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10 Jan 2011 12:51:14
What have a level three Media Performance student at the University of Bedfordshire, an American football development officer up in Scotland and a costume designer from Welwyn Garden City got in common?
Well all three - student Helene Kinina, part-time TV presenter Robbie Paulin from Inverness and the ‘retired’ Janet While - were involved as the University’s TV Production level three students produced their own show, Backstage Pass, at the Luton campus before Christmas, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 14 December.
Kathryn Wolfe is a Senior Lecturer in Media Performance and Course Leader in TV Production and she said: “At level three, we not only expect TV Production students to create a studio-based magazine programme; the added challenge is that it should be recorded as if it was a live broadcast.
“The first level three production in the studio this year was Backstage Pass and the show’s aim is to provide a backstage look at the arts.”
To the backdrop of student-produced set designs, Helene was co-presenting the ‘live’ magazine show alongside Robbie, with Janet acting as a guest interviewee, in the University’s superb TV studio.
The 21-year-old Helene from Birmingham, who is staying in Luton while she studies, will be working as presenting cover for satellite television channel BEN (Bright Entertainment Network) on its Saturday music show after impressing in auditions. BEN Television is regarded as a black oriented, urban, diverse and cosmopolitan family channel and Helene hopes to be covering fashion shows and other entertainment events.
She said: “I’m producing my own showreel at the moment. I would love to work on QVC - The Shopping Channel - and the experience would be fantastic. It’s all after the masterclass by Del Brown earlier this year (www.beds.ac.uk/news/2010/mar/100310-del).”
Helene was also full of praise for the support she has received at the University and said: “Kathryn (Wolfe) is a real inspiration to me and her tips are invaluable. I love talking and presenting and Kathryn has done a lot to mould me - I really love her for this.”
Robbie combines his role in Inverness as a development officer for America’s favourite sport with some television presenting on community television and a variety of entertainment shows. He has only been doing this for the last 12 months after starting on commercial radio in April 2009 and he was recruited by the University from the casting website, www.StarNow.com
He said: “I’m quite new to television presenting and it’s not an easy thing to break into. There are very good facilities here at the University; there’s very little real difference from TV studios I’ve worked in before.”
Interviewee Janet works as a costume designer for the non-professional Barn Theatre in Welwyn GC and was invited after students had visited the theatre to shoot some footage for the Backstage Pass project.
She discussed her current work - the Barn Theatre’s festive offering, The Snow Queen - along with the relationship between cast and crew, as well as other production issues she encounters.
Kathryn Wolfe added: “The 11 members of the production team conceived the programme idea from scratch and created opening titles, the script, researched, shot and edited the location items, planned the studio production, designed and built the set, found presenters and interviewees, and ran the show to a strict 15-minute time slot.
“Co-lecturer Anthony Greenbank and I have both worked in live television and the pressures of a live broadcast cannot be underestimated. We were really pleased to see how well the students pulled together on the day, with a professional approach to their work.”
The show’s student Producer, Janet Chance, said: “Everyday working on the project has been exciting; creatively it’s had its ups and downs but when you have a team with the necessary skills provided by the University not much can go wrong. An opportunity to develop your weakness and build on your strengths. Teamwork is the key to a successful TV production and I would do it all over again.”
Latest news» 2011» January» A Backstage Pass to the work of TV Production students
