Maisie
Hill

After completing a Media and Film & TV BA in 2020, and an MA in Media and Globalisation in 2022, Maisie Hill has gone on to become a Development & Archive Researcher at Ridley Scott Associates. Maisie discusses why she chose to study in Nottingham and at NTU, exciting projects she's worked on in her role, and her plans for the future.

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

I chose to study at NTU before I ever looked around the campus. I truly loved Nottingham and its vibrant nightlife and city centre, as I had a best friend already studying in Nottingham who I would visit. Nottingham is such a fun place to live and whenever I came to stay, I fell more and more in love. Then when I started to apply for universities, applying for NTU was a no-brainer and when I saw the prospectus for the BA Media, Film and TV course, I knew it was the one for me.

What did you learn – both inside and outside of lectures?

I have the most incredible memories from my time at NTU. Looking back at university everything makes me smile. I learnt so much during my time both academically and socially. From learning how to research accurately and quickly, which I now do every day in my career, to learning how to successfully coexist in shared houses with friends.

What does your current day involve?

Every day is completely different in my career, which is what makes me love it so much. Every day is truly new and exciting.

I was previously an Archive Researcher on the Robbie Williams Netflix series here at Ridley Scott Associates. This role included a wide range of tasks day to day, from watching and logging thousands of hours of personal archive from Robbie’s life to breaking down spreadsheets to assess how much archive we needed to license for the series. On some days we would receive specific archive requests from our director and editors, then it was our job to research these requests and find the right footage to accompany a new story beat that arose in our present-day interview with Robbie.

Today, as a Development Researcher every day is truly different. I am responsible for producing research briefs on a range of subjects and people, so our producers and directors are well-equipped to write decks and enter meetings as experts on the subjects I research. I also design pitch decks and access decks on InDesign, to create visually compelling PDFs for our writing to live within. The pitch decks I help create are sent out to the top global streamers ahead of pitches and help to sell our documentary ideas to unscripted Film & TV commissioners. The access decks I make help us to secure access to top talent in the entertainment Industry, from actors to musicians to artists to directors. We have regular brainstorm meetings where we develop new ideas and formats for Documentaries, and making sure we are up to date with news and pop culture is essential for this.

What attracted you to this field of work?

I knew I wanted to work in the Film and TV industry since I was 16, but I was never sure what I specifically wanted to do within it. Then one day I met somebody who was a Documentary Researcher at the BBC and when I heard what her role entailed, I completely fell in love with the idea of becoming a researcher in the unscripted space.

I love researching and falling into random rabbit holes on different subjects, and the idea of being paid to do that was my dream. I love becoming a mini expert on a range of subjects in my personal life, and this field of work allows me to do that as a career.

Being able to see something you have researched and dedicated your time to coming to life on the big screen was such an exciting concept to me. In many jobs you spend all day working on something that isn’t tangible, in this field of work the hard work becomes something millions of people watch and admire.

What challenges have you faced?

Simply getting into this industry was my biggest challenge. The UK Film and TV industry is definitely struggling at the moment, a recent report found Half of freelancers in Unscripted TV are out of work. So, getting my foot in the door was the first hurdle.

When I graduated from my BA I applied to hundreds of roles in the Film and TV industry and just couldn’t get an interview. So, I ended up working in a call centre for a year, then eventually returned to NTU to undertake a MA. After I finished my MA, I finally got my dream role in the industry, but it still took a month of dedication and countless emails.

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

One of the biggest challenges of working in Film and TV is the uncertainty of employment, most jobs are short-term freelance contracts, so work is never guaranteed. I have been incredibly lucky so far as I have been working at the same company for over a year and a half, but my contracts have never been longer than six months. So, you are always thinking what’s next? You must be prepared to always be looking for new work and new opportunities, which can be daunting. But the career and perks of the industry far outweigh this worry.

It’s hard to summarise the highlights of my career, as it is pretty much all a highlight. I get to work in the heart of Soho every day, get to attend exclusive screenings of films that haven’t been released to the public, get to go to fun industry parties and award ceremonies. But if I had to pick one highlight it was the release of our Robbie Williams three-part Netflix documentary that I worked on for a year. It is so rewarding to see your hard work on screen and spot your name in the credits. One moment that really stuck with me was when I overheard a group of girls on a train speaking about how much they loved the Robbie documentary. I couldn’t believe they were talking about something I worked on for a year of my life, and on top of that, they loved it. It is honestly the most rewarding career, and it doesn’t even feel like a job most days. I’m not sure when the magic of this career will wear off, but I’m still just as excited now as my first day.

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to be a Producer in the future, but my biggest dilemma is choosing what kind of producer I want to be. I enjoyed working in archive a lot, so becoming an Archive Producer was my number one goal a year ago. Today, I am truly loving working in development, so becoming a Development Producer has become a new aspiration for me. And then some days I think to myself I loved working on a production, and the importance of the role of a Series Producer seems like something I would enjoy. Who knows what route I will go down; at the moment I take every day as it comes and try to soak up as much knowledge and experience as possible.

If you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at uni?

I would tell myself that everything is going to be okay. The thought of finishing University and going into the ‘real world’ was so daunting to me. I put so much pressure on myself to make it in the Film and TV world that it really impacted my mental health while I was studying, and looking back I just didn’t need to worry. I would tell myself to stop thinking about the end of your time at university and just enjoy it while it's happening.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our alumni community?

Make friends with as many people as possible while at NTU!! I met my absolute soul mates at university. The friends I met during my time at NTU will be my friends for life. Today I live in London with a best friend I met in halls in first year, and next year another best friend I met at NTU will be moving in with us. The friends you make can impact your life forever. I wouldn’t have my dream career today if I hadn’t stayed close with another friend I lived with in halls in first year. She did set design at NTU and ended up working on a big Netflix show, she introduced me to her other friend who was working on another Netflix show, The Crown, and through her I met another lady who put me in touch with my boss on the Robbie Williams documentary, who gave me my first job in this industry. You never know where your friends can get you in life, making genuine long-lasting connections can be so essential, both in your personal and professional life.

Maisie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maisiehill/