Michael Parkin

Principal Technical Officer Film & Television,managing students on 3yr Film & Television Production Course running High Defintion 1080i-50 4 Camera TV Studio, teaching all aspects of television production, racks cameras vision sound grips lighting, to teaching location sound from SQN mixers and Sound Devices wireless microphones setting up and the UK laws to maintaining 16 broadcast location camera kits, and overseeing studio upgrades to webcasts to wall box and comms.

Including working on University external projects, Life of Stanley Kubrick filming on location for St Albans Museum and Elstree Studios, overseeing students and shoots on location.

This was a tapeless studio with Panasonic P2 full size broadcast cameras on vinten studio pedestals and recorded onto Xsan 16 terrabyte server with Final Cut Pro editing.

2010

Visiting Tutor with enhanced CRB issued by Devon County Council to students at Exmouth Community College Media Dept, teaching students from many Devon Schools whom were all brought by coach to Exmouth College to receive my training course on camera sound lights health and safety, camera techniques and technical training.

Training Courses for other media students on

University Students on BA - MA media film & television production courses,from technical training to running a television studio to location filming and technical training. Community Colleges teaching students filming techniques and technical training.

To teaching self shooters and producers the use of camera sound light and technical training including staff at Broadcast Hire Co facilities, and setting up equipment and line up.

Location Sound Recording,teaching camera sound lights grips wireless microphones set-up rigging fault finding going live comms camera line up.

Television Studio HD racks cameras teleprompt studio sound rigging vision lighting cables connectors all aspects of television training.

Michael Parkin Location Sound Training for News & Docummentary

Location Sound Training for News & Docummentary Students whom want to work in the Television Industry

COURSES DESIGNED TO YOUR NEEDS

Safe Working and Risk Assessment.

Designed for SELF SHOOTERS - students to become LOCATION SOUND RECORDISTS
Setting up the HD Camera
Working on cable - or wireless link
Location Mixers- Microphones - Wireless Microphones -Setting Levels- Clean Feed- IFB
Wallbox Going Live - Fault Finding - Interface with Camcorders
Going Live - Location set -ups - rigging - sound balancing - multi - wireless microphone set-up - boom operation - line feeds to studio - taking feeds at location - boom microphones -

FULL HANDS ON TUTORING FROM A PROFESSIONAL EX BBC TV - ITN NEWS AT TEN

COURSES AT YOUR LOCATION - SCHOOL - COLLEGE - UNIVERSITY - PRODUCTION COMPANY - BROADCAST HIRE FACILITY .

MICHAEL PARKIN

EMAIL mike@michaelparkin.co.uk

MOBILE 07803 229416

MINIMUM BOOKING FEE 7 HOURS.

The following interview "A SOUND LIFE of Michael Parkin" by Guy Peters is an extract from the Sidmouth Magazine which is produced here in Sidmouth Devon by Hedgehog Media, publication Sidmouth & East Devon Life.

This photograph was taken on location the day after Helen Mac Arther returned from her round the world trip and with Mark Austin ITN-ITV reporter now host of News at Ten with the camera crew and producer with Mike Parkin- Michael Leonard Parkin Sound Recordist with ITN from 1973 till 2005, before that Michael was with BBC TV NEWS,and BBC film Dept 1963-1973.andbefore this was at Shepperton Film Studios - Copyright M.L.PARKIN.Mike
Parkin-Michael Parkin-Michael Leonard Parkin the originator of the official Sidmouth Website by name of its domain http:// www.sidmouth.com Sidmouth Website.
The town website helping to promote Sidmouth in Devon England for small business and commerce The Sidmouth Area District Directory with its unique multi-listings to locate the Business Name and link and show its Domain.

The image-photograph is Michael Parkin ITN Sound Recordist, just another normal day on the road with ITN-ITV NEWS, this was the day in 2006 when Michael Parkinson signed up with ITV to do his SATURDAY NIGHT chat show, we had not met face to face untill this interview, we had so much to talk about as Michael Parkinson new all colleagues that i had closely worked alongside when i Michael Parkin worked for the BBC back in 1963-1973 working closely with DESMOND WILCOX Manalive Documentary fame and Bradens Week which became the Saturday Nights Thats Life where Esther Rantzen became the celebratity of the show.So this is the image-photograph of us the two PARKY,s together.This photograph was taken on the rooftop of a london hotel after the PRESS RELEASE Michael Parkinson leaves BBC to join ITV.

This photograph image was taken at the ITN News Studios at 48 Wells Street London circa 1980 showing the NEWS AT TEN newscaster ANNA FORD putting on her final make up for the live broadcast in the background DIANA EDWARD JONES the Director showing the QUEEN around the set, with MICHAEL PARKIN checking the comms and audio with the SOUND CONTROL this was just a few months before MICHAEL PARKIN went on the road for ITN as a SOUND RECORDIST on film camera crew 21. Well before the days of websites and the internet, when the SOUND RECORDIST would have to unload the film camera on the bonnet of the film crew car inside a black bag, then the film would be sent back by dispatch rider to be processed in the film lab for 45 minutes then edited for NEW AT TEN.At this time Reginald Bosenquet, Andrew Gardner,Gordon Honeycombe Alastair Burnet were also popular NEWS AT TEN newscasters. Photo image Circa 1980.
Michael Parkin BBC TELEVISION 1963 to 1973.
Alexandre Palace-Television Centre-Lime Grove Studios- Television Film Studios Ealing-Kensington House.
BBC TV News BBC 2 Manalive Bradens Beat- That?s Life Desmond Wilcox my boss for many yrs, and Esther Rantzen ITN 1973 ITN 48 WELLS ST LONDON W1 Sound Tecnician- ITN OB- ITN Studio Sound Optical Recording
1981 Film Sound Recordist ?ENG Sound Recordist until Sept 2005 working permanetely on the road around the globe for ITN-ITV News Gathering.
ITN-ITV 200 GRAYS INN ROAD LONDON Sept 2005.
2005 Michael Parkin Head of Sound Procam TV.
Local Website Co-ordinator putting the Devon Towns on the internet to help preserve the local shopping communities, save our High Streets becoming the same as the copycat high streets.Helping the local Devon traders and shopkeepers in EAST DEVON.
[ www.honiton.com ]
[ www.sidmouth.com ]

So Michael Parkin the local resident in East Devon not only having travelled the world from Royal Tours to Major conflicts to London Bombings the first hunger striker in Northen Ireland to standing on street corners outside all the major Courts covering the major news stories of the day, and seen history in the making now is dedicated in helping the local shopping high streets, in villages and communities to get there business seen by others, this in turn helps the local residents economy brings customers and visitors to these sometimes forgotton areas, where the effects of the large corporate names are dominating the area,if you feel that a advert to spread your wings, even if you have your own expensive website, linking through our websites and information pages, will inprove the position of your website and customer base, give me a call, toghether with the expertise and back-up of our team of web designers and IT consultants in COSMIC in OTTERY ST MARY DEVON you can rest assured in a one to one CUSTOMER SERVICE.Iam happy walking the local Devon Streets seeing for myself the local trades and craftsmen whom weclome me with open arms to assist in putting them on the web.
Call me, i can help you and the full support of our LOCAL DEVON IT expertise.
Updating the LOCAL DEVON BUSINESS INFORMATION DATABASE.
Tel 07803 22 9 416
Email [ info@honiton.com ]

A few more photographs of Michael Parkin shown here from doing long hours of Camera Coverage during the Libyan Embassy siege from early tours with Diana
to Royal Tours on board the royal flight with the Queen touring Kenya to interview with Barry Humphries ,in Spain with Nigel Mansell, Jubilee Celebrations outside Buckingham Palace with Nicholas Owen presenting the live coverage doing better than he did appearing in Strictly Come Dancing onboard with Sir Richard Branson on his Virgin Challenger which we filmed the sea trials, very hard on my back with being thrown around the boat.Then I was assigning crews and facilities at a Liberal Conference in Scarborough to being in full NBC suit in Germany on a NATO exercise me being on the right of frame, Brent Sadler then at ITN since been with CNN news network and one of my Cameramen Sebastian Rich his published book
with a few lines about us in Nothern Ireland and the death of the first hunger striker Bobby Sands, to covering golf for the sports desk with Bernhard Langer to me at very young age at ITN film department transferring the audio tracks of the Thames TV programmes of the Sweeney.and more studio shots of Royals and Anna Ford and Alastair Burnet and myself Studio Sound Technician to being in full recovery red kit during a helicopter disaster and so many thousands of lifetime memories and pictures and press cuttings of being arrested and near misses around the world chartering aircraft and facilities to conflicts to May Day marches and Court coverage and live broadcasts to losing a great work colleague and friend Terry Lloyd a true gentlemen whom was shot by American troops in Basra. Life in the TV news profession is so different as you are assigned a job by the news desk and finish being with colleagues and work mates 24-7 sometimes for months in very difficult working environments having to make the best of it.

A few months ago another old colleague gave me a very early photograph with the then well known boxer Cassius Clay whom changed his name, photograph taken with me appearing from left of frame, there must be so many more photographs and Cuttings that I have not seen,one funny story outside the London High Court covering a major news item, pushing and shoving in the crowd iam trying to get my boom microphone in to hear the release of the Lady, not until I saw the front page headlines and photograph on the well known daily paper my long boom was pushing the Police mans helmet off, so he was holding on tight, but from my position some 18 feet away I was un aware of this situation but it made a great picture image. So being a webmaster helping and talking with local business in Devon to encourage them to join the business Database that I started from scratch many years ago you can see iam the man for the job well used to meeting and talking with clients and a very good organiser and hoping to improve the plight of the small business against the dominance of the retail giants in Devon and improve the economic development and regeneration of local shopping in Devon communities and towns and villages in Devon and the South West.

From being very keen on sound at my parents home in Eltham with making my own DJ desk and early tape recorders to joining Stage Sound in King Street Covent Garden to working at Shepperton Film Studios to joining the BBC film Department at TFS Ealing to Alexandre Palace, working on Man alive my boss Desmond Wilcox, Bernard Braden Esther Rantzen, joining ITN in 1973, and my late cousin Dennis Main Wilson being responsible creating Till Death Do us Part, Rag Trade, Sammy Davis Junior shows, 6 five special Hancocks Half Hour putting many on tv, as when he originally joined the BBC after the war he started off as a talent spotter with Willian G Stewart and was given the nickname Dame May Witty by Sammy Davis when he visited the UK and Dennis would organise the production of his shows,to following my dad around all the London theatres working for Stoll Moss Empire and H.M Tennent the production companies making the sets,I used to find it fasinating on his weekend Saturday Sundays following him and helping out to my life now of teaching and training the new comers to the Television Industry in Sound Training and techniques making them proficient to become Sound Recordists and Sound Supervising and answering the everyday technical issues associated with Broadcast Audio Equipment and looking at new technology.
So you can see I still lead a very busy hectic lifestyle.

Michael Parkin started life training to be an architect, but soon followed his lifes ambition by joining Stagesound Recording Company in King Street Covent Garden in 1960 on quarter inch tape recording and film dubbing on 16 & 35 mm film for BBC Schools programmes. From here he joined Shepperton Film Studios with British Lion Films in the post sync theatre, then he joined the BBC TV on the training scheme in 1963 at Television film studios at Ealing from here he was quickly posted to Alexandria Palace for BBC TV NEWS, like most jobs at the BBC you are posted to all operational areas including Lime Grove Studios, Television Centre, then a position came up with Desmond Wilcox on the BBC television documentary Manalive as his personal film assistant where Esther Rantzen was a researcher, Bernard Braden came back to TV after a break from radio and Desmond was asked to take control of a new Saturday series called Bradens Week, where Esther and other researchers would read out consumer stories, soon Esther and Desmond became a couple and the new programme That’s Life took off.

Michael after a few years moved on when the BBC TV News moved into the Television Centre where Michael was a dubbing editor laying tracks for the news and mixing the audio commentary and effects tracks of the BBC news items ITN in 1973 was looking for Sound Technicians and Michael joined doing hire of services commercials,optical recordings for the Sweeney TV series and was Sound assistant on the studio floor for the flagship ITN news bulletins lunchtime, early evening news, and the well known News at Ten, working alongside many well known newscasters and presenters Reginald Bosenquet Andrew Gardener Alastair Burnet Robert Key Leonard Parkin John Suchet Anna Ford Selina Scott and Trevor Mac Donald around 1980 Michael was promoted to a location film sound recordist where the Sound Recordist solely working on the road newsgathering where you would have to change the film stock in a black bag on the bonnet of the crew car with rubber bullits and petrol bombs thrown inplacesBelfastBelfastandLondonderry,soon the first Electronic News Gathering cameras were taking over for instant pictures and sound the RCA camera and Sony 330 cameras with the Sound Recordist would carry the video umatic tape machine in war zones like Beiruit middle east crisis,during the death of Northern Irelands first hunger striker Bobby Sands Michael recalls being there for the funeral where he was welcomed by the family, have tea and cakes, if you film us putting on our masks when the courtage starts we will shoot you, have more tea and cakes with Bobby, there he was in the next room with in an open coffin.

Michael stories, press cuttings and photo library are endless as he has worked with so
Casssius Clay, Parkinson so many Royals as Royal Rota Press Crew with Charles and Diana, from Politicians, pop stars Michael has had access to so many buildings and places of great interest, worked with so many well known names like Alastair Stewart Jon Snow Peter Snow Kate Derham Mary NightingaleLeonard Parkin Trevor MacDonald Martyn Lewis Norman Rees James Mates Sandy Gall Brent Sadler Michael Brunson Michael Nicholason Mark Webster he has been to so many priveliged locations and seen history in the making travelling on the same Royal Flight as the Queen to Kenya Bangladdesh Pakistan, been arrested in Nigera followed by the secret service agents arrested in Prague,worked on Channel Four News Channel Five News, GMTV breakfast show lives around the UK, travelled on high speed ribs at sea, travelled in the cockpit of Concord, flown on Nato exercise combatHelicopter visual flying,flown in the RAF Nimrod, filmed disasters,winched off by helicopter from royal naval ships after interviewing H.R.H Prince of Wales.

On the first inaugural flight from London City Airport filmed the London Eye being winched into place when the huge German cranes cable slipped and it was another two weeks before it was then ready to be lifted vertically into place, sometime later Michael worked on the live GMTV breakfast show live broadcast with it moving and Eammon Holmes presented it from the capsule, been down seeing the channel tunnel excavated, in underground war command bunkers. Nato exercise wearing NBC suit being in gas chamber filmed in F1 racing cars round a test circuit so Michael has lead an interesting life for 32 years with ITN Michael has also lost great working colleagues like Terry Lloyd whom was shot in Basra, Michaels last major stories were the announcement of the Olympic Bid in Trafalger Square with Mark Austin whom now is the presenter of the flagship news at Ten to the next day covering again with Mark Austin the London Bombings. Michael knows about the changes in Technology from film to umatic tape, to the first one piece Camera the Sony Betacam,where the recording tape is in the camera, from film stripe sound, from 405 lines Black and White Television to 625 Colour to stereo, and surround sound to hard drives and digital audio, Michaels knowledge and training is now being given to the new hopefuls joining the broadcast media across the uk.

Michaels love of Sidmouth in Devon started from Holidays in the area then finally settling here in 1991, but owned property here since the early 1983 with a great interest in local business and websites Michael has created with full IT support of Cosmic in Ottery the towns favourite Sidmouth Comprehensive Guide,this has greatly attracted tourism and visitors to the town where most of the towns business has realised this is the way forward and created by local business joining the huge database, including Honiton, Seaton Axminster Ottery.Its great that the town is seen in a different perspective than the officials, that have not travelled the world ,and Michael experiences give him a great platform view of knowing what others want to see on the town website.

Michael is an active member of his local chamber of Commerce and gets a great deal of pleasure helping small individual retailers the chance of a web presence for very little cost.

Some of the areas most sought after business with their own websites have realised that Michaels professional databases do help others find their expensive websites

MICHAEL PARKIN
Stage Sound Recodrding Company 1960
Shepperton Film Studios, British Lion
BBC TV Film Dept
BBC TV NEWS Alexandria Palace London
BBC TV Manalive
BBC Bradens Beat- to That’s Life
ITN NEWS-1973-ITV NEWS to SEPT 2005, before the legislation of AGEISM.
Procam Television- Broadcast Television Crews-Broadcast Kit Hire-London-Manchester-Dubai. Head of Sound.

www.michaelparkin.co.uk mike@michaelparkin.co.uk