Aastha Auplish: Television Production MA graduate
MA Television Production 2010-11
I knew that I wanted to work in television as a writer, but I wanted to do an MA course that taught me more than writing. I did some research online and found MA Television Production at UCF. It seemed to cover all the aspects of working in television and I liked the fact that it was both practical and theory based. As I'm from Australia and didn't know a lot about the media industry in the UK, I really wanted to learn from people who've worked in the industry themselves and could prepare me for what it's really like. The fact that UCF is part of the Skillset Media Academy Network also attracted me to the course - I knew that I would be gaining something that would add to my CV and eventually help me get a job in the television industry.
The MA was very hands-on and I had the opportunity to create three films that will go on my show reel and add to my CV. The edit suites that were available to us were also very similar to those used in the industry, which gave me the chance to gain practical experience. The guest lectures we've had throughout the year from people currently working in the industry gave us the chance to make contacts and pick up some great advice.
We were encouraged to find work experience placements to put what we'd learned into practice; I spent two weeks working with Fiesta Productions in London as a post-production runner. They're currently working on a couple of films with award-winning director Mat Whitecross. I worked closely with the producers and learned a lot about producing a small budget film. I also got an opportunity to go to the recording studio and meet actor Ray Winstone! The best experience of my work placement was to watch Ray re-record his lines and see how the director interacted with him.
The course has taught me what steps I have to take in the industry to finally get where I eventually want to be. I've also learned how to network with industry professionals, which will be invaluable in the future. I plan to move to London and enter the television industry as either a runner or researcher and work my way up to script editor. Eventually, I want to write and create television programmes, but I need to gain some more experience in the industry before I make that step.
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