Hola amigos!
What are your favourite reality shows? Which TV shows are you obsessed with? However, have you ever thought about how your favourite TV show is made?
If you are interested in the film industry, then let me tell you about my great experience this semester as a second-year film student.
This semester, we had to produce four different filming productions which were; a Music video, a TV show, an Advertisement (TVC) for our unit KPB 222 Screen Crafts: Multi-Camera and Single Camera Production, and a sizzle reel documentary (related to dance industry) and a narrative ( a horror story) for our unit KPB 221 Screen Project Development. It was a lot of work but when you feel passionate about what you are doing, it becomes easier. Apart from all the hard work and stress, the positive outcome is all worth it at the end.
We worked as a real tv film production team where everyone has an assigned role, such as the director, production management team, set department, camera, crane, sound, lighting, etc.
Each project was running independently which meant that they were managed by a different crew each time. I got to experience different roles in each project, which is a good opportunity to learn about various responsibilities.
Also, we got to film in the QUT TV Studio which is an amazing place. We had to book the equipment through ELC (Equipment Loan Centre), available to QUT students. For this semester projects, we were using the EVA Panasonic, which is a very practical camera for these purposes.
During these practical activities, our tutors were there to support us. They gave us the freedom to use our creativity, but we always have to be mindful of risk assessments and safety guidelines, doing things that are creative but achievable.
We managed our own budget and had to calculate the cost of the project. We forwarded our suggestion to the production department in charge (cost-benefit). As a team, we had to assign an amount between $10 – $20 dollars, so we can have our own production budget to run with all the expenses, for example, we use a percentage of the budget for the set design.
As you can see we function as a real filming production company to create the final product. So, next time when you are watching your favourite show, keep in mind the huge amount of work and effort that has been done behind the scenes for you to enjoy it!
My experience through this semester has been incredible because having this type of projects allows you as a film student to have a real-world experience. We were in charge of everything, of course with the support and guidance of our tutors but in the end, they gave us the freedom to make these projects by ourselves.
Check out our 30-sec ad (TVC) that was screened during a TV show: https://youtu.be/yjqcrUc-ASQ
Enjoy!
