Difference between revisions of "Albert Barber"
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Management courses | Management courses | ||
==Feelings about the BBC whilst I worked there== | ==Feelings about the BBC whilst I worked there== | ||
Leaving the BBC was something of a feeling of venturing out into the unknown. The | Leaving the BBC was something of a feeling of venturing out into the unknown. The closed creative environment of the BBC meant that you just got on with the job of making programmes with only a broad idea of what it cost and where it was going except to feed the box in the corner. | ||
Our costing in fact was very good we would know our area and keep pretty well within the budgets we were given. We would be overseen by a manager who would monitor and see that us Producers (and Directors) were not costing too much. This all worked until Producer choice introduced a system of being able to go outside these perimeters which in turn caused departments to compete. This was also beyond the mindset of what we were used to causing us to rethink and join the more aggressive system that destroyed the whole structure of costing at the BBC. | Our costing in fact was very good we would know our area and keep pretty well within the budgets we were given. We would be overseen by a manager who would monitor and see that us Producers (and Directors) were not costing too much. This all worked until Producer choice introduced a system of being able to go outside these perimeters which in turn caused departments to compete. This was also beyond the mindset of what we were used to causing us to rethink and join the more aggressive system that destroyed the whole structure of costing at the BBC. | ||
When I left the BBC it seemed to me that the Dog was wagging the tail, so to speak, with accountants ordaining used to be the creative process by year on year cuts and also creative thinking constrained not by the idea but by cost alone. A whole level of accounting bureaucracy began to think that programmes should be made by someone other than the BBC and so a culture of the BBC becoming a publisher rather than a programme maker has become the norm. This self destruct of Inform, Educate, and Entertain ethic within the BBC has widened the debate to why do we have a BBC License fee? | When I left the BBC it seemed to me that the Dog was wagging the tail, so to speak, with accountants ordaining used to be the creative process by year on year cuts and also creative thinking constrained not by the idea but by cost alone. A whole level of accounting bureaucracy began to think that programmes should be made by someone other than the BBC and so a culture of the BBC becoming a publisher rather than a programme maker has become the norm. This self destruct of Inform, Educate, and Entertain ethic within the BBC has widened the debate to why do we have a BBC License fee? | ||
Revision as of 10:26, 12 April 2014
Albert Barber
I was born in 1943. Whilst at the BBC I was known as Albert Barber.
Education
8 'O' levels a couple of 'A' levels and Trained as a Typographer Designer at Art School.
Previous Jobs
Albert Barber trained as a Typographer/Designer working on Books for Hamish Hamilton and Shell and as a freelance Graphic Designer and Photographer with a number of credits for Readers Digest Books, Shell Guide to Scotland and Temple Press. On leaving the BBC he is a freelance Director which includes work for BBC and ITV productions. These include: The Bill, Casualty, EastEnders. Heartbeat, and was startup director for Family Affairs and River City. He has also Directed, numerous corporate videos including Royal Mail, Mercury, Tonka Toys and for Espresso Internet Education. In 1977 he Directed a Labour Party Political Broadcast for the successful Labour Party Election. He has lectured at both BBC Evesham, and BBC Television Training at Elstree and Ravensbourne. He occasionally designs for print and is skilled with Quark, In Design, Photoshop and illustrator. He is also a member of BAFTA and the Royal Institution of Great Britain. He qualified as a Canterbury Cathedral Guide in 2012.
How I joined the BBC
Joined through persistent letter writing until someone saw me in appointments. Then they kept you on file if they (presumably) thought you might be a potential employee.
My first impressions of the BBC
It was very exciting to be part of what I had only seen on Television and heard on Radio. To walk around Ealing Film Studios, Lime Grove, Alexandra Palace, Broadcasting House and Television Centre and to be part of all the creativity was electrifying and stimulating.
Broad BBC career
I joined the BBC as a Film assistant in BBC Film Department and quickly moved to Presentation Department making Trailers and Network Directing becoming Promotions Producer. Then I joined Children's Department writing and Directing including PlaySchool and Playaway. As a BBC Producer I devised Think of a Number and Think Again with Johnny Ball winning several International Television awards including a BAFTA Harlequin, Prix Jeunesse, the Asian Broadcasting Union Award and was nominated for the United States Television EMI. Devised and Produced Windmill with Chris Serle which was also Nominated for a BAFTA. Moving to Drama he became first a Producer/Director and then Producer of Grange Hill and also acted as Executive Producer for BBC Independent Programmes. Directed and Produced with writer Sid Waddell, two series of Sloggers, A Childrens' Drama about Cricket, with young actors Ralph Little and Jane Danson. Took early retirement package and worked on Casualty and EastEnders.
My training at the BBC
Film Department induction course Film assistant II course Attachment to Presentation Attachment to Childrens' Department Drama Directors course Film and Television (12 weeks) Typing course Quark Express and Computer Graphic Course Management courses
Feelings about the BBC whilst I worked there
Leaving the BBC was something of a feeling of venturing out into the unknown. The closed creative environment of the BBC meant that you just got on with the job of making programmes with only a broad idea of what it cost and where it was going except to feed the box in the corner. Our costing in fact was very good we would know our area and keep pretty well within the budgets we were given. We would be overseen by a manager who would monitor and see that us Producers (and Directors) were not costing too much. This all worked until Producer choice introduced a system of being able to go outside these perimeters which in turn caused departments to compete. This was also beyond the mindset of what we were used to causing us to rethink and join the more aggressive system that destroyed the whole structure of costing at the BBC. When I left the BBC it seemed to me that the Dog was wagging the tail, so to speak, with accountants ordaining used to be the creative process by year on year cuts and also creative thinking constrained not by the idea but by cost alone. A whole level of accounting bureaucracy began to think that programmes should be made by someone other than the BBC and so a culture of the BBC becoming a publisher rather than a programme maker has become the norm. This self destruct of Inform, Educate, and Entertain ethic within the BBC has widened the debate to why do we have a BBC License fee? So it was with great sadness that I left the BBC behind and made more money but less creativity in the commercial world. Not to say that it wasn't enjoyable working outside the BBC. I seemed to have in the main quite a lot of respect from the people I worked with and me for them. Many people I subsequently worked with had much the same wish to make worthwhile programmes. However there were vestiges of bad practice and old thinking "outside" which I was not happy with. Some of these programmes made by the ITV companies no longer exist so maybe there is some hope that creative thinking moves on but now in a mysterious way where the accountants walketh about ready to devour the unprofitable, despite the creativity therein.