Story Producer (Casualty Talent Pool)
Content
Fixed Term - Full Time
Cardiff, GB, CF10 4GA
Job Closing Date: 02/02/25
THE ROLE
BBC Studios is a world-renowned content studio and channels & streaming business, powered by British creativity, with a reach that touches audiences in every corner of the globe.
We work with outstanding creative talent responsible for platform-defining shows from Strictly Come Dancing to Bluey, Eastenders, Casualty, Prehistoric Planet, and Planet Earth III.
The range and quality of our content is unsurpassed, creating critical and commercial successes and global phenomena.
From BAFTAs to RTS Awards, BBC Studios is Britain’s most awarded production company and the only producer with three of the top ten shows on IMDB; we’re the home of bbc.com, the widest-read English language news website in the world; and the UK’s largest distributor of British content.
ABOUT DRAMA PRODUCTIONS
BBC Studios Drama Productions sits at the heart of the UK as our slate of award-winning soaps and dramas continue to bring audiences together week after week.
At BBC Studios Drama Productions, we’re passionate about developing and nurturing a creative and diverse workforce. We pride ourselves on providing some of the most supportive, hands-on editorial and production training opportunities across the whole of the UK.
THE ROLE
Are you ready to share your story expertise by leading a team? Can you inspire and motivate the Casualty story team to consistently deliver fresh, exciting storylines that keep Casualty one of the nation's favourite TV shows?
Working to the Series Producer and Executive Producer, you will confidently lead the creation, development, and restructuring of storylines across Casualty; often delivering against challenging deadlines and answering increasingly ambitious, creative briefs. You will lead relationships with other editorial teams to ensure storylines are accurate and consistent, and collaborate with writers and actors to communicate the intention of storylines and work through any issues.
You will plan ahead and generate long-term story ideas and lead the story team to deliver bold, adventurous storylines, often at pace and under pressure. You will support the team's development and encourage them to strengthen existing skills as well as nurturing editorial instincts.
With significant TV drama story experience, you will lead writers' rooms and story conferences, manage relationships with other departments such as Research, Script, Actors, and Writers, and ensure continuity across characters and storylines.
The Story Producer is required in Cardiff 3 days per week. Remote working is possible for the remainder of the week. Unfortunately, we're not able to support with travel and accommodation costs.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Series Producer and Executive Producer:
1. Generate creative and long-term story ideas of the highest standard consistent with the series.
2. Turn drafts around quickly and creatively and ensure all deadlines are met.
3. Maintain an overview of the series from a story perspective and forward plan.
4. Work collaboratively with writers and the editorial department to communicate the intention of storylines and maintain a dialogue on any serial-related issues.
5. Ensure consistent treatment of established characters and continuity within the story line and episodes.
6. Manage the story team. Motivate individuals to do their best work, manage PDRs, handle concerns fairly and escalate as appropriate.
7. Lead writers' rooms and story conferences.
8. Utilise the writer’s studio process efficiently and effectively to create high-quality serial storylines and surprising guest stories.
9. Manage medical advice to generate surprising, authentic stories and ensure accuracy. Keep abreast of what is happening in the NHS and regularly speak to our medical advisors to bring context into storylining.
10. Liaise with actors over forthcoming storylines. Exercise good judgement about what to disclose. Exercise tact, diplomacy, and appropriate discretion at all times.
11. Where necessary, restructure and generate new storylines.
12. Awareness of the full extent of the financial and purchasing authority of the post. Ensure authority is exercised in accordance with BBC financial arrangements.
13. Awareness of editorial values and standards. Ensure storylines are developed in accordance with the BBC’s editorial policy guidelines and are checked by the editorial policy unit and business affairs where necessary.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
1. Experience of story editing or story producing on a prime time TV drama.
2. Experience of working in writers/story rooms and broken story in a group setting - OR experience of writing storylines for a long-running format.
3. Excellent understanding of all aspects of screenwriting, including premise, story, structure, and character, and an ability to apply this knowledge to working situations with writers.
4. Experience of generating creative production ideas, treatments, and formats.
5. Experience of working under pressure.
6. Interest in popular drama and in particular an awareness and understanding of BBC Drama for a family slot.
7. Awareness of the financial consequences of editorial decisions.
8. Ability to quickly establish the intentions of Producers and convey these to the writers and editorial team.
9. Ability to keep abreast of professional, technological, and working practice changes.
STORY TEAM TALENT POOLS
The Casualty story team is essential to the show's success. Awarded the best British soap by BAFTA this year, we have increasingly high standards and want to work with exciting, innovative story talent who are as passionate about the show as we are.
These talent pools are an opportunity for us to reach out and engage with people who want to work in our story team. If you are successfully selected to be in the talent pool it doesn't mean you will definitely end up working with us. Being in the pool means you will be considered when opportunities come up.
When we’re hiring from a talent pool we may either select people who have the skills and experience required for a specific opportunity – or open the opportunity up to some or all of the talent pool. There may also be occasions when we need to advertise more widely and release opportunities to the general market.
The application process is designed so you get the chance to try out your skills on our storylines. If you are invited to an assessment centre you will also meet our producers and editorial team and can showcase your work to them as well as starting to build relationships.
If you are invited to work on Casualty you will need to be based in Cardiff 3 days per week minimum for the duration of the contract, or live within a commutable distance. Unfortunately, we don't provide financial assistance for this or cover expenses.
LIFE AT BBC STUDIOS
We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours.
The BBC is committed to building a culturally diverse workforce that represents the audiences we serve and encourages applications from candidates from any background, especially people from diverse communities. Equity of opportunity is important to us, and we endeavour to make our processes equal, fair, and meritocratic for everybody.
BBC Studios puts sustainability at the heart of everything we do both onscreen and offscreen, including delivering against the BBC Group’s science-based Net Zero targets.
As a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. If you require any reasonable adjustments in order to apply please contact us on reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk.
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION
Contract: Talent Pool
Band: D
Location: Roath Lock, Cardiff
NEXT STEPS
We appreciate your interest in this position and understand how important this opportunity is to you. Due to the high volume of interest we may need to close the application period earlier than anticipated. This step is necessary to ensure we can provide a high level of attention and service to all applicants. Thank you for your understanding.
DISCLAIMER
This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge, and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.
#J-18808-Ljbffr