The TVF Programme has been developed to meet the broadening skills needs of TV professionals.

The convergence of broadcast technologies, predominantly TV, Internet and mobile phones is forcing changes in the workplace and the merging of many creative, artistic and technical roles.

Everyone is affected, from camera operators, researchers and journalists to editors, producers and directors. All will need a new and broader set of skills in order to ensure and future-proof employment.

The TVF Programme has been designed by TV experts to meet the new challenges brought about by convergence. This 6-week comprehensive hands-on training will give you many skills from the planning and recording of audio visual content, to post production and delivery across a variety of broadcast media. This programme has been subsidised by Skillset, making it affordable to current freelancers and those who are currently in between projects.

The course delivery is part-time (12 to 14 hours per week) with flexible attendance during the daytime and/or evening. Focusing on Factual, News, Sports and Entertainment programming, you will research, plan, shoot, record audio, edit and prepare material for delivery across a variety of media platforms. You will also learn many practical key skills including camera operation, audio recording and post production editing using industry-standard software such as Final Cut Pro and Pro Tools.

The main focus of the training will be on the creative content considerations of planning a production for release across such platforms as Television, radio, Internet and mobile phones.

Why is this training necessary?

The training is designed to meet the new job demands resulting from technological convergence. You will cover all stages of planning and production, effectively becoming completely self-sufficient in these areas.

Delivered by a carefully selected team of highly skilled industry professionals, training will be brief-driven, using real examples provided by our consultants and trainers from leading organisations including ITV Local, MUTV and BBC News.

Flexible delivery will take place during afternoons and/or evenings and weekends. Each participant will see 84 hours of direct delivery, over 6 weeks (part-time) and there will be an additional 24 hours self study for completion of the 'final project'.

Due to the artistic and technical nature of this training, class sizes will not exceed 15 participants.

Week 1:
• Description of how the project will work
• Introduction to multi-platform content and production
• The converged medial global marketplace
• Creative content considerations #1 - for multi-platform production
• Final project brief – Description of the Final Presentation covering the Industrial Project and Website
• Task Brief 1 – e.g. explore content ideas for a short news piece delivered across TV, Mobile and Internet, and explain rationale for the different approaches employed.
• 4 hours of additional practical lab or studio time

Week 2:
• Understanding current media formats
• Creative content considerations 2 - for multi-platform production
• Camera skills 1 – camera functionality, setup, formatting, recording, onboard camera editing functions, backup and archiving, data transfer, battery and power needs
• Production considerations - includes choice of equipment, human resource, lighting, shoot lengths, perspective, audio considerations, 'same subject different content'
• Recording video content – create a simple 2-3 minute VT package for select media platforms.
• Task 2 – record video content - brief
• 4 hours of additional practical studio time
• Guest lecture – Cameraman, camera specialist and tutor (Heath Olive/MUTV)

Week 3:
• Camera skills 2 - Self-operation, director skills, artistic and creative considerations, setup for multi-platform use
• Editorial skills, planning and scheduling
• Film and picture composition, framing, shooting
• Basic editing of video content
• An introduction to non-linear video editing using Final Cut Pro
• Brief 3 - Edit a 2-3 min video insert
• 4 hours of additional practical lab or studio time
• Guest lecture with professional post video and audio editor, freelance cameraman and freelance post audio dubbing mixer

Week 4:
• Audio recording/mobile devices/ cam audio vs remote recording (John Hulse/BBC/3SixtyMedia)
• Recording digital audio
• Intro to Pro Tools – basic audio editing using Pro Tools
• Brief 4 – Write, plan, shoot, edit and deliver a news or sport piece for TV insert, internet clip, mobile phone clip and radio clip.
• 4 hours of additional practical lab or studio time
• Field trip to Granada and 3SixtyMedia (Mike Hayes)

Week 5:
• Encoding video for multiple platforms
• Convergence technologies 2 / formats/protocols/file types/
• Post audio and post video digital encoding for TV and other broadcast media 1
• Convergence technologies 3 – mobile phone technology, Server technology, Internet streaming technology, broadband, wireless, internet, mobile considerations
• Ingest once / use many
• Brief 5 - Shooting exercise 2 – news and sport Worklab. Location shoot – recording audio and video
• 4 hours of additional practical lab or studio time
• Guest lecture with an expert in the field of Web, WAP, WIFI new and emerging media technologies

Week 6:
• Spot editing for sport / news inserts
• Transferring content across multiple mediums
• Uploading content to the web
• Tagging, search engine optimisation
• Seminar and worklab - participants will upload their video to a variety of different platforms in preparation for the final presentation
• Reflective critique – participants evaluate and reflect on the course.
• 4 hours of additional practical lab or studio time

Course information and handouts will also be available online at www.s-s-r.com/tvfnotes

Evaluation and assessment will take place using a variety of methods:

Initial assessment: This will gauge the level of your current skills in all areas prior to learning and allow us to agree and plan a training schedule with you.

Formative assessment: During on-site delivery at SSR, there will be weekly practical set tasks and a fortnightly short written assessment. All participants will be assessed in all areas of delivery regardless of your attendance schedule.

Summative assessment: You will be expected to produce a final assessment. This will include:

An industrial project; the creation of at least one VT package for delivery across 3 media platforms.

You will also create a website for self-promotion

You will deliver a final presentation to a panel of industry consultants, trainers and to your peers.

During training, SSR mentors will be available to assist you, especially during set practical tasks. During training, mentors will also report on your progress to the tutors and the Project Manager Ian Hu.

Training is suitable for anyone working (or with a history of working) as a freelancer in the Television industry, including (but not exclusive to) Assistant Producers, Producer/Directors, Camera Operators, Editors, Journalists and Researchers.

To be eligible for subsidised training you must meet the criteria laid out in either part A or part B below:

Part A
You must be currently working in the UK television industry, and be able to demonstrate relevant professional experience within the Creative Media Industries.

And

You must be currently employed on a fixed term contract of no more than 364 days.

Or,

You must be currently in employment but able to evidence that you have been given a date for the termination of employment and will become a freelancer from that date.

Part B
You must be currently unemployed but have previous professional working experience in the industry. SSR will require evidence from you of your professional experience and we will ask you to sign a declaration confirming that you fall within one of the definitions of part A or part B above.

The following people will not be eligible for subsidised training;

Those who are on one or a series of renewable contracts with one employer in the industry lasting more than 364 days.

Those in full time education.

Non UK residents.

Please check your eligibility before application.

To apply call Ian Hu on 0161 276 2110 or email ian.hu@s-s-r.com

If you are unsure of your eligibility please call Ian Hu.

On application, you will be invited to SSR for an initial assessment to gauge the level of your current skills prior to all learning, so that a personalised training schedule may be created and agreed with you. The schedule may be amended according to any changes in your personal circumstances at any time.

Course costs:
Due to Skillset support we have been able to keep course costs to an absolute minimum. Each participant will pay an enrolment fee of £250 before training begins and there will be no further payment required thereafter. Those who wish to enrol but are not eligible for the Skillset training subsidy (see eligibility above), will need to pay the full cost of training (£1,660.00).

SSR is an elite media training and education centre with very strong industrial and academic links. Although our early origins lie in audio production, over the last few years we have made a steady and focused transition into film, television, radio and new media.

SSR offers a wide range of courses in audio and visual production. We run a number of degree courses in collaboration with the University of Bolton, UCLAN, Accrington and Rossendale College and are currently developing a Masters Degree with Salford University for launch in 2009.

We continue to be the largest Digidesign Pro School in Europe and enjoy Apple Authorised Training Centre for Education (AATCE) status. SSR is also a registered BBC Preferred Training Provider. For more information please go to our ‘about us’ page.

SSR promotes a learning environment that is free from discrimination and prejudice and provides equality of opportunity for all. We operate an equal opportunities policy and train people of all backgrounds regardless of age, gender, beliefs, sexual orientation, physical ability or ethnic origin.

Our policy statement signifies the intent of SSR to achieve equality of opportunity in all areas and practices of the organisation.

The policy applies to all applicants for SSR training and education, all participants currently in training and all our staff. The organisation will endeavour to provide a positive environment, supportive of those from under-represented groups. To read our policy in full please go to our equal opportunities page here