NMIT Television & Video Production Courses Vodcast

Running Time: 25 minutes, 23 seconds.
Size: 38.5MB

Courses:

• Certificate III Screen
• Certificate IV Screen
• Advanced Diploma of Screen

Audio Transcript

"Hi, my name is Lois Carlton. I'm the Community Liaison Co-ordinator at NMIT and today I'm sitting in our television studio at the Collingwood campus and I've got two students with me. I have got Jacinta, who is a first year, doing a Certificate IV in Screen and I have Ned, who is doing the Advanced Diploma, the second year, in Screen. We are going to talk to you a little bit about what's actually in the courses and about the equipment and facilities here .

So, we will start off with you Jacinta. You did year 12 last year?" - Lois Carlton, Community Liaison Co-ordinator.

"I did." - Jacinta Camilleri, student.

"At a local school, near by?" - Lois Carlton.

"Our Lady of Mercy in Heidelberg ." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"In Heidelberg , so not too far away. So you have come straight from year 12 into this course?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"Ok, so why did you decide to do a screen course?" - Lois Carlton.

"Well, I really enjoyed media studies in year 12. We got to make our own little movies and had a bit of camera work. We learnt what it's all about in the industry. I was just looking through the VTAC guide and I saw the NMIT film and television course. I thought that's something that I'm really interested in. I'd love to give that a go and see what's involved. I just went from there." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"So you went through the selection process? It's actually a VTAC selection process. You actually had to fill in a supplementary application form and then attended an information session." - Lois Carlton.

"We had that at the lecture theatre. We did that and learnt a bit about what was on offer and had a look at the studio and got shown around. It was really impressive." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"And you had an interview?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes, I had an interview." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"And you obviously impressed them because you got selected into the course. We have many more students that apply for this course than we actually have places for, so you have done incredibly well." - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah, I was lucky". - Jacinta Camilleri.

"And now we are around the VTAC selection process again. We will talk a little about that later on. Let's jump on over to Ned. Ned you're a little bit more mature. You didn't do year 12 last year?" - Lois Carlton.

"No." - Ned Radman, student.

"So you did year 12 a few years ago?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah, '97 I think ". - Ned Radman.

"So you completed year 12?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes" - Ned Radman.

"But after year 12, what did you do?" - Lois Carlton.

"I took a couple of years off school just to sort of enjoy myself a bit. I'd just been through high school and primary school. And also think about what I wanted to do. I had friends who weren't sure what they were doing but just went into something anyway cause they assume that's what you do when you leave high school. Yeah, so I just kind of, not tried a few things but just thought about things and what interested me the most." - Ned Radman.

"So, you actually didn't choose to go into anything after Year 12. You decided to have what we call a gap year?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes, a gap couple of years. I sort of did my own thing for a little while and sort of developed a bit more of a passion for this aspect of film making. Behind the scenes sort of stuff .That's what I went with.' - Ned Radman.

"So when did you formulate the idea that you actually wanted to do this and how did you move into this eventual program?" - Lois Carlton.

"I did a short film course. Film was my main interest. I really got into that and enjoyed the whole experience. The same as Jacinta, I was looking through the VTAC guide and I saw NMIT film and TV. There's only about five or six places in Victoria that do film and television courses. At the time, I was considering television but obviously the two sort of go hand in hand. I put in an application, got the supplementary form, did all that and had the interview. " - Ned Radman.

"And you obviously did well in the interview too." - Lois Carlton.

"Indeed, I did." - Ned Radman.

"It is a very tight selection process. Now, you were saying before, that when you came to the information session, one of the first things they said was this is not about film. And you could hear everyone sigh because most people thought it was about film." - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah." - Ned Radman.

"So, what is it then that impressed you or changed your mind? What did they say about the course that you liked?" - Lois Carlton.

"We had to do a promotional video and it wasn't allowed to be narrative. We couldn't really have story telling, it had to be more creative. It had to be more of something that could get you straight into the industry which is what people were looking for. I thought that was a good idea. To have something that could just get you straight into the industry. Get in and make it or whatever. It was like television. I wanted to get into it still, so it didn't matter that we weren't doing much film. It still interested me a lot." - Jacinta Camilleri.

'What about you Ned, cause you were actually interested in film?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes." - Ned Radman.

"You still do have a passion for film making so what is it that convinced you that, hang on, this television stuff is really good?" - Lois Carlton.

"Oh, it was just that I was interested in the equipment and the whole process. Not just directing or script writing or anything like that. It was made abundantly clear to the group that it is a very sort of hands-on based course and you would get to use a lot of the equipment. Be it lighting, sound, get onto cameras and you would also use all sorts of TV equipment which is also used in film. It was less of the theory side and more of the application aspect. They also explained to you that the course is sort of geared towards getting students work. It just sort of makes you think, right, its going to be very sort of factual and the real kind of stuff that you will be doing in the real world, as opposed to some sort of theoretical stuff that may or may not happen." - Ned Radman.

"And to lead to employment?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes. They make it clear that the intent is to get you some sort of work when you finish the course." - Ned Radman.

"So the focus of the course is about TV work and also about high-end corporate video work as distinct from film?" - Lois Carlton.

"A lot of the things you learn in the course can be applied to either area. It's not just a specific TV course. The skills you learn are very general in the whole area. Like you said, you can either focus more on doing production video or studio work " - Ned Radman.

"Terrific. Lets jump back to you now Jacinta. You are now coming to the end of your first year. Let's just talk about what it's been like. What's your timetable been like? What actual things have you been doing in the class room situation?" - Lois Carlton.

"At the start of the year we had a single camera, so we were in with Steve and he would teach us a bit about what a production company would do - working with just the camera and lighting and editing and all that sort of stuff. We were here about three days a week, full-time. As we got into it a bit more, we were there I think, four days a week full-time, so it got a bit more full on. Then we started to do the muliti-cam which is in the studio here. We started doing that, which is really great fun and that was even more full on, so we had a few more days. " - Jacinta Camilleri.

"And most of that time during the day, was it actually on the cameras working the equipment or were you able to sit in the classroom with books?" - Lois Carlton.

"Well, at the start of the year we had to learn a little about what we were doing so that was more theory work at the start of the year. Now once we've learnt a bit more and got into it, it's a lot more practical, more hands-on. We get to do everything which is really great. We get to get all this experience and so working in the studio is really great fun. At the moment, now, towards the end of the year, we are doing our promotional videos. We get into groups and someone will be the director and they choose a company and do a promotional video for them. Everyone sort of rotates and you get a go at being on the camera or lighting or editing for someone else. That's what we are working on at the moment." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"So, are you a director?" - Lois Carlton.

"I've done mine, yeah." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"So you direct one, and then you work on someone else's? " - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah, we rotate around. I've done mine for this year." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"And yours was on what?" - Lois Carlton.

"The Melbourne Aquarium." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"Oh, wonderful. Now, some of the projects that the students do are actually internal projects for NMIT, aren't they?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah," - Jacinta Camilleri.

"Because we get a lot of videos that are actually produced or DVD promotional videos that are produced from students in this course which we then send out to schools and careers teachers and libraries and places like that. At the moment, if you have a look on our web, there is a jewellery promotional DVD which was done by some students here that is absolutely fantastic. So you are actually doing real work. If the aquarium doesn't like it or the Jewellery department doesn't like it, they will tell you." - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah, that's true. " - Jacinta Camilleri.

"Ok, so that's the sort of stuff that you do in your first year. Ned, you are now second year? What's the difference? What happens in the second year?" - Lois Carlton.

"It's just a continuation of all the stuff you learn in first year. You just sort of refine your skills further. You learn more specific things about what you learnt before. The things that you learnt in the first year sort of come into play the second year and you sort of start to put it all together. You take your learning to the next level, I guess. It's sort of more in-depth learning of certain things and you sort of perfect certain areas. But apart from, that the layout of the course is pretty similar to the first year". - Ned Radman.

"Are you doing a promotional video at the moment?" - Lois Carlton.

"I have also done my promotional video." - Ned Radman.

"And it's finished? It's in the can?" - Lois Carlton.

"It's in the bag, yes." - Ned Radman.

"It's in the bag. Ok." - Lois Carlton.

"Shot, edited, clients loved it, I was happy with it at the end." - Ned Radman.

"And who did you do that for?" - Lois Carlton.

"I did it internally through the TAFE for the International department which is on the fifth floor ' - Ned Radman.

"And where is that DVD going to go, do you know?" - Lois Carlton.

"That's entirely up to the client. Through the meetings I had with my clients, they told me at the start they intended to use it to promote the course here and also overseas. NMIT has a campus in China and they have a course over there. That was interesting because then I thought ok, well now I've got to make a video that can be entertaining and informative to both audiences. " - Ned Radman.

"Mmm, what a challenge, yes". - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah, it was an exciting challenge. That's the sort of thing you get in the second year. You get given a challenge. " - Ned Radman.

"And it sounds like you actually work very much with the clients so you are actually negotiating with what's going to happen and what it's going to be like because you're not just working the camera. You're actually doing a real live job." - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah, the idea is that you are put into a real world situation. You get given a client and you have to meet with them. It's more about you discovering them. Giving them what they want as opposed to having something in mind and carrying that through. Some students have tussled with it and others have sort of embraced it and enjoyed doing that sort of thing. It was a good experience." - Ned Radman.

"I think they should actually send you across to China to promote the DVD. Don't you 'reckon, wouldn't that be good? " - Lois Carlton.

"It would be good, yeah. I would have liked that but unfortunately not. I just get to stay here" - Ned Radman.

"Now, they were part of your course. So, they were projects in your course." - Lois Carlton.

"Yes" - Ned Radman.

"One of the other fantastic things that happens here, and more so now because we have great equipment and new equipment which we will come to in a second, is that we also do external jobs which are coming from outside clients and we have quite a few of those. Jacinta, you have been involved with some of those, haven't you? " - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah. We had a shoot in here from Youth Central. They came in and did an interview. They used students for all the work in here which was really good. I got to be the floor manager for that. It was a really good experience to have someone in here and do it how they wanted it to be done. To work for them. Then TVN came in recently. TVN is a racing channel on Foxtel. I got to do a shoot for that. I was director and visual switcher for that which was pretty daunting but it was really great. We had a past head of Channel 9 Sport come in. He was great. We got to watch how they work and talk to him about his experiences, the industry and stuff. It was really good just to sit back and listen to him. It was great." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"And that's a terrific opportunity for you. We are more than happy for outside clients to come in but one of the requirements we say, is that they have to use our students. It's real life practise for you guys.

Ned, have you been involved with any external clients?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah, I also did some TVN work and then we have got an outside broadcast coming up for a performing arts show at Darebin Arts Centre. I will get quite heavily involved in that which is great because I have developed quite a liking for the technical side of things here in the studio with all the equipment." - Ned Radman.

"Like the switches and cables?" - Lois Carlton.

"More how it all connects together and how such a large unit comes together to produce such a small thing like what we are doing here. I get to get my hands on a lot of equipment and do some fiddling around and stuff like that. It's coming up next week." - Ned Radman.

"Yes, it's actually next Tuesday at the Darebin Arts Centre and its our music performance students. It's their final concert for the year and I think the special guest is Russell Morris who you guys probably can't remember, but he was big when I was young. He will be performing and normally our screen students do the filming of it but this year you are going to be really lucky because you will be able to use our new equipment. We will talk about the facilities here now. We are sitting in a concrete room here and I'm told that the walls are about two feet thick and it's incredibly soundproof. It's amazing. It's an incredible sensation when you are in here because you just can't hear anything at all. At the end of last year, NMIT was very luck to get a grant of about 2.1 million dollars from the Federal Government with regards to purchasing new studio equipment and we are surrounded by it. We will talk a little bit about it because I know Jacinta has been working on it. We have got in front of us; three cameras which are worth about $150,000 each. Can you tell us about these cameras Jacinta? What's so special about them?" - Lois Carlton.

"Well, they are pretty high tech, brand new, state of the art. Definitely studio quality. What they use in the main channels like Channel 7." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"People keep saying digital?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes, digital not analogue. Much easier, better quality and everything like that. We've got all that set up which is great and they have re-arranged the control rooms. There is a big screen TV and new mixing boards and vision switching desks ." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"There's an amazing plasma screen in there which I think everyone likes more than everything else but I have been told that it is probably the cheapest bit of equipment in here." - Lois Carlton.

"Probably." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"Now, Ned, you were talking about the behind the scenes and one of the advantages of the equipment that they have bought here is that it is all in portable boxes. All of our equipment can go on rollercoasters to OBs (outside broadcasts). Is that the right terminology? So that is obviously a great advantage, isn't it?" - Lois Carlton.

"As you were saying about the grant we got, and Jacinta was saying about all the equipment has been redone. I'm pretty sure that they have full, high definition set up here in the studio which is the latest technology that's come out .It's very portable and it looks really high tech and its fun to use as well. It's just great and it really sort of adds to the experience because now, not only do we get to do the studio work with all the equipment but then we can pack it up and take it somewhere else and shoot something outside, like a concert." - Ned Radman.

"Yes, exactly like our concert. I'm told the terminology we use for this now is that we have broadcast workflows, so we are actually in exactly the same situation that is happening out in the real world , in real television studios." - Lois Carlton.

"If we had a satellite, we could broadcast live to air." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"Could we really?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"That would be great. I think we should get a satellite on top of the roof out there." - Lois Carlton.

"It feels like you are almost doing a TV apprenticeship because this equipment is so similar to the stuff that you would be using should you be lucky enough to walk into a studio job straight away. It has the benefit in that you get to use equipment so you can then take that knowledge outside and apply it straight away. You don't have to relearn things." - Ned Radman.

"I'm told there is one other studio similar in terms of soundproofing, here in Melbourne , but in terms of the equipment we are actually the only institute in the southern hemisphere and Australia to have this equipment. We really are right up there at the moment with the equipment which, as you were saying Ned, if you are going to move into the workforce and in a television studio, you should be able to step right into it." - Lois Carlton.

"Yes, we have been told that by people who have booked the facilities and use students as crew that the reason that it keeps getting booked is that it is such a good set up and one of the best in the southern hemisphere. It's great for the TAFE and also great for the students." - Ned Radman.

"Exactly. Now Ned, you are about to finish. So what are you planning to do after this? What sort of employment are you planning to go in to, or are you heading into the television studio?" - Lois Carlton.

"No. I actually have a full-time job at a restaurant apart from this, which is something I do to keep cash flow coming in. At the end of this year, as part of the industry study, we draw up a business plan for running your own business, which is what I want to do. I will use that business plan to then, as soon as I finish school, to have a business already set up. Once I have finished I can automatically start doing the things I have just been doing. Putting myself out there, advertising, finding new clients and doing all sorts of videos. Hopefully I get a wide range of work. That's what I plan to do as a career." - Ned Radman.

"Wonderful, so you are not thinking of heading into the television stream at the moment?" - Lois Carlton.

"I have not not thought about it. It's something that I would do if the opportunity came along but its not what I am going to go out and look to do." - Ned Radman.

"And it just goes to show there are opportunities that come from this course." - Lois Carlton.

"Well that's the good thing. Should I choose to do either or, I have the skills. I could be doing promotional videos whilst doing a studio job on the side, that sort of thing. It just depends on how much I want to immerse myself in the industry. " - Ned Radman.

"Jacinta, you are going onto second year?" - Lois Carlton.

"Hopefully, advanced." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"And we say hopefully because there is actually a selection process into the second year?"

"Yes. They look at your promotional video and how well you have done throughout the year. If you are really ready to go into advanced and that's what you really want to do, then you have another interview and they talk to you. They all know you now and they know who they are going to choose." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"But it is a very tight selection process. We have a very tight selection process into first year , where there is a lot more people apply than get in. We take one group of about 25 students and then in second year we reduce it down to about 18. It's not too bad, but some won't go on. Are you hoping to go on?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yeah." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"After that what do you think you might do?" - Lois Carlton.

"I would love to work in a television studio. In the industry. I would like to do Australian dramas, something like that. That would be my goal. To be directing or something like that. I will just see how I go. Try to get a bit of experience. It's always good to do a bit of work experience. Try to build up contacts while you are doing the course. The more study you do will also help you get into the industry later on." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"I'm glad you said the more study you do because NMIT has just begun the process of starting to write and develop a degree in television production. It's still some years off, but its focus is purely going to be television and it's going to be high-end video stuff and that's happening at the moment. It's still a long term process and that would give a degree qualification in this area." - Lois Carlton.

"That would be great. I would love to get a degree and go from there. I haven't heard much about it yet, but we will see how it goes." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"No, it's just in embryonic stages." - Lois Carlton.

"I would definitely consider it. It's good to get all your studying out of the way now instead of going back and forth, so definitely I would consider it if it came up." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"From what I am hearing about it, it's going to have very much a TV focus. It will be the only degree in Australia that has a TV focus. It's very exciting. We do like our TV. Now, we briefly mentioned teachers. Without mentioning any names, but one of the things we always talk about at TAFE is that our teachers do have real life experience. They have industry contacts, and they know what's going on and may still be working in the area. Have you found that to be true and could you say that the teachers bring a lot because of their industry experience?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes definitely. Our mulit-camera teacher had a friend that came in and spoke to us. He is a camera man at Channel 9, the Footy Show, I think. He spoke to us about his experiences and that was great just to learn about what he did and how he got through. Cameron knows a lot about the industry, he's been working in it for a while." - Jacinta Camilleri.

"Are you trying to get good marks from Cameron? So they have got the industry experience? "- Lois Carlton.

"Yes, and it's diverse experience as well. It's not just industry specific. There are other guys who have run their own business and still do. They all have a real passion for the work they do which has such a rub off effect. It helps you get into it because they motivate you to do well. When they are telling you things that are not to the right standard, it's not them wanting to have a go at you, it's to build you up to really achieve a fine product. You take their comments on board and it really helps you to do other things in the future because you know they are supportive of anything you are doing.

The passion, that's what I sense in this area and in this department. The staff are all passionate. They know what they are talking about. The students are passionate as well because you get that vibe going." - Ned Radman.

"And there are all these toys that they can play with. They love that too. All the equipment, it's good fun. I'm totally impressed by it and I don't understand any of it at all. Alright, now Jacinta, you are doing the Certificate IV in Screen. And Ned, you are doing the Advanced Diploma in Screen, but we do actually have a certificate III, and you actually came through that way, in a certificate III." - Lois Carlton.

"It's like you were saying before about the application procedure. Obviously they get a lot of applicants and they are going to pick the ones they feel will do best throughout the course. For a lot of people who perhaps think that this what they want to do and go straight into the certificate IV, they do have a certificate III. It's a part-time course, scaled down but still includes all the elements that you learn for the next 2 years. That was really my turning point. I was a bit unsure about the course but I got accepted and decided this is the one I wanted to do. Throughout doing the certificate III, I really got into it. It made me think, yep, that's it, I am going to stay here particularly at this campus and see the course through to the end. The skills I learnt in the certificate III were a lot of things I never really thought of before, like graphic work and stuff like that. Obviously we did studio work as well and single camera. I got into it all and really wanted to see it through to the end, which is what I am doing now." - Ned Radman.

"Now, the certificate III was actually a direct application, wasn't it?" - Lois Carlton.

"Yes it was." - Ned Radman.

"So students that would be doing certificate III would be like yourself, who are possibly not to sure if that's what you want to do or might be people who miss out on certificate IV. The actual selection process of the certificate III doesn't finish until January, after the VTAC process has finished. Certificate III, certificate IV and then the advanced diploma. Absolutely fantastic. And then eventually a degree, which woudl be very exciting. " - Lois Carlton.

"I have heard people in this industry, just from the work I've done throughout the TAFE, say you don't need a degree to work in TV. That could well be true. From what I am hearing around the place, it's going to allow people to specify in certain areas that they are more interested in than others, like studio and single camera production." - Ned Radman.

"It makes the industry more professional too. When it's more professional you get more respect and status and better pay. That's an important thing. That you are professionalising the industry so it's not just a lackeys job. It actually is a well trained, well skilled employment that you have got which is really important.

Now, at this moment, it is almost the end of the VTAC process and if you are interested in applying to the Certificate IV in Screen, you go to your VTAC guide and there is the normal VTAC application process. We do require an extra supplementary information form which is due on the 30th of October and you can download that from the web. If you want to find out anything more about any of the courses we have here in the screen television area, just go to the NMIT website which is www.nmit.vic.edu.au .

Thank you." - Lois Carlton.