This content was submitted by Lissa Haines-Beardow
Hi! I'm Lissa Haines-Beardow, I live in Wetherby, Yorkshire and I'm a location scout. I have a degree in Media Production & Marketing and I'm also a professional photographer. In 2020 I completed the online ScreenSkills Introduction to HETV Location Management course and since then it's lead me to work on All Creatures Great & Small, The Railway Children Return, The Confessions of Frannie Langton & The Gallow's Pole.
How have you benefited from any ScreenSkills support so far?
Having never previously worked in this industry the online locations course taught me how production works, the role of the locations department and how to progress. I think most importantly it gave me the confidence to actually think 'YES, I CAN do this!' My uni degree left me clueless on how to apply my knowledge to the real world but this course was the helping hand I needed, packed with practical advice, experienced tutors and valuable connections. Even after the course I still use the Screenskills website to keep up to date with all that's relevant in the industry and it's brilliant knowing it's there as a navigational tool to help me grow in my career.
What effect has this support had on your career so far?
Off the back of the course a trainee placement opened up on All Creatures Great & Small and I was offered the position. I needed this on set experience to learn more about the locations role. After an amazing experience working on it, this then lead on to more dailies location work and then from my tutor I got the break to do some scouting. All this was an organic progression from the course, for which I'll be forever grateful!
What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Well, every day's a school day in this role, there's always something new to learn which is so enriching. I'm a big believer in working positively with the people around you and on location that could be the local village, home owner etc. During my placement on All Creatures... I organised a local primary school visit to set. The kids LOVED it and all the locals of the village where we were filming where thrilled. This really gave back a positive vibe to the locals and even made the papers which was all great PR for the show.
If you could give advice to someone interested in pursuing your job role or a career in the screen industries more generally, what would you say?
Get yourself signed up to all the Facebook groups for working in TV & Film, keep getting your name seen with positive and friendly comments. If you ever work on set it can be VERY tiring, keep a smile on your face and don't burn any bridges. Try and make your own connections with crew, you never know who they'll recommend to you and this will often lead to further jobs. Take advantage of all the amazing ScreenSkills courses there are. Don't be intimidated by more experienced colleagues, they all started at a some point and will appreciate an positive, 'can do' attitude from a newbie.