Ever wondered what it’s like to be on the front lines of live sports broadcasting?
Our Diary of a CA Intern series uncovers the career journeys of the latest entrants in the creative industries, placed by Creative Access. This week we’re joined by the talented trainee technical assistant Lanna Cowles.
In 2023, a new traineeship was launched in memory of the late ITV Sport technical director Roger Pearce. That trainee is Lanna, a drama graduate from Northampton, who smiles for the entirety of our conversation and is soaking up every minute of her technical traineeship.
Lanna joined the call with us from a hotel room in Norwich before she dashed to work on the Women’s Euro Qualifiers.
Keep reading to find out her insights into why live TV is so exciting, why the lifestyle isn’t for everyone, and her advice for those aspiring to work in the sports TV industry.
One of the best things about this traineeship is that, after this, people will recognise me and I’ll be a familiar face, and that – networking – is a huge part of this job.
CA: Hi Lanna, we are so excited to be chatting with you! Can you give us an intro to your industry and where you’re placed?
Lanna: It’s titled technical assistant, but I get to go around all of the technical departments within sports television, including cameras, sounds, VT (videotape) and vision. At the start of the traineeship, I was seeing everything and then as the year’s gone on, I’ve chosen the areas that I’m more interested in which are sound and VT.
Whether it’s football, rugby or horse racing, I experience a real variety of different sports and it’s been great seeing stuff like the touring cars and the Euros!
My role is to shadow and learn, to ask lots of questions and get to know lots of people. It’s just great. I get great behind the scenes insight and then also get to learn it all. There’s absolutely no pressure on my part; my role doesn’t have any direct responsibility which is good because that’s what the scheme is.
When you see a replay of that goal or injury, that’s the VT department working very efficiently to get these straight to the director. I enjoy its fast-paced nature.
CA: What’s VT? And why do you love it?
Lanna: VT deals with any of the pre-recorded content. For example, it could be an interview with Gareth Southgate that has been filmed prior, or a highlights reel at the end of the show. Then they have the exciting part where they clip up any of the exciting action happening live! So when you see a replay of that goal or injury, that’s the VT department working very efficiently to get these straight to the director. I enjoy its fast-paced nature and I like that the department feels at the centre of it all, where vision and sound come together.
CA: What’s the sports industry like to work in? Especially as somebody starting their career?
Lanna: It’s definitely a certain lifestyle that you have to get used to – I’m in a hotel room right now!
There’s a lot of moving around the country, being away from home, and the days can be 10+ hours. They do compensate and give me study days where I can just recap everything I’ve learnt. I love it, it just feels weird being part of something so big like the Euros, because I’m not actually that much of a football fan… It’s just so odd seeing my friends posting on their stories about the Euros and I’m like, ‘Ah, it is actually really cool that I work on this!’
CA: Has there been anything that surprised you?
Lanna: It amazes me how resilient each person who works in this industry is. Whether it’s raining or freezing cold outside, whether there is a 12-hour day ahead of them – everyone I have spoken to loves their job and they are always so enthusiastic about this industry. I never expected the job to feel so rewarding.
CA: Have you always been interested in this industry?
Lanna: I was always drawn to cameras and came from a photography background. Then at university, I joined the student-run TV society, where we had a similar kind of setup that was just more amateur. I just loved it so much.
I was a runner on a few factual entertainment shows for about a year and a half and I did some production work alongside that, which I absolutely hated. I realised I didn’t want to go down that side of it at all!
I always knew I wanted a technical role. I wanted to stop being a runner and get that step up, and I wanted to get back into live TV but I didn’t know how, and then I saw this role. It felt like all my experience and my interests aligned because I’d worked on the commonwealth games and had my first taste of sports broadcast which I really enjoyed. It felt like it was the role for me.
CA: You mentioned that networking is a big part of your experience… How have you found making professional connections so far?
Lanna: Like with anything at the start, it was really daunting. Everyone knows each other and at each OB (outside broadcast) I’d go to there would be new faces all the time. But once you break the barrier and ask someone what their role is or how their day is going, it’s easy from there on and I’m always interested in what they’re up to!
Everyone is so welcoming, and they know about the scheme so I’m hoping that it will all help me in the future after this. One of the best things about this traineeship is that, after this, people will recognise me and I’ll be a familiar face, and that – networking – is a huge part of this job. I have good faith that I will continue working in this industry!
CA: So being ‘good to work with’ is just as important as being good at what you do in TV?
Lanna: Yeah, it’s such a ‘people-person’ job. You’re working with and talking to people all the time and they are long days, so everyone wants someone who’s got a smile on their face.
CA: What would you say is the heart of working in the technical side of TV sport?
Lanna: I think what I love so much, specifically for live TV, is that things can go wrong.
Weirdly enough – I mean it’s not fallen on me obviously – but it’s quite fun to troubleshoot and solve problems. Touch wood, I’ve never seen anything go wrong while it’s live, but I do hear stories all the time of things going wrong, and it is quite fun having to think on your feet knowing that there is that pressure on you.
People at home wouldn’t even know when there’s something wrong because there’s backups for everything. The amount that goes into it is insane, I could never have imagined the time and effort that goes into it just to get onto our screens; going up to the satellites and back. I can’t get my head around it. It’s a lot of work and a lot of money is in it too, which is why there’s so much pressure to get it live and faultless. So yeah, I love that it has to be perfect, but also if things go wrong, that’s kind of what makes it exciting.
CA: You’re a successful young woman in an industry where female representation is quite low, do you have any advice for someone wanting to get in?
Lanna: It’s so difficult because I’ve always said ‘I just got lucky’, but you have to want it.
What I did was join loads and loads of Facebook groups for TV, and even if I didn’t think I was capable of a job, I still applied for it.
Sometimes I got them on LinkedIn, or if you’re looking at the credits of a show you really love, you can find someone’s name or find the production that worked on it and search them on LinkedIn, add them and then message them if they add you back.
It is really difficult and I do think a lot of it is who you know unfortunately, but do what you can to make connections. I was really desperate for it; I was looking every day, always on my phone refreshing those runner Facebook groups, constantly being the first to apply, because a lot of them are first come first serve, so if you don’t see it within 15 minutes, twenty people have already applied and you’ve missed your chance.
Something that has helped me get this job was being a part of my TV society at university. I spent more time there than I did with my own degree because that’s what I loved more. If you have the opportunity to join online courses in camera, or workshops, or attending film festivals – even if you aren’t that interested – I say just get stuck in, because it’s the people there that will help you get the job and giving yourself that exposure will increase your chances.
CA: How long had you been looking at Creative Access for opportunities?
Lanna: Since I finished university, because I was freelance running and never really had a stable job. I was always looking on Creative Access, it’s always been one of the websites I’ve always looked on. I was on a mentoring scheme through Creative Access at university too. l knew I could get frequent opportunities from it and there’s always stuff on there, I literally love Creative Access.
CA: Final question: how would you describe your internship in three words?
Lanna: Thrilling. Fast-paced. Fascinating.
CA: Thank you so much for your time, we can’t wait to see what you do next!
Stay in touch with Lanna and follow her work on:
Instagram: @lannacowles
