 TV production students got the chance to build their network and see what the industry has to offer with Fuse Technical Group.

A TV production degree can take you anywhere...

Student experience

Film, TV and media

[Kieran Bateman BA (Hons) TV production student] So today we've had the wonderful opportunity to have a real industry company come in and speak to us students. 
[Johnnie Pop - Director of Recruiting, Fuse Technical Group] In Fuse Technical Group we specialise in video and lighting production.
[Graham Buttery Sales and Labour Coordinator Fuse Technical Group] We do lots of corporate shows including Auto shows, upfronts for television, we do a lot in the film space we've done The Mandalorian, Black Adam, Shazam!
[Johnnie] We've just been meeting a bunch of wonderful students and learning what it is that the University is doing in regards to helping elevate this industry as well.

[Johnnie] We got a little bit of a tour.
[Graham] I was impressed walking in seeing the volume, this [gesturing to VP stage] is basically a smaller scale of what we're doing in film and television and seeing the young people with the drive to want to be in this business.
[Ed Prescott, Touring Crew Chief, Fuse Technical Group] there's a kind of like a an atmosphere here amongst the students which is palpable, which is really creative it's really positive.
[Kieran] I was chosen amongst a number of students to essentially put the day together and we ran it from a perspective that we'd like to show off all that we can do at Solent show our work style our experience and so we put together a little studio show amongst our tour.

[Johnnie] The students bring really great energy, but the most the thing that stood out the most was just the confidence. The confidence and the ability to be able to actually do the job and the excitement and the willingness too as well, I just felt that within the room.
[Graham] The main thing I'm looking for in young people is the drive not just the want to be around a concert tour or to say they worked on a movie shoot I'm talking about the drive to do it all.

[Kieran] I mean today I was a researcher producer, script writer and graphics, I mean it was just everyone bundling in and putting the effort in, but I think that's actually a really good piece of experience just for industry.
[Graham] What you guys offer here and the talent that's coming out of here, that along with just the want and the will is is huge.
[Johnnie] and we had an opportunity to also host a Q&A and talk a little bit about how we're adding value within the industry and speak a little bit about ourselves as professionals as well.

[Kate O'Driscoll, Senior Lecturer, TV Production] I think having some great insights from Fuse in terms of what they're looking for from the next generation of young people in the industry has been of real value to the students as well.
[Kieran] to have the opportunity to meet industry professionals and speak to them about our passions and our abilities I think would be incredibly valuable for everyone on the course today 


[Chris Woolford, Technical Instructor, TV Production] it's really important for the University to make sure we've still got a finger on the pulse of what's happening in the industry. Getting feedback so we can loop that into our courses to make sure our students are learning the correct skills that the industry are asking 
[Billy Young Freelance Video Technician, Solent Graduate] I had a lot of opportunities through Solent, I got more involved with either using the OB truck, using the cameras and then basically one day I got a call being like "hey you want to go to Boardmasters because we can see you've got this experience"


[Kate] it was lovely to welcome Billy back today as one of our graduates. Our graduates get everywhere in the industry, they really do. And it's lovely to hear what his journey's been like for the last couple of years since he left us, and really he has been the lynchpin for this day because it was through him working for Fuse and them being impressed with the quality of his work that really started this whole ball rolling. So I'm really grateful to Billy but he is just one of many of our amazing graduates who are out in the industry now.

[Billy] I am a freelance camera engineer who works for Fuse Technical Group. Basically I go into the arena I set up the sort PPU, the camera control unit and director station and then I'll run the cables out for the cameras and set up each cameras for however many they are for each of the shows. [Ed] Myself and my colleagues were so impressed with Billy's skillset, his competence and his confidence and his demeanour that we I basically interviewed him and said where did you learn these skills and he obviously explained he trained at Solent University.

[Kieran] it's so varied you have everything from OB, you have sports, you have documentary, you have events, there is so much you can do in TV.
[Kate] it's an exciting curriculum the students are working in the studio, they are working on productions, they are creating the whole time but they are also understanding what is or the value of working together teamwork.
[Billy] It's about getting involved and getting whatever experiences because you never know where that could lead since working with Fuse I've gone across Europe with Nicki Minaj and Megan thee Stallion and then I've gone to America, done a two months tour there for an artist called Maxwell.

Outro with Solent University logo and website URL.

[Kieran] it's useful having the perspective again of Fuse coming in and just saying "oh no, you can put those skills somewhere". It's such a real world experience that I don't think you'd get on many other courses and it really throws you into just how it would be in the industry so it's a remarkable piece of experience.

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