BAFTA winning UWL alumna gets dream career behind the camera
Intro
Maria Verdeille may have studied for a BA (Hons) in Photography, graduating in 2019, but her passion for sport was what led her to her current role covering live sports events for television production company Whisper TV.
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Her team’s coverage of the UEFA Women’s Euros for the BBC won a BAFTA in 2022 and she has also won two Broadcast Sport awards – Best Sport Programme, also for her Women’s Euros coverage, and Sport Production of the Year for coverage of the Tokyo Paralympics for Channel 4 in 2021.
As well as covering Women's Super League football for the BBC, Maria is preparing to work on the Paralympics again next year.
My role is very creative and has a wide range of responsibilities. It can involve coming up with content ideas, working on shoots, script writing, finding analysis, live producing highlights and closures during match days or being onsite to help the production run smoothly,”
Maria says. She adds that she really enjoys it:
You're live editing as the game happens and it is very high pressure, but what I love about it is once it's gone out, there's nothing you can change about it.”
Maria, who has cerebral palsy, got her break into TV on Channel 4’s Production Training scheme, which supports people with disabilities in getting careers behind the camera. The scheme gave her a year-long paid work placement, with training at Channel 4 once a month.
Cerebral palsy affects all four of my limbs, but I walk without any assistance. I’m fortunate, disability has given me opportunities — I used to do athletics, and I competed in the 100 metres at the Commonwealth Games and in Australia too,”
Maria explains.
So, covering sport for a living is your perfect career, then?
Yes - I've always absolutely loved sports and yeah, I've always kind of had that mentality of just doing what you enjoy and then something will come off,”
Maria adds.
Peter Bennett, Head of the Photography course Maria studied at UWL, adds that he has nothing but admiration for her energy and determination:
Maria was always an excellent student when she was studying BA (Hons) Photography at the university, but what she has achieved since leaving is brilliant and a real inspiration for our current students.”
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