Details of organisation:

My work experience placement was with BT Sports. They’re located at Queen Elizabeth Olympic park in East London. I worked alongside Jacob Harewood who was a personal assistant for the company. Jacob was predominantly in the office completing admin tasks, sending emails between contacts and organising clients and audiences in relation to studio shows.

Analysis of organisation:

BT Sports produce content for a number of channels that broadcast entertainment, news and programmes in relation to sports. They have several of their own channels on television, however, they also create and edit content that is intended to be broadcast on other channels. A few examples of shows produced by BT Sport incudes: The Clare Balding show, Rugby Tonight and MotoGP. This diverse range of sports entertainment attracts a widely varied audience as those interested in sport celebrity gossip may not be interested in watching live football or motorcycle racing.

Due to the fact that the organisation produce a variety of shows for different channels, there is a huge number of people collectively working together to achieve this. There is a hierarchal structure amongst the staff members to ensure that everyone has a responsibility and input for the overarching goals. At the top of the staff hierarchy sit the managing directors. This is a small group of people who have the most authority in the building. They have the responsibility of the group’s strategy and ensure that the staff are adequately performing.

There are a group of production assistants that work closely with the managing directors in the office to ensure that everything for the live shows is running smoothly. For example, they would make information documents informing everyone involved in the programme of the day and task lay outs. In addition to this, the production assistants also work on admin for the other production shows. For example, from checking over running orders and music time sheets to editing down recorded sports footage and cutting out highlights for pre-recorded shows.

Truthfully, all the staff working under the authority of the managing directors are all seen to have a somewhat balanced amount of responsibility. Television production is all about a cooperative team effort. The gallery roles, (vision mixer, sound supervisor, production assistant, etc.) the graphics team (those who create inserts and screen pop ups) and the floor team (camera crew, floor manager, etc.) all have responsibilities that come together. These roles are all mutually dependent on one another to produce the programme. If one person was to stop doing their job, the television programme would be confused and incomplete.

In regards to the industry market, BT Sport are one of the top competitors beside SKY. BT Sport have a great understanding of commercial trends and adapt and create content with the changes of the industry. The seven main sports that they broadcast include: football, rugby, UFC, MotoGP, cricket, boxing and NBA. BT Sport acknowledge that these are several of the most popular sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland. These are the sports entertainment categories that are in high demand, therefore generating a large audience tuning in to the supply. To view BT Sport entertainment, you must purchase one of their packages from their website. You can buy a TV and broadband package and can even purchase a pack which allows you to watch the BT channels on SKY. This is a great advantage for BT as they understand who their main competitor is and have decided to partner up with them, rather than individually challenging the more experienced company of the market.

The recent referendum has seen the UK vote to leave the European Union. Brexit will be beneficial to BT as the higher interest rates will reduce its pension liability. University of Salford (2017) have announced that they will “undertake the most thorough testing yet for 5G networks”. This synergy between BT and EE will save an abundance of money by performing efficiently and will decrease the rate in which customers unsubscribing and the rate of employees quitting. BT offer free TV bundle packages for current broadband customers which provides product incentive and differentiation from other brands. Also, the vast growth of smart devices creates a connectivity for customers and they can stream BT Sport content (live or pre-recorded) on the go and from any location. Technologically, BT are currently investing in high speed networks and partnerships in attempts to develop 5G. This is a great opportunity to get ahead of other telecoms businesses.

Evaluation of roles and tasks performed:

Throughout the duration of the two weeks with BT Sport, I performed a series of tasks and activities. For the first couple of days I was sat in the galleries watching programmes and performing quality checks. This involved looking out for swearing and the commentators saying “BT Sport” when the programme is to be broadcast on a different channel. I also spent some time in the TV studios and helped work on several shows such as Rugby Tonight and The Clare Balding Show. This was the most exciting part of the work experience as I could become entirely immersed and see a programme be created first-hand. I got to speak to the presenters and the floor team to get a better understanding of a real-life TV show.

I learnt several new proficiencies whilst on my work experience placement and further developed my current skill set. During one of the Rugby Tonight shows I sat in the gallery. I had the opportunity to develop my time keeping skills by shadowing the production assistant. They are responsible for show timings and to ensure that the entire production team maintain the schedule and do not over-run. This is an important skill to perfect because during live TV, there are only a few seconds for mistakes otherwise it will run into advert time or other show time.

Another skill I developed on this placement was editing. Using special software and equipment, I learnt how to quickly skim through hours of sports match footage to cut and select specific shorter clips to be featured in the finished highlights programme. This is an essential skill to have in TV production as it requires patience, efficiency and attention to detail. It is important to understand which features make a good highlight show for example any goals, fouls, penalties, etc. Also, the teams entering the pitch/ court is always a nice shot to capture for the opening of a highlight show. I understand that it sets the mood and is a filler image for the commentator to speak over and introduce the ambience of the programme.

During this placement, I also learned how to work well under an extreme amount of pressure during the live show. However, the presenters and guests had a few chances to roughly rehearse certain sectors of the show before-hand. This was to help everyone on set understand how the show was going to play out. Therefore, it ensured that there were as little hiccups as possible. During live recording, there was a great amount of pressure to get the presenters ready and assist them with scripts during the commercial breaks. Sometimes things did not go to plan/ run smoothly so there was little time to find a solution. For example, during the Clare Balding show, there was a feature of them playing mini golf. Clare could not do this in her high heels so she needed to be given a pair of trainers quickly during the commercial break for her to change into.

I also developed my communication skills. I was given a headset for live studio nights and this allowed me to listen in to conversations between the director in the gallery and the floor manager on the studio set. This ensured that I could clearly understand the ways in which a live show unfolded and see the benefits of having communication between the floor manager and director. The floor manager stays on the studio floor during the programme production and is responsible for looking after everyone in the studio. They also act as the “eyes and ears” and “hands and feet” for the director as the director cannot give direct guidance to everyone on the studio floor whilst simultaneously managing everyone in the galleries. The floor manager will also brief and “warm up” the audience in the studio prior to the live show. This involves making the audience feel comfortable and safe in the new environment. This is also used as an opportunity for the sound supervisor and assistant to record sound tracks used throughout the programme. For example, the floor manager will get the audience to give a big applause, loud and prolonged laughter, cheers and even boos. These will then be played over the programme at relevant moments to give a more natural and less awkward feel to the show.

I was persistent and hard-working each day of my work placement. I insisted on waking up at 06:30am each morning to ensure I could commute and be in East London for 10:00am. These early starts were difficult but I thoroughly enjoyed the work placement and was excited to take on each day. During the mornings, I was sat in the office helping with small tasks. I was responsible for sitting and watching pre-recorded programme footage to differentiate between highlights, open and closing scenes. I also helped to create music time sheets and checked over running orders. This was the less exciting part of TV production, however, it made me understand that admin is also significant to the production of shows.

I would also offer to make tea for the production assistants and help them send any emails when necessary. I also filled out time sheets for them and filed paperwork when they were busier with more significant activities. During my lunch breaks, I would sit and watch footage that needed editing. There was also footage that needed to be looked at and cut down or re-arranged.

I would describe myself as confident when meeting new people in this TV production environment as I found it exciting being introduced to the top presenters and guests on the shows. Although I was very enthusiastic, I always worked professionally, ensuring that the presenters and guests were always happy and seen to in assisting their needs and demands. For example, Clare Balding had her girlfriend come to watch the show. Even though I was very excited to meet both of these people, I had to stay composed and prioritise making their time in the studio as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

Reflection on the “world of work”:

My work placement with BT Sport built on my knowledge of the media industries. Before gaining this work experience, I had a small comprehension of the ways in which TV production and journalism intertwined. I also thought that the two genres of media very rarely crossed over, however, there is so much depth to journalism that it divides into smaller sub-sections and genres within itself. Sports journalism divides further in the TV production industry. For example, you can have anything from live match entertainment to magazine and chat shows.

My understanding of how a TV programme production works has been cemented by this work experience. After taking the TV studio production module during my first year, I already had a wide appreciation for everything that goes into putting a show on air. This work placement at BT Sport allowed me to put these skills to use in real life situations and shows. This gave me great confidence in the course and has made me more enthusiastic to continue with it this year. I can see that I am learning proficiencies that are essential to my future career in the media industries.

This work placement has made my decision of continuing as a journalism specialist difficult as I thoroughly enjoyed my time with BT Sport. Although sports journalism does not interest me, the entire aspect of TV production and producing TV chat shows is very exciting for me. Contrastingly, an issue I have is that I have really enjoyed my PR techniques module this year and feel as though it is a career path that I can realistically see myself pursuing and succeeding in.

This placement has exceeded in helping me with developing my personal and professional skills. I expanded my level of critical thinking during this work experience as I had to be quick thinking and efficient with problem solving under pressure for the live shows. This links to being dependable for the employer. As a reliable and responsible employee, the BT Sport team could rely on me to bring dexterous input to the daily objectives.

I have to be very flexible and motivated to work in this fast-paced industry. Flexibility is essential, not only TV studio production, but in the media industries in general as there is always a lot of work that can be improved on and completed. My work placement with BT Sport meant that on some days I had to free the time to work in the evenings and late nights to help work on the live shows. My enthusiasm helped to motivate myself and pursue with the early starts and late finishes to my days as I knew that I was being a part of something truly incredible.

The professional skills I have developed through this work experience placement includes: collaboration and teamwork, mentoring and negotiation management. Collaboration and teamwork are essential professional skills for the TV production industry. If everyone doesn’t work efficiently together as a team, then it will be projected into the quality of the show produced. I figured that communication is the most important aspect of working in a team. This ensures that problems can be identified and quickly solved. Thus, the necessary assistance can be given and everyone has the same understanding of what is happening and when.

Another key skill that is significant for working in the media industries is mentoring. It is crucial to help guide your work colleges and assist them whenever necessary. This is because achieving smaller individual goals will positively impact the team’s overriding ambition. This was developed during the production of the live shows BT Sport produced.

The personal and professional skills that I have gained from this work placement are not restricted for TV production. I feel confident in knowing that these attributes are transferrable and equally significant in the PR industry. Having thoroughly enjoyed my placement within the TV production industry, I plan on finding a PR focused placement for my second year. This will help me to form a distinct comparison and opinion between the two industries, and further my decision on my future career path. By using my newly heightened skill set, I now feel more prepared and confident for my future career in the media industries, whichever direction I choose to take.

Bibliography:

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[Accessed 19 November 2017]