Media Production

A Practical Guide to Radio, TV and Film

Amanda Willett

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000369076
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film Screenwriting

Fully revised and updated, this second edition of Media Production provides a comprehensive introductory guide to radio, television and fi lm production techniques.

Using a step-by-step structure that takes students through the production process from conception to delivery, this book explores initial brainstorming through to planning, research, recording and editing. Operational procedures are set out in detail, taking into account the context in which students work and the type of equipment available to them. Clear instructional photographs are provided to illustrate key teaching points.

Written by an experienced BBC producer and director, this textbook is ideal for FE Media students as well as those just starting out in the industry.

Updated online resources include templates, notes and exercises to help students prepare for their own productions, as well as a glossary of key terms and helpful weblinks.

Part I

Pre-production: preparation and planning

The first part of this book deals with all the tasks you will need to complete before you go and do any filming or recording. This will include developing ideas, researching contributors, looking at locations. It will also help you to prepare properly so that you can get the most out of your shooting/recording days. It will cover how to prepare scripts, schedules and risk assessments and how to prepare for an interview. This part will also consider narrative structure, and how to create and tell a story.

1How to use this book

This book is designed to take you through all the stages of producing a TV, film or audio project. The book will start right at the beginning, developing ideas and planning a project, and will take the reader through all the stages of production and finish with the delivery of the project. The book covers several genres; however, it concentrates on the types of production which students are most often asked to complete for exam qualifications.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I deals with research, development planning and preparation. It is intended to help you to build up a production plan. There will be various templates for you to download off the website and collate. The aim is that having worked through Part I you will have built a comprehensive production folder, containing all your research and planning documents. These may be used to help you get the most out of your shooting and recording days.

Part II deals with production, recording and shooting and Part III deals with editing and post-production. They will give you a comprehensive guide to the practical aspects of shooting, recording and editing, with helpful tips and advice.

Technical advice: There are so many different types of camera, microphones, editing packages, sound mixers that it isn’t possible to offer any kind of instructional manual here. This book assumes you know how to operate whatever equipment you have and that you will be using fairly basic equipment.

Film/TV and audio/podcasts share some production processes, especially in the early stages of planning and research; however, clearly, they differ as you progress to recording and editing techniques. Part I largely treats TV/film and audio together. However, in Part II and Part III there is more separation between the two media. If you are making an audio piece, therefore, some of the chapters in Part II and Part III won’t be relevant. However, everyone should read Part I.

The book should be used in conjunction with the website. On the website you will find printable versions of the templates and scripts illustrated in the book. Throughout the book you will be encouraged to create documents to help with your production. These are the kinds of documents you would create if you were working in a professional environment. Before you begin work on your production it may be helpful to prepare a folder and start to keep all these documents together. If you do this, by the end of the production you will have a record of the entire process. Many exam boards ask for an evaluation to be written with the project, and the records you keep will help you with some aspects of your evaluation.

On the website you will also find links to examples of different genres of audio and film/TV. Some of the exercises in the book will ask you to listen and critique or deconstruct the material. It will be important for you to do these exercises; the more you listen and watch, the more ideas you will start to have for your own projects.

Where to start?

When you start any project, it is important to understand all the elements of the task you must complete and the order in which you have to do them. Template 1.1 provides a list of the main tasks associated with making your production. To complete your production, you will n...