Glasgow-based Producer/Director Evie Greenstreet took part in the Unscripted TV Skills Fund's Become a self-shooting PD programme, delivered by supporting experienced crew to progress into Producer/Director roles.
After returning to unscripted production in Scotland, Evie used the programme to sharpen her skills, rebuild her confidence and strengthen her network within the UK unscripted industry.
We spoke to Evie to find out about her time on the programme and what impact it has had on her career.
Can you tell us a bit about your career in screen, have you always worked in unscripted?
I started in unscripted television straight out of university after being offered work experience at CBBC in Salford. I’d never considered that you could work in television without industry contacts, so it was an exciting opportunity.
From there, I worked as a runner on shows like The Voice, Take Me Out, Citizen Khan and Wimbledon, before moving to Scotland in 2016 for the reboot of Robot Wars. It was here that I started to forge a career in television.
A couple of years later, I moved to Australia where I continued my career working on some huge shows including One Born Every Minute, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly and after years of hard work landed my first role as a Producer Director on Gogglebox. During COVID, I returned to the UK for a while and as broadcast slowed, I moved into digital. I worked for a YouTube channel called The Running Channel where I managed clients, pitched and developed videos, as well as shooting content and edit producing. What felt like a detour at the time has since become one of the most valuable parts of my CV.
Returning to Scotland three years ago was challenging and the industry landscape had changed vastly since first living here. Despite my wealth of experience in Australia, I struggled to secure unscripted producing roles and eventually decided to pivot into scripted working on Fear, Lockerbie and The Buccaneers, as well as working in fashion and branded content. Looking back, these experiences have given me a broader understanding of the industry as a whole and have helped me to build a diverse and exciting career.
Last year, an incredible PD I’d previously worked with gave me the opportunity to return to producing in unscripted as he moved into series directing. It was during this role that I applied for the Stepping Up to PD course. After years of moving between industries and roles, I had lost confidence in my abilities as a producer and director and needed to recalibrate. The course gave me the opportunity to rebuild my skills and prove to myself and the UK industry that I am a capable Producer Director.
How did you find out about the course? Was there any particular element that appealed to you?
A potential employer reached out about this course suggesting it might be a good opportunity to sharpen my skillset and build a wider network within the UK unscripted industry. It felt good to be investing in my career at a time where the industry was quiet. The thing that appealed most to me was having a supportive community during an uncertain time in the industry.
What were the highlights of the programme?
The absolute highlight for me was the networking event in London. It was great to meet other like-minded individuals from the regions as well as learning from some of the most prestigious people in the industry. I left the networking event with hope for the future, something I hadn’t had for a while.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the Edit Producing training and chose to have additional AVID training as my bespoke bolt-on. This training was particularly useful in my placement where I spent a lot of time in the edit.
How did it help you develop your career?
The course helped build my confidence as a Producer Director, giving me a strong foundation to move into producing and directing full time. It also helped potential employers know that I have the skills and training which is a huge help when you don’t have a lengthy credit list yet.
Have you worked on anything since taking part where you have been able to use elements of what you learned?
After completing the course, I returned to Rogan into the edit for a new Channel 4, observational documentary series as a Producer Director. Not only did I get to work with a fabulous Editor in the offline, but I also had the privilege of taking the programme through final post, giving me a practical crash course in all elements of post-production. I am extremely thankful to Rogan for the ongoing support of my development and training and was thrilled to place with them this year.
Why is it important to have programmes like this in Scotland?
The most talented people I have worked with are based in Scotland. The Scottish industry is full of resourceful, creative individuals who really can turn their hand to anything. However, the diverse CVs in the Scottish industry do not always translate well to other areas in the UK, especially London. It is important to have training programmes like these so that hiring bodies can meet and work with this talented base of people and further understand the strength of a broad, diverse CV.