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New awards ceremony finds its freelancers of the year

The awards "established to honour the unsung heroes of the British television, film and media production industries across the UK" were ably hosted by comedian/presenter, Mark Dolan, in front of a lively audience brimming with the creative energy so necessary for a career in the industry.

Did you know that Production Base members can join BECTU for £90 in their first year? Visit Production Base to access the discount code. BECTU members can also enjoy a 25% discount on Production Base membership.

The heroes whose praises were well sung last night included:

Runner of the Year

Sandy McCracken was named Runner Of The Year, in recognition of the achievements, dedication and hard work of freelances working within this often tough and gruelling entry position. Also shortlisted were Ben Worsfield and Casey Levie.

Outstanding Freelancer of the Year

Ash Jenkins, editor, was honoured with the title Outstanding Freelancer of the Year, set up to mark key achievements and outstanding contributions throughout the year. Also on the shortlist were Eleanor Yule, writer/director, and Uzma Iqbal researcher/assistant producer.

Beyond the Call of Duty

Wayne G Saunders, director, was celebrated with the Beyond The Call Of Duty award, which considers freelancers who have gone way beyond their usual protocol and achieved an exceptional outcome as a result of their dedication and hard work. Also vying for the prize were Mike Green, editor, and Maureen Somerville, assistant director/producer.

A glimpse of stand-out work from the nominees demonstrated why they made the shortlist.

An especially warm appreciation was extended to Maureen Somerville, who at 64, and with less than five years' in the industry, was said to "knocks spots off many younger freelancers".

Judging panel 

The total shortlist of nine was assessed by a judging panel made up of Duncan Gray, BskyB, Lucy Ansbro, Phil McIntyre Television, Benetta Adamson, producer/director, Jane Martinson, editor Media Guardian, and Joe Mahoney, managing director, ProductionBase.

Joe Mahoney, said:

“With some 57% of the independent production community made up of freelancers, we felt it was time to create an awards that would celebrate their achievements. Freelancers across the country have been nominated and it has been tough to select winners as there has been a tremendous amount of talented freelancers to choose from.

"We feel that the candidates we have selected have really shown a desire to be the best in their field. I’m pleased that we are able to give something back to those who have worked so hard by honouring their achievements.”

 Martin Spence, assistant general secretary, BECTU, commented:

"BECTU welcomes ProductionBase's celebration of the freelance worker in film and TV production. Freelance skills are often as critical to a production as the expertise which staff bring.

"The commitment, flexibility and professionalism of freelances are essential to the success of the industry which is why it is so important to extend the rights and support, not least as regards training, to this section of the workforce."

More information on the winners

Sandy McCracken (26) – is Glasgow-based and has worked for the last two years in various roles in the production and development of animated children’s television series. In 2009 he moved out of children’s TV to work across more mainstream TV – he has worked as a runner on shows such as Antiques Road Trip, Make Me Happy and In It To Win It. He has a BA Hons in Animation with Design and Electronic Media from the University of Dundee.

Ash Jenkins (26) – is London-based and has worked as an editor for six years across a number of award-winning documentaries including Afghan Star and Battle For Haditha. Afghan Star presented the challenge of shooting in a war zone. The parameters of the shoot were affected largely by the conditions of the location, a conflict zone. Working to keep budget costs down, Ash visited Kabul, Afghanistan, training up local Afghan staff as an editorial department. A system was introduced so that the local Afghan assistants could email project information back to London where the master project was structured ready for editing.

Wayne G Saunders has worked in the industry for over 12 years and has produced some hard-hitting documentaries for ITV1 including Girls and Knives and Youth & Guns. In 2001 Wayne began a voluntary service for the youth community in Barking and Dagenham that enabled youths to get involved in video production and now runs similar projects around the UK. In 2005 he established corporate educational and video services company BossCrowns Videos and has subsequently mentored and trained over 1500 young film enthusiasts in various communities across the UK.

Wayne recently won a Millennium Award supported by the BBC, ITN and the Millennium Commission to produce a short film called Greatness, written, produced and directed by Wayne, featuring exclusive footage of Muhammad Ali’s historical visit to Brixton interwoven into the film.