Film and media students make industry contacts

Ashton Sixth Form recently played host to two very special guests. British Soap Award winning Director Lee Salisbury and Emmerdale producer Jo Schofield visited the College to speak to Film and Media Studies students about working in Television.

Lee, a Director on British soap operas such as Emmerdale and EastEnders has also worked on programmes such as Location, Location, Location, What Not to Wear and Crimewatch. As part of the visit he showed students a number of stunts that he had created for various programmes along with a ‘behind the scenes’ clip on how they were developed.

Highlighting the importance of the internet within the media industry was Jo Schofield. Jo is currently working on online dramas in Ireland, where viewers vote between a series of pilot show episodes, the pilot receiving the most votes will receive 8000 Euros to produce the show.

This was a fantastic opportunity for students to discover the behind the scenes work that goes into producing a single shot or sequence for television and a great chance to hear the experiences of two successful media professionals. The students also used the opportunity to ask questions on how to get ahead in the industry, from seeking initial contacts to making the step up from set runner to producer, writer or director.

Film studies student Izhan Ahmed commented, "This was a great experience for everyone here; we were given an insight into the working lives of TV producers and directors. I was also able to talk face to face with a successful television director who was helpful enough to point me in the right direction and offer names of useful contacts within the industry."

For the 2010/11 academic year Ashton Sixth Form College will be offering a BTEC National Diploma in Media Production (Television and Film) for the first time.

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