Introducing Just Runners, the Anti-Nepotism Agency
Paul McLoone is calling for support for Just Runners - a new anti nepotism talent agency for the film industry. He needs production companies to pledge to get behind it.
Their focus is on inexperienced wannabe filmmakers, making their first steps into the industry. Namely runners.
Just Runner recruit from the best students from a wide range of courses that they have aligned with (BFI, Creative Skillset, Ghetto Film School). There are a wide range of courses with diversity agendas with funding behind them, but the links to freelance employment are lacking, says Paul, the initiative's founder, who has a background in production. The demand is there, too, for people who are underrepresented in the industry. “TV channels are way ahead of commercial production and every other field because they’ve been forced to have these diversity agendas.”
It’s just the bridge between the two that’s missing. Taking the filmmakers from the film courses and getting them the experience so they’re ready to find their filmmaking careers.
The film courses recommend the best students and graduates to Just Runners, who will go through a thorough Boot Camp selection process. The aim of this, Paul says, is to find the people with the right attitude to become runners, to “work out who’s going to drive themselves to get in there and work.”
Part of the boot camp will consist of tips on how to behave on set and general tips on networking and making a good impression - the key to building a reputation as a freelancer. “One of the things will be how to walk on set and say ‘hello’ to everybody,” says Paul, “and let them know that if they want anything done you’ll do it for them.” That’s the attitude a runner needs.
And because Just Runners aims to gain the support of production companies, the runners will be working. “I don’t want this to be a charity or a mollycoddling service,” says Paul. “You’ve got a chance to earn a lot of money if you tow the line and do stuff here and get out there working every single day. It’s serious. If you want this, you’ve got to work double hard.”
From there they represent the best candidates for freelance employment. They represent these runners for six months and then they move on to the normal freelance market. And a new group of candidates move in. They act only as the first step into the freelance market.
One reason Paul settled on the six-month period is so they can try different aspects of filmmaking - there are many directions someone can head in after proving themselves as a runner. Just Runners also want to form a community of filmmakers who can help each other out and progress through the industry together. Paul talks about the mentality he’d love to see emerge. “If you’re out on a job, go and work. If you’re not, you’re in the office. And you’re all talking, writing ideas down.” The idea is these runners will be relying on each other’s emerging specialisms and helping each other out. “You become a unit because that’s what filmmaking is.”
60% of the film industry got their start as a runner. It is a vital role in the industry. However due to the informal recruiting nature of the film industry these roles are often taken up by people knowing someone else in the industry.
Paul and his partners would like Just Runners to be there for all the people who have a passion for the film industry but do not know someone who works in it. They would like to vouch for them and help them get their first start in the industry.
So they are appealing to the film industry to give back a little and try and help those who are first starting in the industry. To come together and create a platform that is a level playing field for all, whether they know someone in the industry or not.
Just Runners are crowdfunding their launch, but more than anything they need production companies to commit to hiring their runners for their shoots. While they want to train these runners up and represent them, it’s futile if nobody commits to hiring them.
“This appeal is asking people to come on board and genuinely commit,” he says. “It isn’t my thing. It needs to be the film industry’s thing. It needs to be the film industry saying we will create this bridge and open things up.”
