STUDIO PRODUCTION: CHOSEN IDEA AND INTERVIEWS FOR ROLES

Feedback - Arch Roomies
The feedback from our pitch was very high. They found our idea very original and creative, we were told that this was the first Sitcom that had been pitched on the course for Studio Production. We were told we had very clear branding and style and we had really researched and thought through our idea. What let our pitch down was our set, the feedback for this was that it was far too complicated and they didn't feel the course would be able to produce this. I argued this and justified it by explaining that this is the sort of thing we have all been learning to do and with regards to the set, our design looked more complicated than we intended it to but this was due to the design being made on an online website rather than us drawing it out ourselves which really knocked our pitch. We explained this at the end when it was questioned but it didn't help. 

Chosen Idea
The chosen idea was pitched by Melissa Moore and Katie Joslin. The programme is called Steal the

Style, "A fashion chat show exploring the antidotes to the mainstream played out fashion trends. Targeted towards normal working men and women with average budgets" was the tagline for the programme. It's a fashion chat show, aiming more towards everyday people and away from mainstream which would make this stand out more from others as big shows such as This Morning will use big brands.
Melissa and Katie were put up as the Producers and we were then given a lift of roles we could sign up for to which we would be interviewed for. 

I looked at Lead Camera Operator/Locations Researcher as I've done a large amount of camera work and I was interested in operating a camera in a Studio Environment. As well, I've always enjoyed doing location research for my projects in both College and University. My communication skills are excellent and I'm always keep to discuss and try and get the best deal possible. 
However, the role of Studio Director interested me as I've done Directing for both Documentary, Short Films and 1 Music Video, but Studio Directing is something completely different to on location Directing and this could be my only opportunity to Direct live TV. We were told to research into the roles prior to the interviews. 


Studio Director Research
Looking into being a Studio Director I went to Creative Skill Set to look into what it takes to be one. The lowdown given on the website was:

- Being Responsible for the look and sound of a production and its technical standards 
- Enhancing, refining and realising original ideas into finished programmes

So, like in film, a Studio Director is in charge of the look and the running of the show when going live. They will also play a big part in the pre-production of the programme. The list of skills is incredibly long for a Studio Director but when I spoke to Del Brown after our pitches, I asked what the main skill I would need is and he told me that remaining calm and professional and having excellent and clear communication is essential for a Studio Director as they are the person Directing the entire crew and cast. This is the person in charge when they're out live. They'll be calling the shots, the cuts, cueing presenters, VT's, Music, Stings, Sound Effects, Music Beds, Titles, Credits and more. Remaining calm is one of the key skills but being able to work in that environment and keep up communication with the crew because if something goes wrong on the floor, the Director will be in the gallery and will have to communicate to either the Floor Manager or the Camera Operators. 

Creative Skill Set has on their website:

"During multi-camera studio recordings or live transmissions, Directors work closely with Vision Mixers and Production Assistants (PAs) in the gallery (control room) to create the programme. The gallery is located away from the studio floor and Directors communicate via talkback equipment to technical personnel including Floor Managers, Camera Operators, Sound Supervisors, Boom Operators, Lighting Gaffers and other personnel."

So, with what Del said, communication is clearly one of the most important skills for a Studio Director and I feel I have that. As well, I've used Talkback previously while working on Dickinson's Real Deal so I'm aware how that works as well. 

I realised that our Studio Production won't be exactly the same as a Professional Studio Production, so I decided to ask previous Student Studio Directors (Jordan Parker: Director of Teach 'em a Lesson and Rebecca Bennett: Director of The Big Movie Quiz) their experience as the Studio Directors and what advice they could give me and what the job entails. 

Jordan Parker:
Jordan explained that the role of Director is difficult. He told me that there were many different occasions where he could have lost his temper or where the project was getting too stressful but he had to keep a calm and organised head because how important his role was. He explained that communication was key and that I would need to get a good working relationship with the Floor Manager from day 1 as they are my main point of contact for the floor and crew. Jordan also told me the issues he had with the Lighting Team when they arrived and that because he hadn't been able to contact them prior to the rig day, they arrived and explained that the ideas they had for lighting wouldn't be possible and this had to be resolved during the rig day. 

Jordan Directed the only Children's show that UCA TV Production has put on for this Unit and he told me the difficulty he faced, as his audience was children who were taught by the Teachers on the show. Jordan also gave me advice on the interview and explained as a Director for Studio Production, expereince as a Director for Short Films isn't as important as how you work as a person. Jordan explained that the Director needs to be able to multi-task, solve problems quickly and effectively, handle high stress levels and also have excellent communication or else they won't last. 

Rebecca Bennett:
Rebecca told me that Studio Director involved a lot of planning and preparation. She worked very closely with the Producer Joshua Jones and would be updating the camera plans and shot list after every new version of the script was created and released. Rebecca did also explain that she would have times where she would want to get involved with other areas such as VT and Promo, but had to learn to step back and focus on her role which was putting the actual show together. She would work through the Production Manager, who would ensure any issues were resolved through the Producers. 

Rebecca told me that the biggest issue she had with The Big Movie Quiz was the lighting plan and also the schedule for the VTs as they would be rehearsing without VT's and struggling to structure the programme. 

Both of these previous Directors told me to come to the interview, having researched into the role and what it means to be a Studio Director as well as dressing and acting as if this was a professional interview.