Badger & Combes launches Talent Pathway to open doors into live production 

Breaking into live television, sport and digital production is notoriously difficult, even for those with genuine talent and ambition. Badger & Combes, based at MediaCity, Salford, is changing that with the launch of its Talent Pathway: a new scheme built to bridge the gap between education and a career in the professional media industry. 

This is not observational work experience. The Talent Pathway gives participants the chance to learn by doing. You will work alongside experienced production teams, use professional broadcast equipment and develop your skills on real productions for real clients. 

Previous participants have worked on productions involving organisations including Lancashire County Cricket, Wrexham AFC, Betfred Super League and MediaCity. Several have gone on to secure professional roles within the industry, including at BBC Sport. 

A genuinely multi-skilled experience 

The Talent Pathway is deliberately broad. Depending on your interests, ability and the productions available, participants could gain practical experience in areas such as: 

• Live and broadcast camera operation 

• Shooting sport 

• Interview and feature filming 

• Video editing and live streaming 

• Vision mixing 

• Production 

• Sound and lighting 

• Broadcast graphics 

• Camera rigging and preparation 

• Digital, social content and evolving media consumption habits 

• Working as part of a live outside-broadcast crew 

• Emerging broadcast technologies, including remote production 

Just as importantly, participants will learn how professional productions actually work: crew roles, communication, preparation, deadlines, client expectations and what it takes to deliver a genuinely live production. 

Who the scheme is looking for 

Badger & Combes is looking for emerging talent with enthusiasm, commitment and potential, not a list of existing credits. Applicants might be studying television, media, film, broadcast or journalism; recent graduates; coming through college or an apprenticeship; making their own films or online content; working freelance and looking for more professional experience; or simply trying to find their first proper opportunity in the industry. 

Learning through live sport 

A significant proportion of Badger & Combes’ work is in live sport, offering a rare opportunity to learn a style of production where everything happens in real time and there are no second takes. Through the pathway, participants come to understand how camera operators anticipate action, how directors communicate with a crew, how pictures, sound and graphics come together, and how a complete live programme reaches its audience. 

For those interested in sports broadcasting specifically, the scheme offers a genuine chance to build practical experience that is otherwise difficult to obtain early in a career. 

How to apply 

A little bit about you. What you’re doing now, and the area of production that interests you most. 

Something you’ve made. This could be university work, a film, an edit, photography, YouTube content, TikTok, a live stream or anything else you’ve created. Professional, commissioned work is not required, though applicants are welcome to share it if they have it. 

What you’d like to learn more of. Camera operating, editing, live sport, production, sound, graphics or streaming. 

Why you want an opportunity in the industry. 

Most importantly, be yourself. 

Anyone hoping to build a career in television, live sport or digital production can apply by emailing production@bcombes.com, FAO Ellie White.