Helen Hobin

Children in Need 2013

• Assistant Production Director 2013
• Production Director 2013-2014

Helen first encountered YSTV at Fresher's Fair 2012, when she saw a big, shiny camera and a microphone-wielding Emma Bew (2:03 into the 2012 Freshers Montage). Having hovered around for a few moments, trying not to look creepy, she eventually asked to be interviewed – mostly in order to get a closer look at what seemed like something straight out of the BBC. She signed up to the email list, but spent most of her first term running around trying out every society she could and subconsciously leaving the best for last.

During late Autumn Term she signed up to be a camera op and participant (not at the same time) on the critically acclaimed magic show, ‘Pushing the Senses’. Following the kind encouragement of Chris Wall and Peter Eskdale, Helen decided that YSTV was something she wanted to be a part of. During the start of the Spring Term, having attended a few station meetings, crewed for ‘Monday Evening Live’ and participated in various training days, she was beginning to consider the possibility of starting her own show. One night, inspiration struck: whilst thinking about her essay on the Brontës, she suddenly realised that she could combine her love of literature with television – thus, the series ‘Lights on Literature’ was born.

On the 28th January 2013, Helen nervously pitched her idea of a programme about the literary world of Yorkshire, and the show was voted in. Thanks to the help of pretty much every member of YSTV, she learnt a huge amount when making her first episode about the Brontës – from the bus timetables of Haworth, to the importance of colour-balancing, and from the necessity of gloves whilst trekking across moors in January, to the fun that can be had working alongside a wonderful crew – in this case, Harriet Myzak-Douglas and Antonia Callan. She had further splendid adventures with Antonia, Anya Diaz Cebreiro and Chris Parker when filming the second episode about James Herriot and interviewing his daughter, Rosie, in the Summer Term of her first year.

She gained the position of Assistant Production Director on the 15th May 2013 – a role which she really enjoyed, despite its involvement of the term ‘Ass Prod’. Although she did not fulfill Chris Parker’s requests to fetch him a coffee, she learnt a lot from being involved with the committee and the station’s overall production department. She produced her first live show in November 2013, YSTV’s annual broadcast of ‘Children in Need’, which has provided very valuable experiences of organising a team, making decisions, and sending out twice the usual amount of emails. It was a wonderful learning curve, and definitely worth the late nights.

For an unknown reason, Helen is fairly notorious when it comes to socials/nights out, and the day following an event her words may be found all over the Quotes Board. She is reported to have been kicked out of the Willow several times, and would probably be embarrassed to have it known that this was for the - perfectly understandable - activity of napping. Following the consumption of alcohol she is more active in literally prodding people, and has a penchant for arm-wrestling. She is an avid fan of hit show ‘Bargain Mad’.

In the Autumn term bi-elections of 2013, she was elected Production Director and is happy in the knowledge that YSTV is her real home while at university. (Although of course she has never slept in the studio...)