Second year documentary film student at Newport, Martin Read has made his first TV documentary, to be broadcast on BBC3, tomorrow 1st
June BBC at 9pm. Entitled: “Where am I sleeping tonight?”
Read about the ups and downs of winning a commission below – but many congrats to Martin as this is a remarkable achievement. The Director of BBC Cymru Wales, Rhodri Talfan Davies just tweeted his congratulations…”Showing Newport is the home of some seriously good film-making.”
We of course know this is all due to the DFT spirit and the DFT vibe!!!! 
This an hour long documentary takes viewers onto the streets and into the real lives of the young homeless in Bristol and London.
For a student to pitch an idea in his 1st year and make a prime time 60 minute television programme in his 2nd year is unheard of’. It is a testament to Martin’s tenacity. Its has been a long hard road, but this film marks a major turning point in his life and career – we are very proud of him.
Martin Takes up the story in his own words:
“In 2012 I found myself homeless on the streets of London (long story) sofa surfing, riding buses, sitting in 24 hour MacDonalds etc. I’d been pitching ideas for TV programmes but getting nowhere, so I ran away to Stockholm, which was not much better, I just swapped an English sofa for a Swedish one! I got a facebook message from Drummer Television in January 2013, telling me that BBC3 were looking for ideas on homelessness and that I should come home and give it one big last shot making it in TV.
So I came back (still homeless), but used that to get into homeless charities to find a place to stay and also meet characters and find stories. May 2013 and I submitted a treatment and pilot. I got a reply a few months later saying my film had not been chosen but to keep trying. So I gave up – and decided to come to film school at USW to get training in documentary and change my life! Then, in my 3rd week of uni, I got a call inviting me to re-pitch my idea. So I went down to London had a meeting and secured £2000 to make another pilot. I made this with the help and backing of my lecturers over Christmas 2014 in Bristol.
Again, I heard nothing until May 2014 when I got a text saying that the idea had been commissioned and filming will start in a month. I actually shed a tear. The course tutors were brilliant and gave me their full support and advice. Having not really worked for 5 years in TV, I was so scared I didn’t have the skills to pull this off, but within 6 weeks into filming when all my searching and volunteering paid off, and the characters flowed, my confidence, my gritty eye for characters and stories and most importantly my mojo was back.
There were times where I was walking back on my own on a deserted road with no lights, 5 bags on my shoulders at 3 am, feeling so tired but in the knowledge I just captured some real amazing footage. There is no better feeling than knowing you got the story in the bag.
I was so upset when the job ended as I loved the experience so much and the amount of experience, knowledge and confidence I have gained from this opportunity is immense. I am a completely different person to the one who started film school at Newport 2 years ago. I know my strengths and weaknesses and I now have confidence in myself. The doors that are opening right now (even before the film is broadcast)is tremendous. For example I have been talking to people at Vice TV and only today I was offered a casting director role for a new documentary for Rondo Media all summer. This film and the film school has changed my life forever.”
documentary newport 