MFC4391 - Introduction to TV Research

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
understand the wide-ranging and diverse role played by a Researcher in contemporary television.
demonstrate the practical skills required to work to a specific TV research brief and demonstrate a clear grasp of the role in action (in development and production).
demonstrate an understanding of how a TV programme is produced - and how the role of Researcher fits into a typical production "chain of command".
demonstrate an understanding of how the role of a TV Researcher varies from genre to genre and identify ways of adapting their own skills to achieve the necessary versatility.
demonstrate that they have the ability to critically analyse their own roles in a production process and to outline ways and means by which their input could be improved.

Content:

This core module will give you a wide-ranging introduction to the key, demanding job of a TV Researcher - frequently the entry-point post which offers graduates an initial foothold in a competitive, global industry - across a number of TV genres.
In a series of interactive workshops, it will highlight the skills needed in both development (including the generation of new programme ideas and storylines) and production (such as finding and handling key interviewees or contributors) and will also illustrate some of the legal and ethical issues that might arise.
It will combine the creative with the practical - covering the main industry-standard aspects of the role, from proposing imaginative storylines to the management of location filming.

Learning and Teaching Information:

This module will be taught through a series of interactive workshops, covering various aspects of the TV researcher's job. Relevant presentations and programme clips will be used to engage and inform you and regular exercises (group and individual) will be given, so that you can individually demonstrate a clear understanding of each aspect of the job. A series of workshop sessions will prepare you for a detailed final assessment, intended to demonstrate the your ability to research a programme idea and present it as a "pitch" to a Producer, plus a critical evaluation of the process undertaken.

Workshops
Hours: 20
Intended Group size: 15-20

Guided independent study
Hours: 80

Further details relating to assessment
Directed activities consist of weekly tasks that must be completed and submitted for inspection at timetabled sessions each week. The assessment will be assessed on a pass/fail basis with a pass requiring at least 75% of all weekly tasks to be completed successfully. A pass will lead to the full award of 10% towards the final module mark. A fail in directed activities will contribute 0% to the final mark.
The TV Research project for assessment consists of a single programme idea, which you will develop, prepare and present to the tutor - acting as a production company's development producer. It will allow you to demonstrate the practical and creative skills learned in workshops and via tutor-led exercises during the Semester, in particular the ability to sift through a wide range of information and clearly present and market a core idea, with narrative, contributors and locations, for a target channel and audience.
The critical evaluation will prompt you to consider how to enhance your strengths and improve on any areas of weakness.

Assessment:

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Bob Walmsley
Level - 4
Credit Value - 10
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4S1

Click here to go back to previous page