Hannah Ladds

When were you at WBS?

I was at West Buckland School from 2004 to 2011, in Grenville house and now I work in the TV industry.

What did you do after school?

I studied English Literature at Durham University and then did a MA in International Film Business.

How did you get to where you are now?

I started out as an office runner (the bottom of the TV career ladder) at FremantleMedia and worked my way up and onto production teams for shows such as The Apprentice, comedy/drama Chewing Gum and Britain’s Got Talent. I did a brief stint at Disney making adverts, but decided I was much more passionate about dramas so I moved to Carnival Films (famous for making Downton Abbey) before sidestepping into my current role in a literary agency where we represent scriptwriters and sell books to production companies for stage and screen adaptation.

What qualities did you learn at WBS that helped you get where you are today?

Working in TV is fun, creative, very collaborative, but hard work. As a lot of jobs are short-term contracts, it is also often very uncertain, so it is essential be able to work with a lot of different people and make a good impression. I think West Buckland really taught me the value of working hard, getting stuck in and being part of a team, being persistent and always making the best of the opportunities presented to you- all of which have been invaluable in my career.