In our latest Expert Q&A we talk to Director, Producer & Writer, Ashley Gething, about his career in TV.

How did you get started in the industry?
I was a local TV news Reporter and Presenter working in the East Midlands. After a few years I realised I was interested in how my news pieces looked and sounded, so I gradually migrated to documentaries.

What made you want to become a Director, and what do you enjoy most about your role?
It’s a magical, incredible job. You go on adventures, you meet extraordinary people, you work with amazing colleagues, and you create something at the end of it all. Storytelling is one of the things which makes us human.

What are the most important skills for a successful TV director and producer to possess?
Clarity. Decision-making. Flexibility. Resilience.

During your career you’ve worked with some major world figures, including King Charles and Pope Francis. How do you approach projects with this type of contributor?
You watch and listen and try to understand what is going on and how you can fit and become invisible. And once you’re invisible you work really fast to get what you need because these unique opportunities won’t come again. Basically, you turn yourself into a swan – chilled out on the surface, working like buggery underneath.

You directed the RTS award-winning feature length drama-doc, Secrets of the Neanderthals. With shoots in multiple locations around the world, and complex visual effects, what particular challenges did you face on this production?
Heat was a challenge – carrying kit up a mountain in 40 degrees was tough. I also narrowly missed being bitten by a snake. On a recce in Croatia we became concerned about landmines. In Gibraltar we didn’t want to be cut off in a cave by the sea. The challenges kept changing…

You’ve worked across a range of different genres, from arts and history, to politics and current affairs. Do you have a favourite type of project, and is there anything else you’d like to try your hand at in the future?
The great joy of docs is that you can turn your hand to anything. I want to do bigger and more complex projects – in any genre – and test myself. And be better at what I do.

What’s the most difficult production you have worked on and why?
Mentally the most challenging was a film about a paedophile ring – for obvious reasons. I also made a film for Al Arabiya where we were tear gassed. Border guards with huge sticks started beating journalists and then they fired plastic bullets. That was quite challenging.

What projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently writing a documentary script for Netflix with my colleague Supriya Sobti Gupta. It’s a real life, incredibly high profile assassination story, which has never been told before. Which she found.

How has the industry changed since you first started out?
It’s much tougher and much more unpredictable. And the viewing landscape is changing at exponential speed. Having employment feels like the biggest challenge at the moment.

What tips would you give someone who’s starting out in the industry?
Never give up.

Ashley Gething is a Director, Producer & Writer, and a ProductionBase member. If you’d like to be featured in a future Q&A, let us know!