Students on the Broadcast Production course have just returned from a 6 week placement at Sky Studios where they’ve been working on sports shows such as Soccer AM, Fantasy Football and the new Sky Sports flagship children’s show Game Changers, featuring David Beckham.
The 12 month diploma course allows students to specialise in the three core disciplines of broadcast production: Vision Mixing, Camera Lighting or Sound.
Sound specialist students Siyuan (Tao) Lin and Sam Stubbs-Benbow were assigned a Sound Supervisor mentor at Sky to show them the ropes in the state-of-the- art multi-camera studio before giving them the chance work on live shows. They were given the responsibility to mix the sound from Studio mics and outside broadcast feeds, monitor the quality and use audio processing as appropriate to enhance the programme sound, set up and manage studio talkback systems allowing key production team members to communicate effectively.
Tao Lin, 27, previously studied Music Technology and worked in Computer Sound Design for a games company. He signed up for the course to make a career change into Television: “I love the stress of working on a live TV show; it keeps you on your toes and gives you a real adrenaline rush.
"Sky is a great studio with great equipment but the best part was the people. My mentor really took me under his wing and I felt I could ask him anything. When he saw that I knew what I was doing, he gave me opportunities to get stuck in and do the job. As a result I can now see myself developing into different TV roles and, over time, the chance of career progression.”
Both Tao and Sam worked at Sky on Live and Pre-recorded shows such as Soccer AM,Fantasy Football, ATP Tennis, Super Rugby Union, Boats ‘n’ All, Cricket AM and Game Changers.
Sam, 19, said working on Game Changers, Sky’s new Saturday sports show for kids was the most exciting: “This course has been a fantastic experience. No other course gives you the chance to work for 6 weeks in the studio of one of the major TV broadcasters.
"You go in as a member of their staff on their roster. I got given a lot of time by my mentor who gave me more responsibility each week until they’re happy for you to go straight onto the floor to work as a sound operator – it was definitely worth it!”
Sam had also previously studied Music Technology at A Level and was drawn to study sound through a passion for music. He offered this advice to anyone considering joining this course next January (2014). “I already had a backbone knowledge of sound but you don’t need an in depth knowledge of sound to do this course. You are taken through the theory at the start of the course at the NFTS and get to practice in their TV studios before you go to Sky. It's exciting and a great way into the industry.”
At least one graduate from the Broadcast Production course will be taken on to work at Sky at the end of the course.
For more information and to apply for this course to start in 2014 please see the course webpage at: http://nfts.co.uk/our-courses/diploma/broadcast-production
