Broadcast Technician
Maci-Skye is a camera journalist at the BBC
I work in BBC News, mainly covering politics. I go out with my camera to capture stories as they happen, from interviews and press conferences to live reports from Westminster.
I am responsible for the technical side, including filming, lighting and sound. I also edit footage, so it is ready to be used on television and online.
My job helps people understand what is happening in the world. By filming events and listening to people’s experiences, I can help tell important stories clearly and accurately.
I love how varied my job is. I never know what I might come across or where I could be sent.
I also enjoy meeting so many different people – every story gives me an insight into someone else’s life.
The job is creative too – I have always loved photography and art, and now I can use those skills to help people connect with real stories.
It’s exciting to know that the way I frame, light and film something can affect how clearly that story is understood.
Being adaptable is important because plans can change at any moment. I might prepare for one story and then be sent somewhere completely different.
Communication matters too. I work with reporters, producers, interviewees and people back at the studio. I need to explain what is happening, ask the right questions and know who to contact when there is a problem.
Problem solving is a big part of the role. Equipment, locations and timings are not always straightforward, so I must stay calm and find a solution.
I also need to understand cameras, lighting, sound, editing software and live transmission equipment – so being confident using the tech is important too.
A usual news team include one camera journalist, one reporter or correspondent and one producer. We each bring different skills and work together to create the finished story.
There's a good mix of experience in my department. I work closely with someone who finished the apprenticeship a year before me, so I can ask them for advice, and more experienced colleagues are happy to share tips too, which helps me keep improving.
My favourite piece of equipment is my Sony Z200 camera. It is a newer model, and I like it because it combines the practical features of older broadcast cameras with newer technology.
I can plug it in and use a hard-wired connection to immediately send what I'm filming directly to the office. They can choose to record it or broadcast it live, which provides the much-needed flexibility when news is happening fast. The camera also has strong autofocus, which helps to keep the subject looking sharp at all times.
I still love photography and filmmaking and often go out to take photographs and take a small camera to shows and concerts.
When I was younger, I would take a point-and-shoot camera on family trips and film every little part of the day and then turn the footage into small films.
At school, I was creative, but I also enjoyed maths. I didn't have a fixed career plan, and I was unsure whether to stay at my school’s sixth form or try something different.
My family were a little unsure when I said I wanted to attend a specialist film and television college but after visiting the college and meeting the teachers, they understood why it suited me. Since then, they've been my biggest supporters!
One of my biggest milestones was travelling to Paris for my first job abroad. I helped film a Newsnight special featuring a woman telling an extremely sensitive story about the abuse she had experienced.
It was an important project with a larger team than I'd usually work with. I felt proud to help tell such a moving story carefully and respectfully.
People can begin editing my footage before I have even finished filming. We use a live transmission box that sends pictures directly back to the office.
Editors can see the material coming in and start building the report immediately, so by the time a press conference ends, part of the finished news piece may already have been put together. It shows how quickly television news moves.
I'm still quite new to my role, so I want to keep learning and building my experience by taking part in formal courses, practicing different technical situations and learning from other camera journalists.
Take every opportunity you can, even when you are not sure you will succeed – I didn't think I'd get onto the BBC apprenticeship, but I applied because it sounded so interesting.
Exploring different jobs helped me learn what I enjoyed most. You don't have to know exactly where you'll end up before you begin – you will discover that along the way.
