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Studio Production (BCI) - TFT00033I

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  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module summary

This option module will acquaint students 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 students with some of the key forms of studio television from a combined storytelling, aesthetic and technical point-of-view. In this students will encounter panel shows, games shows, and magazine programmes which together cover a number of the narrative strategies that drive studio production. The module's aim is to give students 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 colleagues in the team environment of the TV studio will equip students 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 first summative group exercise 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

Module aims

This module aims to

  • Give you confident confidence with some of the key technical skills in studio operations, including vision-mixing, directing, camera operation and production assisting..
  • Acquaint you some of the storytelling principles that relate to the key studio-based genres, including demos, game-shows, discussion shows and studio magazines
  • Acquaint you with the core production procedures - from paperwork through to scheduling - by which studio production is organised.
  • Encourage a disciplined team-working environment,

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module students will be expected to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of preproduction planning for multi-camera shooting, and an ability to prepare scripts for distribution to all studio departments.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the discipline of studio directing during rehearsals and recording.
  • Demonstrate an ability to fulfil a range technical roles in multi-camera studio productions.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying aesthetic principles and the technical requirements of gallery directing, camera operation, and vision-mixing
  • Demonstrate a thorough understanding of health and safety issues during production.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the different technical requirements of producing various genres of recorded, live and as live programming. These will include demonstrations, game shows, and magazines.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the post-production of studio inserts and complete programmes.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 60
Practical 40

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

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

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 40
Essay/coursework 60

Module feedback

Written feedback within four weeks as per university regulations.

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 constantly explores 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. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.