Top Gear and The Grand Tour producer Andy Wilman will headline MICA’s first masterclass themed around broadcast, followed by accomplished experts in director Stephen Mizelas, Carwow’s Iain Reid and motorsport content expert Scott Mansell.
The key automotive-focused broadcast figureheads will outline how their own outlets have adapted to digital, new opportunities for motor industry communicators presented by YouTube, influencers and vloggers and what’s involved for brands to benefit.
First MICA masterclass
MICA, set up this year, has the two priorities of providing training and networking in answer to member feedback. The group is drawing up a series of masterclasses led by industry leaders and exemplar practitioners.
The first on November 5th at Silverstone University Technical College is free to members (join at Prca.org.uk/mica). To book masterclass places, go here – including a special non-member launch price of only £100.
Email [email protected] with any queries. Arrival on November 5 is from 10:00 for a 10:30 start, breaking between 12:30 and 13:15 for a light lunch (included) and finishing at 15:00.
Afterwards, there is the option to watch track action presented by Motorsport Days Live, an end of season expo for race teams, championships and drivers (included in masterclass admission).
Speakers
Andy Wilman has over 20 years’ experience at the pinnacle of bringing automotive content to a mass audience, from re-launching Top Gear on BBC TV in 2002 before executive producing The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime. Having also presented segments of Top Gear, Andy switched to online streaming in 2015, along with the Clarkson, Hamond and May presenting trio and other former Top Gear team members. He will take the MICA audience through the highs, lows and pitfalls of bringing stories on-screen, while dialling up motoring’s entertainment value and viewer engagement.
Documentary film maker Stephen Mizelas specialises in STEM-subject films, especially in the motor industry where his work has featured McLaren, BMW, Lotus and MINI amongst others. He has also filmed in Egypt’s pyramids, the North Pole, the Utah salt flats and in Ron Dennis’ office capturing the secretive world of McLaren racing.
His work has included multiple high-profile films for all the major broadcasters, including BBC1, 2 and 4, Channel 4, ITV, Sky, Discovery, National Geographic, Amazon and Netflix. Stephen began his career working on BBC’s Kilroy and found a talent for finding some of Britain’s most colourful characters and stories. His fascination with the unexpected and the surprising is what drives all his films, from lady pest controllers, to Falkland war veterans to an automotive company’s new car.
Carwow’s Iain Reid is head of editorial at the new car marketplace and content destination founded in 2011, which has since helped over 12 million users to find the best new car, compare offers and buy directly from dealers. Presented by Mat Watson, the face of the site’s YouTube chanel, Carwow videos attract up to 75,500,000 views a month to generate leads and prospects for supporting dealers.
Iain’s knowledge and experience of reaching motor industry fans online is underpinned by previous stints at Auto Express, Car Buyer and What Car? He also has a taste of manufacturers’ interest in broadcast following a spell at Toyota and Lexus.
Scott Mansell’s Driver 61 platform is named after his father’s race car number and, following his own 25 years in motorsport, Scott now spans in-person driver coaching and simulator training, as well as motorsport content communicating technical and performance topics across YouTube. Lockdowns stoked further interest in sim racing, with a growing opportunity for commercial involvement and product placement in this virtual reality environment.