Media Type: Stylish and sharp with a Bombay drawl

Role : Researcher

My role involves lots of different things, but initially it was looking for contributors and then following instructions from the director. To be a good researcher confidence is important, to be self motivated and having the ability to work beyond the parameters. I got my first break at RDF, I called them up the day after my graduation asking for a meeting, it must have been my hangover talking but I managed to get a job a runner. So don't hold back, just make that call.

So far a proud moment was finding a director for Bollywood Star at the last minute, which involved calling production companies all over India. What struck me about working on Bollywood Star was the shoot in Mumbai, which was my first location shoot. It was a pressure organising a shoot in India's chaos, but the buzz of pulling it together and making it happen was very cool.

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Varsha Chauhan

Media Type: Good time girl come agony aunt

Role: Coordinator

A project coordinator essentially manages the offices, and handles the administration on the production. This involves a range of jobs from clearing permission to film, to booking hotels and transport for the crew. The important thing to remember is to keep a calm rational head and be able to problem solve even at one o'clock in the morning when something goes wrong with the crew.

The odd thing was I did French at university, but was inspired by a book on women in film. I learnt about moving image and progressed to making my first short film at 25 for which I won Best New Director at the Birmingham Film Festival. Bollywood Star has been great to work on, creating and database for a thousand applicants was task and a half, the highlight has to be meeting professionals from the Bollywood film industry.

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Ameila Brauer

Media Type: Transformer - talent maintenance

Role: Make-up artist

The industry is full of very very talented people so you really need to persevere and get as much experience as possible. I gained experience by doing make up for amateur theatre - they are always looking for a spare set of hands and it's great to build confidence that way. An obvious skill is to be good at applying make up, but you also need to be calm and very tight-lipped about what you hear. Have respect for the talent you're working for.

Being a make up artist is essentially about transforming people according to their needs but is also about being calm and caring as you are probably the last person they see before they go on set. Working on Bollywood Star was fun but a challenge; keeping the talent fresh faced from 5am till 10pm was my job, but early starts and late finishes are par for the course of this industry.

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Sarah Green

Media type: A ball-busting lovely

Role: Production Manager

I am responsible for the logistics of the production; from the financial to legal elements. Essentially, the job requires endless patience, keeping an eye on the bigger picture and the ability to follow set procedures. The best tip I can give is: benefit from other peoples mistakes, because when things invariably go wrong on your production you can draw on those experiences. My first break was getting a job as a receptionist at a production company, after four days I was asked to be a personal assistant for the head of production, I've worked my way up since then.

It is the first time a programme like Bollywood Star, about British Asian culture, has been made on this scale. Dealing with such a massive subject matter it was important to keep the production teams focussed and tell the story. In this job you should not be afraid to coordinate people and even take the bull by the horns when needed.

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David Dehaney

Media type: The talented nonchalant

Role: Series Director

The Director's role is about creativity, you form the structure, content and overall style of the programme. The key skills are communication and vision, you're telling a story and essentially the way you present it comes from inside of you. What I do at the beginning of any production is think about a core proposition, what do you want to do and say? What are your ideas and the essence of your message?

The best piece of advice I have been given is don't punch above your weight. Wait till you're ready, gain as much experience as possible before you take on the responsibility. It's important to learn your craft; it will be your reputation on the line if things go wrong. I put in years of voluntary work at production companies, learning on the job and generating ideas before I got to where I am today.

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Nick Plowright

Media type: Technical luvvie

Role: Cameraman

This job isn't easy but I do enjoy my job, there's a collaborative spirit and I have a desire to make something informative and entertaining. It is important to be on top of the technical aspects but also to understand the director's visual style, what editors need to work with and engagement with your subject is vital.

Everyone makes mistakes. It's always best just to own up! My biggest was during a trek to the top of a volcano, it took a day, about four thousand feet only to find my battery connection was broken in the climb so we couldn't film. Working on Bollywood Star has been great and I loved the filming in India; it threw up so many beautiful and poignant images.

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Bobby Friction

Media Type: Animated motor mouth

Role: Judge

My role is to judge British Asian talent to send to Bollywood. This involves the ability to be objective, honest about the performances and truthful with criticism. I have many interests in the media industry, I have achieved a fair amount and am proud that my passion for music in particular has paid off. My parents were worried about my future in this business but you can do well. It's a tough ride but possible if you keep your vision and don't let others deter you.

To work in any industry you need to be experienced at what you do, I began as a bedroom DJ mixing whenever and wherever I could. I sent demo's out and in time was invited to play at the legendary Blue Note. What it's good to remember is be prepared to work long hours, sacrifice money to get yourself out there by volunteering and it will pay off in time. Working on Bollywood Star has been a great opportunity to represent and celebrate British Asian talent and drinks with Bally Sagoo was definitely a highlight!

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