Work experience in the TV industry

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen I heard I’d be going to a television studio for summer work experience, it’s safe to say that I was pretty excited.

I’ve always been fascinated by the television industry and its significance in today’s world. I had done work experience at a television production company before, but this was going to be different: this time I would be working on a studio floor and witnessing first-hand the fast-paced world that is live television.

Tinopolis Llaneli building. Image: Jaggery / The Geograph

The Tinopolis Group is an international media producer and distributor, and my work experience was based in the Tinopolis Wales studios, which is conveniently located in my hometown of Llanelli. Tinopolis Wales is the largest producer of Welsh language programming, which includes live shows, sport, and award-winning documentaries.

It was very rewarding to get an in-depth insight into the television industry, which is not as glamorous as one might think! However, I have never wanted a nine-to-five job where I would do the same thing every day, and this certainly couldn’t be further from that.

Things can get fairly stressful in the live television industry, but there’s no thrill greater than knowing that what you’re doing will reach so many people.

As for the work experience itself: every day I sat in for the run-through of their 2pm live show, Heno, so I was able to witness the entire creation process of a television programme; from initial idea stages, all the way to when it finally makes it to air. My main role was to help the floor manager during the live show. What struck me most were the little touches that go unnoticed when you’re at home watching a television show. Even the smallest things such as moving props between shots have to be considered, and it’s these little things that make a difference to the end product.

Carwyn Jones. Image: National Assembly For Wales – Cynulliad Cymru / Flickr

I was also fortunate enough to go into the gallery with the director and the producer to see how things are run from there. The energy and dynamism required of anyone who works in that room were plain to see. I was also able to meet some editors who showed me how to edit segments using Final Cut. This was extremely useful, as it highlighted to me how many different skills are needed when it comes to the television industry, and how many different aspects there are to get involved in.

My second day was without a doubt my favourite, as I was able to go to Cardiff to film on location. The Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones, was going to be unveiling the new St. David’s Awards in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and I was helping to interview him.

This confirmed one of my favourite aspects of the work experience: that no two days are the same when you’re working in television.

The cameraman taught me about the crucial nuances of filming, all the way down to lighting, and the presenter described the process of scripting the interview questions and different interview techniques.

The entire experience was extremely engaging, and I was particularly impressed by how valued I was made to feel, and how much responsibility they gave to me. What’s more, I can count myself very lucky that I just happen to have a television studio that produces international content in my own backyard.