An ex-media production student from Cornwall College Camborne has carved out quite a name for himself in a most recognisable location; Hollywood.

Daniel Norris, now 30, was a student at Pool Academy before moving on to study the BTEC National Diploma in Media Production at Cornwall College.

It was after he finished the course that Daniel, like plenty of qualified young people, applied for jobs and any opportunity to gain experience.

Daniel said: “After writing hundreds of letters to various production companies I finally managed to secure myself work experience with the pop-culture programme ‘The Big Breakfast’ on Channel 4. I worked really hard and eventually I was offered a full-time contract with them working as a runner. The job was great but not glamorous at all, having to be in work for 3am to prepare the studio for filming, hand out scripts and place props in their correct places.”

When The Big Breakfast came to an end in 2002, Daniel moved on and found himself working on various programmes including Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. 

While working on a programme for Sky 1 called ‘Brainiac Science Abuse’ Daniel received his first promotion to Junior Researcher. He had been working closely with the producers of the show to try and bring their ideas to screen. After his time at that particular programme Daniel got what he titles his ‘big break’.

“I was interviewed and thought there was no way I was going to get the job but I was offered the position of researcher on the biggest programme in the UK at the time; The X Factor.”

Daniel stayed with The X Factor for a few series’ before then moving on to work on Britain’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got More Talent. During his time with The X Factor, Daniel worked his way up to Associate Producer and it was in 2012 that Daniel’s career took a bit of a Hollywood twist.

“I started to work on ‘Got to Dance’ and it was during filming of the second series that the opportunity to work in America came up. Producers I had worked with at The X Factor were now in Los Angeles producing America’s Got Talent and after a few conversations with them I moved out to LA in May 2011.”

It was this journey that has led Daniel to his current position, working as a Producer on one of the most popular TV programmes at the minute; American Idol.