From a Three-Week Placement to a Year-Long Journey

What began as a short placement at Plimsoll Productions has grown into an incredible year of learning, exploration, and hands-on experience. From supporting the Operations and Natural History teams to working on live shoots and being mentored by Plimsoll’s CEO, every moment has been a step toward my goal of becoming a Producer-Director.

Siddarth Shetty

5/8/20241 min read

When I first joined Plimsoll Productions, it was for a short three-week placement—what I thought would be a brief introduction to the world of television. But that short stint quickly evolved into something much bigger: a place on Plimsoll’s year-long Trainee Scheme.

Since then, the journey has been nothing short of transformative.

I currently work closely with the Operations team, gaining valuable insight into the engine room of a major production company. Alongside that, I’ve been fortunate to support the Natural History Unit, contributing research and helping explore new development ideas—something I’ve always been deeply passionate about.

What sets Plimsoll apart is its openness to learning across departments. Whenever opportunities arise, trainees are actively encouraged to collaborate with production teams—and I’ve been lucky to assist on a couple of shoots already. Most recently, I spent a few days in the studio helping capture macro shots of plants using a remotely controlled rig. I even got to do a bit of focus pulling, which was an exciting hands-on experience. The production crew has been incredibly supportive, making every shoot a chance to learn and grow.

One of the most exciting parts of this next chapter is being paired with a mentor. I’ve been assigned Grant Mansfield, the Founder and CEO of Plimsoll Productions, as my mentor for the next six months. I’ll be working closely with him during this time, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from someone whose vision helped shape one of the UK’s leading production companies. His guidance and experience will undoubtedly play a key role in my development.

Looking ahead, I’m currently seeking my first formal Researcher role, with the long-term goal of becoming a self-shooting Producer-Director. Plimsoll has been the perfect foundation—nurturing, challenging, and full of opportunity.

Every day here brings something new, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next.