Interview with Executive Producer Josie Mitchell

Josie Mitchell is a UK-born and bred govt producer dwelling in Hong Kong. Her earlier profession as an early years trainer took her from the UK to Thailand and Hong Kong earlier than turning her hand to producing. She now runs Treacle, a artistic company with studios in Hong Kong and Bangkok. Over the previous ten years, she’s produced award-winning advert campaigns, giant format LED installations around the globe, a feature-length documentary and an academic sequence for the BBC. Alongside together with her animation director brother and their workforce of proficient animators in Bangkok, she is now producing Berry the Bear – a delicate academic YouTube channel for younger learners. 

Berry the Bear is a step away from the extra chaotic content material flooding your youngsters’ screens. Berry is designed with youngsters’ (and fogeys’) wellness in thoughts, in order to not not give mum and pa a headache or induce tantrums. It’s right here to supply a secure and reliable academic viewing expertise for adults and youngsters alike. 

It’s fantastic to share Josie’s artistic life with you on the weblog.

1. Describe a typical day for you?

I really feel extremely fortunate to stay in a barely distant, lovely village on an outlying island in Hong Kong, referred to as Lamma. I get up to a view of my mango tree and the ocean past with the sound of birds singing. This morning I discovered an cute tree frog in my lounge which I fastidiously launched within the backyard. I begin the day by feeding my rabbit and taking my canine for a stroll alongside a nature path, protecting a eager eye out for snakes earlier than settling right down to work from my residence studio. My work day is normally spent creating episode concepts for Berry the Bear, guaranteeing the scripts align with key growth targets for younger learners after which recording the voice-over observe for our animators to start creating the episode. When the animation is full, it will get a ultimate evaluate from me earlier than going surfing. 

2. What do you’re feeling are your biggest achievements?

I’m actually pleased with all the pieces we’ve got achieved with our artistic company, we’ve created a various vary of content material for big shoppers around the globe. My proudest achievements are the initiatives that give voice to points that talk to my coronary heart. Initiatives reminiscent of The Helper Documentary, a feature-length documentary shining a light-weight on international home employees in Hong Kong. The Helper achieved nice success in Hong Kong cinemas, all whereas elevating cash for native charities that present help to those fantastic girls who sacrifice a lot to assist their youngsters have a greater life.

My ardour for instructing remains to be robust so I’m over the moon to be making a sequence that seeks to counterpoint the event of younger learners. Being ready to have the ability to mix my two loves, schooling and producing, looks like an exquisite achievement! 

3. What’s in your purse/ satchel?

Dwelling in a distant village with no outlets or autos, I’m ceaselessly toting a backpack in order that I can convey residence groceries from town at any time when I enterprise out. I pack my bag with the new humid HK climate in thoughts so it all the time has tissues, wet-wipes, water, an umbrella and suncream. There’s normally the odd canine deal with or poop bag floating round as effectively.  

4. What are your ambitions in life?

I’m starting a masters in counselling this summer time and I hope to include what I be taught into producing content material that helps foster psychological wellness in younger folks. 

5. What do you want you’d identified initially of your profession you now know?

Producing generally is a laborious slog! Manufacturing usually has excessive ranges of burn-out so I’d want I’d identified methods to higher handle my time (and power) and identified how and when boundaries wanted to be put in place.

6. The place do you see your self in 5 years time?

In 5 years time, I hope to have constructed an engaged neighborhood of fogeys, lecturers and youngsters for Berry the Bear. I plan to develop a collection of enrichment actions in order that youngsters can be taught with Berry on-line and offline. We’re presently engaged on an academic app and plan to companion with toy producers to create STEM and creativity primarily based toys. 

7. What recommendation would you give a budding producer?

A producer’s biggest asset is their social abilities and their community. So get on the market and meet folks, make buddies and assist join different folks. Producing will be an arduous job bodily and mentally so it is advisable to be captivated with what you’re engaged on to keep away from burnout. Get entangled in a spread of initiatives in an effort to discover the sort that will get your blood pumping and offers you a way of pleasure. 

8. Lastly, happiness is…

Nature. Stepping barefoot in grass, on sand or within the sea provides me an immense feeling of connection and grounding that brings me such pleasure. I like drawing on the calm and therapeutic advantages of nature when creating episodes for Berry the Bear.