Wendy Wong

I’ve always wanted to work in the TV industry but had no idea how to get it. One day, I came across The Network from one of the Screenskills masterclasses. I’ve heard they provide great support to new entrants so I took my chance. And I got in – yay!

My favourite part was The Scripted Masterclass. Roanne Bardsley, one of the speakers, really opened my eye to how the writers’ room work. It’s actually so systematic. I was so interested to listen to her experience being a writer on Hollyoaks. What’s even better, is that I kept in touch with Roanne and she’s been so helpful and generous with her advice. I even met her while I was a Scripted Intern at Raw TV as she was working with the company. It was so great to see her in person!

My cohort was great – I’ve even worked with a few of them! It was such a happy coincidence when I saw their faces at work. I became friends with my cohort. We share our experiences, give each other advice and exchange feedback on our scripts. It’s really wholesome!

I think The Network definitely kickstarted my career. I’ve had trouble finding jobs after I finished my MA in film, but people I met (guest speakers, my cohort and of course, the brilliant team from The Edinburgh TV Festival) have been guiding me. Eventually, I got my first job in TV and successfully moved from Factual Entertainment to Scripted Drama, which is known to be difficult to get in.

I had such a great experience with my mentor Laura Scrivano. She offered invaluable advice to guide me on my journey to become a Writer/Director. I also got to shadow her when she directed Sky’s The Lazarus Project. It was such an enlightening experience to be able to observe Laura working on a big-scale TV drama set.