Sue Vertue is a Producer and Board Director at multi-award winning indie Hartswood Films, creators of hit shows including Shelock and Coupling.
Sue Vertue (Image by Gage Skidmore)
How much did you know about Pact Council, and what was your perception of it, before you stood for election?
Actually I knew a fair amount about Pact Council because Beryl (Sue’s Mum and Founder of Hartswood Films) had been Chair of it beforehand so I’ve always known how useful it is and how important the work they do is.
Why did you decide to stand for Pact Council?
We had been members of Pact for donkey's years and so I stood for Council when Beryl retired from it. I served six years on the Council and then was co-opted for the last two. As a small independent company we really rely on the strength and bargaining power of Pact and it felt really important to be able to have an impact on what the Council was doing and share my experience as an ‘on the ground’ Producer.
How did you approach writing your candidate statement and what was it like going through the election process?
I think you really have to be honest and straightforward when writing the statement, in the end you can only say why you think you’d be a good candidate and what you can offer. It’s then up to the members who vote to decide if that’s the strength that they want.
How did you find the first few meetings? Did anything come as a surprise?
Honestly? A bit daunting, but not for long. Because some members are returning and some new, and the fact that Council jumps straight into continuing where they left off with rolling negotiations, policies, etc., it takes a few meetings to catch up with what’s going on. For a bit, I felt that everyone knew what was going on except me - that’s natural paranoia and shouldn’t put anyone off. Plus, if something doesn’t make sense – just ask.
Have you found it difficult to manage your Pact Council responsibilities alongside your day to day work and commitments?
No. All the meetings go into the diary at the beginning of the year and everyone in the office gets used to working round them. They start early so don’t encroach too much into the general day. I don’t think anyone should apply though if they don’t feel they can make most of the meetings – it’s really important to be immersed and get involved.
How do you feel being on Pact Council has changed your understanding of Pact’s work and your company’s place within that as members, if at all?
I really didn’t know how active Pact was and in how many different areas until I joined Council. What I like about it is that the members are a very diverse bunch – from small factual, drama and kids indies to the super indies and there is no shortage of advice and knowledge coming out of those meetings.
If someone is thinking about standing for Pact Council but isn’t sure, what would your advice to them be?
They should stand for Council if their reasons are right. The important note about Council is that often you are discussing or negotiating matters that don’t and won’t affect you or your company for one reason or another, but it will affect another member so you must give that the same attention and care. It is a massively important and impressive place Pact, and on Council (not wanting to sound like a school teacher) you very much get out of it what you put in. What we all want is a thriving independent sector and that’s what Council works towards.
Find out more about what Pact Council does and how you can get involved in the upcoming election here.
