Do things, try things, have a go – Alumni Stories, Chris Richards
Earlier this year we were delighted to welcome back a group of former students from the early 1990’s for a reunion. One of the group Chris Richards, came to York St John in 1989 to study Film & Television with Design, and we were delighted that we’re able to share an insight into Chris’s life since leaving York St John in 1993.
I’d drifted into the 6th form because I hadn’t got my act together to apply for anything else and I was a bit lazy and disengaged. I remember sitting in the sixth form block on a rainy afternoon and thinking, ‘this has to stop. I’m going to find something I want to do’. So I got out the UCAS book and looked at the drama courses, and there was Ripon and York St. John. I dug out the prospectus and the first line of the blurb about the Drama, Film and Television Course said, ‘this is a course for people who want to do things’, and I remember thinking, ‘that’s me!’
The same was true of a lot of the people on the course and most of my friends at St. Johns; they wanted to do things, try things, have a go. The practical nature of both courses was really important to me; I would have struggled to do a course that was entirely academic. The biggest thing I took into my career from St. Johns wasn’t anything specific about programme making but an approach to making things. Both courses were built around project based work where you had to be creative, generate ideas and realise them, working with other people. I loved that, and still do.
I had some flukey luck in my graduation year; Tyne Tees Television had an office in York and were looking for a runner so I ended up getting a job straight out of College. But my first big break was getting a job on Top Gear a little over 2 years after leaving York. It had a tiny budget compared to the behemoth it would become but it was a big deal at the time. I directed my first film in my first week, and I stayed for several years. It was a great grounding because I wrote and directed so many different films for the show and got to try producing as well.
After that I went freelance because I didn’t want to spend my whole life filming cars. Shortly after that I made a short film, A Grey Morning, produced by my friend Nick Irons, who was at St. Johns with me. I used this and other short films to try and break into Drama and launch a bid for world domination, which wasn’t entirely successful.
I directed a lot of episodes of Doctors, I did a couple of episodes of The Bill and a few week’s worth of EastEnders. In between times I did factual shows like Gardeners’ World, DIY SOS, and Born Survivor, Bear Grylls’ first tv vehicle. In hindsight it would have been better to concentrate on drama or factual, because I think it’s harder to make headway when you are trying to do develop, in effect, two careers at once. Don’t do it kids!
Chris directing in -10 in Oslo
In 2014 I then got a job edit producing the Channel 4 programme Gadget Man, presented by with Richard Ayoade, whose work I really liked. I took over as the series producer and with that came another project, Travel Man, which was still very much evolving. The idea was to produce a popular travel programme, involving destinations people could actually go to, done in the Channel 4 way. The first series was a hit and its gone from there. Of all the shows I’ve worked on Travel Man is my favourite, for many reasons. It has also been BAFTA nominated twice, but not won (yet!); I would love to add the St. Johns alumni BAFTA haul; there’s been at least three I think.
When you lay out the highlights of what I’ve done it looks impressive, but when you look across a range of mountains you see the peaks, and not the valleys in-between. Not every job has been great and sometimes the gaps between them have been scary at times! I have been lucky enough to work on some stuff that was really exciting to make, go to some amazing places and meet some wonderful people. Above all I’m really grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with such a wide range of incredibly talent people, both in front of camera and behind.
Chris with the Travel Man crew in New York
When we spoke on the phone, Billy [Jones, St. Johns Alumni Relations Coordinator] asked what’s coming next. I said something about developing ideas which is true, but the truth is I’ve no idea what’s next, and that’s part of the excitement of my job, though it can be scary too.
Finally, Billy asked what advice would I give to the St. Johns undergraduates of 2018? Well leaving aside all the obvious industry related stuff, I’d say ‘do things, try things; have a go.’ There is never a better time than when you’re a student to have a go at different things. Looking back on my time at York St John I wish I’d directed a play; don’t leave wishing you’d done something when the opportunity is right there!
The other thing I would say is that in factual television, one of the most underrated talents is the ability to write. The visual flair, people skills and organization all get remembered, but it’s a massive advantage if you can express yourself and your ideas in writing. If nothing else it makes your application letter stand out a mile.
Thank you again Chris for sharing this with us! If you have a story or update you’d like to share with us we’d love to hear from you. you can get in touch by e-mailing us at alumni@yorksj.ac.uk
