If you’ve ever tuned into Race Across the World, Celebrity Traitors, or I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, chances are you’ve already seen some of Assistant Director Dan Newman’s work — even if you didn’t realise it.
But long before the global travel, celebrity line-ups, and hectic shoot schedules, Dan was a teenager in Great Cornard, Suffolk, just trying to source a Year 10 work experience placement. A casual comment in a school careers meeting about his interest in video production would set him on a path that changed everything.
That’s how Dan first crossed paths with The Offshoot Foundation’s CEO, Paul Press, and found himself spending two weeks with Offshoot Films, a production company just a short walk from his house. “It was literally a five-minute walk round the corner,” he recalls. “I had no idea that would be the start of an entire career.”
Learning by Doing
Dan didn’t just dip his toe into filmmaking — he dove straight in. What started as a two-week work experience placement quickly grew into something much bigger. He began attending weekend workshops run by Paul in Great Cornard — the early days of what would become The Offshoot Foundation — learning the craft hands-on through camera operating, editing, directing and, eventually, helping Paul lead sessions and workshops.
Whilst on work experience he created his first project — a short film featuring classmates on their own work experience placements — and before long was working on real client work with Offshoot aged just 16. One client project led to Dan editing a trailer that the client then chose to screen in local cinemas before feature showings — all before he had even started college.
A major turning point was the flexibility shown by both Paul and Dan’s school at the time. “I already knew I wanted to work in media,” Dan explains. “So, we managed to arrange for me to occasionally take extended work experience whenever Paul had a shoot or client project. It hadn’t been done before — and I don’t think it’s been done since — but it was invaluable experience that put me in an incredible position straight out of school.”
Dan stayed involved with Paul and Offshoot all the way through school and college, building real-world experience. He went on to study at West Suffolk College on a Video Production Diploma before attending Ravensbourne University in London, becoming the first of many involved with Offshoot, to attend one of the UK’s top media and TV institutions.
“I originally applied for the Film Production degree, was then accepted onto the Editing and Post-Production course, but before it started, I transferred to the Broadcast Television and Production degree. After speaking to existing students in the build-up to the courses starting, I found that with all the different skills I had developed through my time working with Paul and at College, I would further develop on a broader course.”
From Classroom to Studio Floor
Dan landed his first break in television while still at university, joining The Clare Balding Show as a runner during BT Sport’s launch. He quickly proved his value — so much so that by the end of the series, he’d stepped up to an assistant floor manager role. That was his way in.
Since then, his career has taken him across genres and continents, with credits on a huge range of productions, including:
- Race Across the World (S4 Japan & S5 China)
- I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (Wales & South Africa)
- The Celebrity Traitors & Traitors US (Scotland)
- The Eurovision Song Contest (Liverpool, UK)
- eSports tournaments including Gran Turismo, FIFA and F1 (Europe, Japan, Canada and America)
- Live sports coverage – Champions League, Premier League Football, Wimbledon, and more
He now works mainly as a 1st Assistant Director and Floor Manager, helping plan, schedule and run major shoots all the way through from prep to wrap. “You’re the bridge between the director’s vision and the management of a hectic location or studio shoot. It’s logistical, you are scheduling, managing multiple departments – making sure both the creative and editorial elements happen and are captured.”
The Offshoot Difference
Looking back, Dan is clear about what Offshoot gave him: confidence.
“It’s not just about learning the fundamentals of how to use a camera. It’s about being in a room with people you don’t know, trying something new, getting something wrong and then figuring out a solution to it. That’s what builds confidence. That’s what ultimately makes you feel like you can walk into a studio or filming location and hold your own.”
He also talks about the importance of early familiarity. “Just simple things – knowing when to call action, how a film shoot runs, learning the lingo – it means you’re not on the back foot when you do it for real. It then feels normal, not intimidating.”
And it’s not just technical. Dan says being able to work with new people all the time is a skill. “In television, every single job you take on, there is a new team. The ability to walk in and work with everybody is everything – and I learnt that first at Offshoot.”
Advice for Young People (and Their Parents)
For anyone thinking of attending a workshop -or for the parents of young people who might be unsure – Dan’s advice is simple:
“Just show up. Even if you’re nervous and you don’t say or suggest anything the first day, that’s okay. You’re still in the room. You’re still learning, taking it in, you’re still involved in the process. You build from there.”
He adds: “You don’t have to be loud. If you’re more reserved, you can try editing. If you’re more confident, you can maybe try directing. There’s a role for everyone – and the great thing about the Offshoot Foundation’s projects is, you get to try it all.”
One of the most powerful things, he says, is watching something you helped make come to life. “You get instant feedback. You watch your film at the end of the day and think; I helped make that. You don’t necessarily get that at school for example.”
What’s Next?
Dan’s career continues to grow. He’s recently returned from filming the new series of I’m A Celebrity… in South Africa and has helped launch the last two series of Race Across the World for the BBC. One from the Great Wall of China. But no matter how far he goes, he still carries the lessons he learnt early on.
“Paul’s one of those forever mentors,” he says. “Even now, years later, I’ll be on a shoot and remember something I learnt in one of the workshops early on.”
He knows first-hand how hard the industry can be to break into – but also how important those first steps are.
“If you’ve worked with Offshoot, you’ve already got experience. You’ve got stories. You’ve had a go and learnt lessons. And that gives you something real to talk about when you apply for jobs. That makes a massive difference.”
Dan's favourite films...
