatre and moving on to work in music videos - but now with nearly thirty years experience under her belt, she describes it as "the best job in the world." She talks to us about the research process for each project, outlines the range of roles within the costume team, and offers her advice for anyone interested in getting into the industry.Joanna's wide body of work ranges from films like Hawking starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and Sex,Drugs & Rock & Roll, the biography of Ian Dury. She was nominated for a BAFTA and a Royal Television Society Award for her work on the film Eric & Ernie, and she has also worked on TV series like Channel 4's The Mill and BBC One's The Paradise.

From ingesting to cutting to colour correcting, editing can be one of the most time consuming and costly processes of programme making. In this podcast, we go back to basics with editor Garry Paton, and discuss what editing is, who’s involved, why it matters to your production and how to overcome the challenges to make the editing process a little smoother.

How easy is it to go from acting to writing drama or comedy? Sarah Solemani, star of Bad Education and Him and Her, talks about her writing for BBC One's The Secrets and beyond.

What do the BBC production trainees get up to during their placements? And once the scheme is finished where can you go next?Back in March 2014 we talked to some of the latest intake of BBC trainees as they started their first placements at the BBC. Now the trainees are trainees no more and are fully fledged assistant producers and researchers working across the BBC in radio, TV and online. We talk to Amanda Litherland, Harry Pick, Emily Spooner and Melanie Brown to find out what they've been up to, where they are now, what they have learnt.

It’s been another great year on the CoP Show. We’ve spoken to a wide range of people in the broadcast industry, all keen to share their tips and TV, radio and online know-how. We heard from Radio 1’s Greg James, Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young, comedy genius Richard Curtis, Bob Shennan, head of BBC Radio 2, 6 Music and The Asian Network, Tania Alexander, creator and producer of Channel 4’s Gogglebox and Steven Knight and Colm McCarthy, the writer and director of BBC’s massive hit Peaky Blinders. We also caught up with some of the rising stars in TV, radio and online broadcast who shared their inspiration and advice for those who want to follow in their footsteps.

Billed as a speed dating event for radio, delegates from all over the UK were given 15 minutes to meet with industry experts such as Mike Walsh from Xfm, Paul Blakeley from 5live and Ric Blaxill from Bauer Media Group. Sessions included ‘Freelancing in radio’, ‘How do I get on air?’ and ‘Station branding’.We spoke to a few of the delegates, including students looking for advice on what their next steps should be, and also delegates working on hospital and student radio looking for practical advice for their shows. We also spoke to some of the industry insiders including Capital FM producer Greg Hughes and Jazz FM’s Chris Gilvear, one of the Radio Academy’s 30 under 30, to hear what they thought of the day and what advice they gave to the young radio enthusiasts.

Have you ever wondered how some of your favourite presenters got into radio? Greg James, Yasmin Evans, Marvin Humes and Sam Hall spill the beans on their paths into presenting.