Featured Class: Studio TV Production

If you’ve always wanted to be on television, this is your chance. You’ll have your 15 minutes on camera, behind the camera, in the director’s chair and all sorts of other places in Studio TV Production (16-EMED-250). And you’ll get your 15 minutes several times during the ten week quarter.

This class has long been a staple here in E-Media and in comparable departments all over the country. It used to be called it TV-1 and just about every professor on our faculty has taught it at one time or another.  The current instructor, E-Media production manager John Hebbeler, has been teaching it since 2006.

The class is an E-Media elective but we expect most students will take it. It is generally offered fall, winter and spring.  Like most of our classes, it is available only to division majors. 

The class is limited to 15 students in order to assure that each gets adequate instruction and experience in the various studio positions.

“Often this is the first class our students take where they are touching the equipment.,” said Professor Hebbeler.   In addition to learning how to operate the studio cameras, students learn how to work the audio board, teleprompter, switcher, lighting controls, character generator, and rack room.

“Students shouldn’t hesitate to ask questions if they don’t understand something. And they should be adventurous in getting their production hands dirty.”

Studio TV Production is a team-oriented so the attendance policy is strict. Every member of the class is needed in the productions. If someone is late or doesn’t show up, everyone is affected and, of course, the student misses hands on learning.

“They learn not only by doing the various jobs themselves, but by watching how others handle them.”

The most important job in a TV studio is the director. Some students love being in charge, calling all the shots.  Others prefer to follow the orders. 

After three weeks of instruction, Professor Hebbeler puts the class through the paces in four productions -- initially simple interview programs with a host and a guest.  During each class period students rotate five times through the various positions.

In this and all production classes, pre-production is as important as the production itself.  Students are given the scripts in advance so they can prepare for whatever assignment they might be given when they arrive in class.

The class is held for one hour 50 minutes, two days a week, in the Bartlett Television Studio.

Written September 2008