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Studio Production - TFT00011I

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  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Edward Braman
  • Credit value: 30 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module summary

This module will equip you with the core skills to work inside a broadcast TV studio: gallery directing, vision-mixing, camera operation and production assisting, among others. It will also acquaint you with some of the key forms of studio television from a combined storytelling, aesthetic and technical point-of-view. In this you will encounter panel shows,  games shows, and magazine programmes alongside multi-camera studio drama production and live music presentation. The module's aim is to give you insight into - and experience of - what remains one of the dominant forms of television production, not least because of its capacity to capture and mediate exciting and important live events. At the same time, the discipline of working alongside fellow students in the team environment of the TV studio will equip you for group-working elsewhere, both on this degree, and in the film and TV professions more widely.

N.B. ALL PRACTICAL SESSIONS IN THE STUDIO are considered part of the overall assessment, as failure to attend will damage your ability to crew for your fellow students during the assessments. Therefore we penalise failure to attend practicals at 3 marks off the second summative mark, per session missed. If you miss a session through illness you should self-certify your absence on eVision.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23

Module aims

During this module, students will:

  • Gain confidence with the technical side of studio operations, including vision-mixing, racks, and sound.
  • Improve their operational skills in all studio crew roles.
  • Gain understanding of the importance of lighting and design in studio productions, along with a thorough understanding of the role of the engineering team.
  • Create sequences and programmes in a range of studio-based genres, including demos, game-shows, discussions and multi-camera drama.
  • Practise producing correct paperwork for productions.
  • Learn to work as teams in a disciplined work environment, and support each other during the assessment stages.

Module learning outcomes

But the end of this module, students can expect to

  • Demonstrate an understanding of pre-production planning for multi-camera shooting, and an ability to prepare scripts that will communicate across studio departments to the audience beyond.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the discipline of studio directing and floor management as a means of co-ordinating creative activity.
  • Demonstrate an ability to fulfil several technical roles in multi-camera studio production, and an ability to understand those roles with which you less completely familiar.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying aesthetic principles and the technical requirements of capturing stories in a live environment: gallery directing, camera operation, lighting, design and sound, and more.
  • Demonstrate a thorough understanding of health and safety issues during production.
  • Discriminate between the different disciplines of live broadcast and as-live recordings for later editing.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the different aesthetic and technical requirements of producing varied genres of studio content, in particular: complex multi-item shows, game shows, studio drama and live music.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the postproduction of studio inserts and complete programmes where recorded as-live.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Practical
Group Practical: Game Show		 N/A 30
Practical
Studio Production Exercise		 N/A 70

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Formative exercises are embedded into each week's practical teaching session.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
2500 Word Essay		 N/A 30
Practical
Reassessment Individual practical studio test & exercise		 N/A 70

Module feedback

Written feedback within 20 working days.

Indicative reading

MODULE READING LIST

Millerson, G. (1999). Television Production. London: Focal Press

Utterback, A. (2007). Studio Television Production and Directing. London: Focal Press

Fairweather, R. (1998). Basic Studio Direction. London: Focal Press

Thompson, R. and Bowen, C. (2009) Grammar of the Shot. London: Focal Press

Ward, P, Bermingham, A. and Wherry, C. (2000) Multiskilling for Television Production. London: Focal Press

Ward, P. (2001) Studio and Outside Broadcast Camerawork. London: Focal Press

Nisbett, A. (2003) The Sound Studio. Amsterdam: Elsevier

Singleton-Turner, Roger (2011), Cue & Cut, Manchester University Press


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.