My name is Simon Burroughs and I am an aspiring screen writer. I graduated from the University of Kent in 2006 and worked in the fast food industry until May of 2007 when I decided I needed to make a change of direction in my life. I had always been a fan of film but had never considered working in the film industry as a career. I started to read scripts published on the internet and became interested in writing more and more. The turning point came when I stumbled across a television show in the US called ‘The Wire’ about the lives of various people in the city of Baltimore. Without going into too much detail about the show I was knocked for six, I had never seen anything like it on British television, the scope of the show, the acting and particularly the way the characters were so believable. I wanted to write this way, I wanted to reach people the same way ‘The Wire’ reached me, I wanted to write for television. I was lucky to stumble across FDMX and have found it extremely useful, and what follows is my thoughts and feelings on the project.

I started going to FDMX Wired Wednesday events after meeting Louise Lawrence who works at the East Anglia Film Archive (where I volunteer when I’m not writing). She told me about the project, I checked out the web-site and decide to go along to a Wired Wednesday to see if it was any good. I attended the ‘Television Careers’ talk on 10th October 2007 and have been to every other Wednesday event. The talks are given by people actually involved in the industry at different levels, be it as a reporter, a writer or a producer. Even talks on areas which are not of particular interest have blown me away. I attended the ‘Get into Animation’ talk and wasn’t expecting much from it but I found it fascinating. The passion and dedication that the speakers’ had were amazing. They all started out at different points and they were now involved in different areas but they spoke with knowledge of their craft that is invaluable to someone like me just starting out in television. Being an aspiring script writer I’m most looking forward to the Script Writing workshop in January, which will be a chance to meet those who work in the industry, get advice on getting started and maybe, just maybe, be lucky enough to have them view some of my material.

Through Louise I’ve met Jodie Wick who is another of the FDMX Co-ordinators. She currently teaches animation at the Norwich School of Art and Design. I guess the other great thing about the FDMX events is the chance to meet similar people, who share a passion and an understanding with each other. I’m a writer, Jodie is an animator, Louise is an archivist but this doesn’t stop us from recognising the belief that the other has in what it is that they are trying to achieve.

So if you haven’t yet been to a Wired Wednesday the question I have is why?! I haven’t been to any that I haven’t enjoyed or gained something from. I’ve never viewed what it is I want to do as a ‘business’ but the business talk from business link was very good, it made me think about other areas I hadn’t even considered, such as the realities of working as a self-employed person. Most events are held at the Film Archive and are usually 3 hours long with a chance to put questions to each speaker. If you don’t feel comfortable asking in front of people the speakers are happy to speak to you afterwards (no-one has been rude or impolite to me yet, quite the opposite. Kris Martin at the Animation event was a great chap, even though I cornered him after his talk and kept asking him questions for 10 minutes).

So, to conclude - you’re losing nothing by attending but even if you take just one thing away from the event, you get some advice, you get a nagging question answered or you make a contact in the television industry, then you’ve gained a whole lot more than you had before.

For more details on Wired Wednesday events in Norwich and Hatfield and to book your places, please click here.