Module Feedback Multicam Projects

Live television dramas are not something that has been popularly produced since the 1960s, so having us do this for a half a year of academic study is completely unhelpful and would not benefit me in the workplace.  Similarly, the project last semester was not something that would ever be allowed on television, and while this is a good exercise for creativity, it is not useful for developing skills that would be used in the working world.  I’d much rather do something considered ‘boring’, such as teleshopping if it meant that I knew I’d use the skills learnt in a career.  While some skills are transferable to the real-world, the notion of encouraging something that would not ever be allowed on television is not helpful at all.

Not enough time is given each week to work on each production.  We have a 2.5 hour session on a Thursday, which is not enough time to do multiple run throughs, stopping to perfect details and camera movements/sound/lighting/etc.  There is also a 1.5 hour rehearsal session on a Tuesday evening, though because this isn’t timetabled and supervised by the group tutor, group members do not always turn up and a tutor cannot do anything about this.  This time alone is not sufficient in order to create a full television programme of the highest quality.  No other opportunities to work in the studio are offered, meaning that sometimes we only see some group members once a week for 2.5 hours.

The equipment is not to a good standard and, considering the University states the MHT is "state of the art", some hardware in the studio needs to be replaced.  Doing sound, I need to have two programs open at once in order to see what I need to play out live and when.  The monitor in the studio that I have to work off of is of a 4:3 ratio and is running Windows Vista.  I cannot view more than one program at a time on this and still have effective sound in the programme I am working on.  The sound desk itself is outdated and is very limited.  During my A-Levels, I was often working with a digital desk that allowed for the user to set presets in advance for each scene, thereby reducing the need to completely change the setup manually while live.  This desk had far more channels too, allowing for more microphones and inputs.  The University studio only has six microphones available, which means that actors must switch microphones during the live transmission.  This means that we cannot do a microphone check and the first time that actor talks after changing mics will be the first chance I have to correct the levels on the desk.  This is an outdated process and could instantly be fixed with a newer, more-modern desk.  The headset used for talking to the crew on the studio floor is also broken and of low quality.  The Sound Booth is supposed to house space for two sound operators and a person playing the VTs.  This makes it cramped and does not offer enough room for the crew to move about when transmitting live.

The scene dock is not nearly big enough and often sees items going missing or getting broken.  Because the storage space is also the space dedicated for making set, there is not enough space and the University definitely needs to expand this space so that we can easily move about, work on projects and keep items safely stored without the risk of breaking something.  Generally, the University could do with a set-design course or group that could help with this.  Most students are here for technical roles, so set can often be overlooked and is not something students are especially good at creating.  Budgets are also an issue, and I would expect that after having to pay £9,250 to attend the University, at least some of that money could be put towards creating a production.  This often means that projects do not look as professional as desired because we cannot afford to provide more money for projects.  Even if a group of 16 students provides £10 each, that’s only £160, most of which is spent on materials to build backgrounds and large props, leaving little money for costume, smaller props and cast expenses.  Crowdfunding is an option, though because most of my friends are students too (and therefore have little budgets themselves to live by), little money could be raised this way.  I did not sign up for a marketing or finance course, so should not be expected to crowdfund something I’m already paying a large amount of money to do.

The tutor is also far too passive when it comes to students not doing work.  While I agree that these projects should be student-led, I feel that a tutor should still be able to be more firm when observing that little work has happened.  Each week, whenever a student doesn't do any work in or outside of class, there should be a consequence or repercussion, either effecting their end grade or whatever else seems fitting.  Students are able to get away with not doing any work each week, which only harms the production and the rest of the group's ability to move on.  Students also sit around on phones too much and other than the occasional comment, the tutor does not get involved enough to stop this from happening.  Even if it means having to put all phones in a box, the tutor needs to step in more and push people to get more involved in the project each week.

Finally, seminars are done via Facebook Messenger.  When meeting in person, a group has a much better chance to illustrate ideas and discuss further issues and strengths with the project.  People can also hide behind their keyboards when they haven’t done any work, which means that it is harder for the project to progress.  For those who aren’t super fast typers on their phones (myself included) it can be difficult to express ideas and opinions before the group has moved onto the next point.  These sessions are not taken seriously enough, and considering that this was an idea suggested by a tutor, it just seems as though nobody can be bothered to go in and organise the session.  I am not paying £9,250 to sit in my own home and chat on my phone for thirty minutes each week.