In the first phase of our program, trainees undergo 8 weeks of full-time, intensive training with the aim to have them ready for Post Producer or Offline Editor roles. They work in a specially designed course that involves both theory and practical exercises. There is a focus on providing them with a solid foundation to handle the intricacies and bespoke approach to making unscripted content. Trainees learn essential skills such as episode preparation techniques, identifying compelling storylines, and making informed decisions on how to effectively convey a narrative. Trainees specialising in the Offline Editor stream will also work on developing music selection and editing skills, an essential skill for any offline editor working in unscripted content creation.
Following this, trainees enter a minimum 12-week 'On The Job' training phase, working closely with a dedicated Mentor who provide additional support and expertise. The Mentor is a specialist on the show they are working on. This guidance helps trainees navigate the process of creating their first few episodes confidently.
Read more about how the on-the-job Mentoring works.
Through this comprehensive program, EndemolShine aims to empower individuals, bridge the skill gap, and cultivate a thriving pool of talented professionals within the screen industry!
Read more about the Post Producer and Offline Editor job descriptions.
Ellie Hayward serves as the Lead Trainer for the ESA Accelerated Training initiative, where she played a pivotal role in crafting the program's handbook and structuring the weekly course schedule, a model adopted by all trainers.
Having represented her craft as a speaker for various industry events, Ellie is a sought-after post-producer and mentor. Her broadcast credits traverse the UK, Singapore and Australia, and range across documentary, Fact Ent and Reality TV genres including Post Producer credits for global super brands such as Married At First Sight, Next Top Model, MasterChef, The Voice and Survivor.
Ellie’s journey began with a coveted spot in Bournemouth University’s prestigious BA (Hons) Television Production degree course, and studying Experimental Film and Sound Design at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ellie first worked as a runner at the BBC in London before carving out a career in field producing, then moving into Post Producing over 8 years ago. It is a great opportunity for Trainees to learn from Ellie and be inspired by her career path.
Benefiting early in her career from The Media Guardian’s much sought after 6-month ‘Network @ Work’ training scheme, Ellie knows the advantages that on-the-job training can give students in developing the confidence to take theory into practice and wants to give back and empower the industry with this training course. Having created the majority of the curriculum, Ellie is excited to impart her handbook, tips and guidelines for Post-Producing in this fast-track course.
“We don’t just want to make you a Post Producer, we want to make you a GREAT Post Producer! Everyone brings something different to the role and we want you to learn good habits early-on so you feel confident stepping into the role and can enjoy it just as much… because ultimately that makes you a better creative, and that makes better telly.” – Ellie Hayward
“The mentorship was a huge chance for me. We were taught the ins and outs of how to create stories for TV. We got to also learn from the best, who knew where each of our talents would be best used. I don’t think I’d be an offline editor this early in my career without it, it was a massive help.”
- 2021 Graduate
“The ESA Post Production Mentorship Program has been the perfect introduction to the post producer role for myself. The mentors offered a wealth of knowledge; their combined experience, skillset and patience made them great candidates to mentor us. The training program is one of a kind, and definitely a necessity for such high demand roles in this industry, to elevate existing storytelling skills and equip you with all the theoretical and hands-on skills to start out in a Junior Post role.”
- 2022 Graduate
“The training gives the trainees the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them by working through multiple rounds of notes which is something that we don’t have time for on a show when we’re trying to hit screening deadlines and on air dates. It provides a very solid understanding of reality tv storytelling basics. The training also exposes the trainees to a number of different formats and ways of doing things which gives them a great storytelling toolbox to work with.”
- Executive Producer, Post Production
You are welcome to submit an application for consideration should future programs be announced. Keep an eye on our Instagram @esa_recruiting for future opportunities.