Welcome to the weekly Wrap from How-Do - media news for the North West.
The Wrap's guest editor this week is Flic Everett
Having utterly failed Maths O level (twice) and been told I’d never get anywhere without it, I was glad to see that the Advanced Apprenticeship in Media Production is returning for a second year, offering work experience and training at the BBC, Granada and various other North West TV companies.
The scheme is aimed at 16-22 year olds who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to break into broadcasting, and don’t need GCSEs in Maths or English.
This is highly refreshing, given that thousands of Media Studies graduates pour out of universities every year, wondering why being called Saskia and having a rich Dad isn’t a fast track to fame. (Actually, quite often, it is.)
As a school-of-hard-knocks, university-of-bugger-all graduate myself, it's nice to see that some media institutions value a bit of graft over a thesis on the semiotics of celebrity coverage in OK Magazine. I’m all for Media Studies, as long as no one expects a proper job at the end of it.
If you want something doing, though, bring on the real apprentices.
Maybe I’m simply jealous of finely-honed student brains, however- as another How-Do story reminded me of my own stupidity (again) this week. Web agency Mando Group has designed a game which allows users to drive a virtual car round any city, using Google Maps. Back in the 90s, when Playstations were still coal-fired, my kids had Colin McCrae’s rally game, and challenged me to race them on the Italian track section. “Oh great!” I said,”Can we get off the track now, and go and see the rest of Italy?” See, I wasn’t thick; I was just before my time.
And congrats to Love Creative, who’ve won the Warburtons gig to enhance the public’s love of bread, and promote the UK’s favourite picnic spots this summer. Then again, they won’t be favourites for long, once the loaf-guzzling hordes have identified them, will they?
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