These are some letters from the BBC during my application to become a BBC Engineering Department Technical Operator. <\/p>\n
I had always been interested in Film and Television, and at my Secondary School (Reading School) I had been instrumental in setting up a Film Group – with a clockwork 16mm Bolex donated by one of the teachers. <\/p>\n
Following ‘A’ Levels (French and German) – I hated the thought of doing French or German at University! – I had seen various advertisements for BBC personnel. So, off I wrote. (Sorry, there are no copies of the letters from me to the BBC!). <\/p>\n
The first letter back stated that there were no vacancies at the time.<\/p>\n
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The next exchange of letters was about various vacancies at the BBC – including some where I might have been able to use any linguistic abilities – but I was far more interested in the technical side of things (I was a member of the school’s Electronics Club, and Chemistry Club … <\/p>\n\n\n\nEventually there was an advertisment for BBC Film Cameramen. I applied.\n
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The interview generally went very well. I was asked a number of questions about the techniques of film – one question I clearly remember was : “When do you cut from one shot to another when the actor walks through a door?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the course of the interview, it turned out that it was for a NEWS cameraman (this had not been specified in the original advertisement – or perhaps not clearly enough highlighted for me! \u00a0 I was not interested in, nor indeed suited to, that sort of job, and the interviewer,\u00a0\u00a0 Mr Dunhill – who was very nice and put me at my ease – said that I was certainly competent technically, and suggested that I try BBC Engineering – Television!! – as they were recruiting. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSo I applied to BBC Engineering, as suggested.\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nI duly attended the Board Interview – but can not remember much about this!\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe next letter from the BBC was a letter offering me an appointment as a Technical Operator: did I want to become a BBC Technical Operator?\u00a0\u00a0 The redacted passage states that the offer was subject to the results of examinations, when known,\u00a0 but I had already presented the main results. (While this recruitment process was going on, after ‘A’ levels, I did a couple of ‘O’ levels in one term, including Physics ‘O’ level.)\n
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I wrote off with my acceptance of the job offer. Yes,\u00a0 I did want to become a BBC Technical Operator … <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next letter confirmed my acceptance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In this last letter – please note:
“… Will you please note that the induction course will now last for three days and not one week as stated in my letter of 28th November…”
which explains why I never had some of the experiences that many Technical Operators had on Induction at the BBC, why I was a bit adrift on my first day in the Studios – and why I was always sure that I worked on the following Saturday’s episode of “The Chem Lab Mystery” on my first day in the Studios (LG “E” to be specific, with Mike Bond!)
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Vacancies.jpg\")
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nI duly attended the Board Interview – but can not remember much about this!\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/4-Board_Inteview_Acknowledgement.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe next letter from the BBC was a letter offering me an appointment as a Technical Operator: did I want to become a BBC Technical Operator?\u00a0\u00a0 The redacted passage states that the offer was subject to the results of examinations, when known,\u00a0 but I had already presented the main results. (While this recruitment process was going on, after ‘A’ levels, I did a couple of ‘O’ levels in one term, including Physics ‘O’ level.)\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/5-Offer_p1.jpg\")
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