For this task, I did lots of primary and secondary research about Robert Popper. Firstly, I needed to find out more facts about Robert Popper, and I did this by looking at websites (secondary research) so I could find out all the basic information about him eg. when he started his career and productions he's worked on. I wrote all the facts that I found out in my blog. In addition, as a class, we asked Robert Popper questions over Skype (primary research). I did this research verbally because I didn't ask them him too many questions about himself so it was easier to remember and write down there responses. I also asked my friends and family members about him to get another persons perspective of him.
For my secondary research, I mainly used Robert Poppers website because it had plenty of information that is reliable. I knew it was reliable because its his website, so the facts are going to be accurate. I thought that this was the best way to get my information because it was the most reliable. My primary research was useful and helped me as much as my secondary research but, it was easier for me to get the information off his website, rather than asking people that didn't really know too much about him. But I did enjoy speaking to him over Skype and he answered questions which couldn't have been answered on the internet.
I think that the media industry is that vast that there are plenty of opportunities available for someone to get into the industry. I think if you're not too picky about what area you want to be in, it makes it easier to get your career started. On the other hand, if you want to do a specific job, you might find it hard to get that job straight away if you don't have much experience. For my own development, I feel like I have a long way to go before I can start in my preferred job role in the media industry. I need to improve in all areas of the media, whether thats filming, editing or whatever.
My Questions and Responses:
1. How did you get into the industry?
Robert Popper went to Manchester University to study French and Italian. He was always interested in the media industry. To make him stand out from other people, and to get noticed, he wrote mad and crazy letters to loads of producers in an attempt to get a response. He did get responses and that was the turning point in his career.
2. Do you prefer to work behind or in front of the camera?
Robert Popper often prefers to be behind the camera. But he said that he's not all that bothered as he enjoys doing both.
3. Whats the favourite thing you've worked on?
Robert Popper said his favourite to work on was a TV show called, "Look Around You". He also said that he enjoyed writing the "Timewaster" books.
4. How do you get your inspiration?
Robert Popper often got his inspiration for most of his ideas from his friends and family. Mainly by remembering the funny things they'd done in the past. He said some of the ideas for "the Inbetweeners" and "Friday Night Dinner" are based on things that happened to him or someone he knew.
5. Do you get much input with the actors?
Robert Popper works with lots of people not only the actors. In addition, he also gets some say in what actors are used in the production and gets to hand them notes before they perform to help them get into character.
6. How do you end up working with the same actors?
Robert Popper has plenty of friends in the media industry, a lot of them are actors. When he meets an actor for the first time, he gets to know them so if he works on a different production and thinks that they are suitable for a certain role, he can easily get in touch with them and see if they want the job. He finds out if he likes a certain actor and also judges them, and often he can trust an actor to come into a role very quickly.
7. Can you tell us about your role in HotFuzz and why it wasn't a bigger role?
Robert Popper is good friends with Simon Pegg and when Simon Pegg was working on his film, "HotFuzz" he asked Robert if he want a role in the film, and Robert said he would come down. Simon Pegg explained his role and Robert was shocked that he only had to say one line ("I'm not Janine") but did it anyway. He told us that after he was told to rerecord the line in post-production.
8. How does script editing work, and were you on the set for the Inbetweeners?
Robert Popper was allowed to influence some of the storylines on the Inbetweeners and base them around real things that happened to him when he was younger. He also said that he wasn't on the set but he said that its often really boring being on the set.
9. Whats it like to be a producer?
Robert Popper said that he enjoys being a producer as you get to be in charge of everything. This included things like, costumes, budget, casting, notes and lots of other things. He enjoys it because he gets to creatively run the show in his vision.
10. Whats it like being a commissioning editor and do you regret not commissioning anything?
Robert Popper said that being a commissioning editor can be good and bad because you get given shows that you really like, and others that you really hate. He remembers a lot of the bad ideas and he used to look forward to hearing the worst ideas. But he doesn't regret not commissioning anything.
11. Has the industry changed over the past 20 years?
Robert Popper started as a runner, and he said things were a lot different to nowadays. He said that there was no internet and not many people used phones back then. In addition, there was a lot more weird things getting commissioned and made that would have been consider today. But he said its more easier to get noticed nowadays because theres so many places to put your work, social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
