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8 Apr 2010 16:16:35
Experienced TV drama director Gerard Maguire, who specialises in long-running series and soaps, was a welcome visitor to the University of Bedfordshire.
Better known as Ged, he gave a masterclass in fast turnaround, multi-camera TV drama to TV Production level one and Media Performance level two students just before the Easter break.
TV Production students took on the roles of director, vision mixer and camera operators, while Media Performance students were the on-screen talent.
Ged demystified the process of multi-camera drama, explaining how to read the text and subtext of the scene and where to place the cameras for maximum effect. The student groups recorded their rehearsals and final recordings, and then analysed them with the main man himself.
Kathryn Wolfe, Senior Lecturer in Media Performance and Senior Lecturer and Course Leader TV Production, said: “The masterclass, like the industry, was fast-paced and energetic, and both sets of students left the TV studio buzzing with new- found skills!
“As a TV drama director in the genres of series and soaps, you need to work very quickly indeed, crafting scenes, ‘blocking’ the actors (giving them their moves) and creating the camera script at speed.
“Typically on Coronation Street, the director would get through 65-70 pages of script per day, which is the equivalent of directing a whole episode per day! If the director falls behind this schedule, it is almost impossible to recover the lost time.”
Ged is a freelance television producer/director with more than 20 years’ experience working on factual and drama productions. He has directed more than 60 hours of UK television drama, both single and multi-camera productions.
His credits include Coronation Street, Casualty, The Bill, Family Affairs, London’s Burning and MIT - Murder Investigation Team (a film drama series for ITV).
He has also directed a number of successful independent short films including Rhubarb and Roses which was financed by the UK Film Council and distributed by Short Circuit Films.
Latest news» 2010» April» No drama as TV expert directs operations
