Case Study
Media Dreams in Motion
Two students from Belfast Met’s School of Film and Television recently got some exciting hands-on TV experience as they were part of a production for the BBC’s The One Show programme.
Ellie Mihaylova and Christopher McKee were hired as runners for One Tribe TV’s segment on Colin Bateman’s new TV thriller series ''Dead and Buried''.
The students undertook a wide range of duties, including printing scripts, handling equipment and looking after everyone on set. With filming taking place at multiple locations in a single day, Ellie and Christopher being agile and able to adapt to the fast-pace environment was key.
Speaking about her time working on the production, Ellie said:
“I instantly said yes to the runner opportunity to work for One Tribe TV! I learned so much about the way they execute the shoot, how they work around the script of the subject and make the story compelling.
“I would absolutely do it again if an opportunity comes around, and being a student at Belfast Met really opened so many doors during my studies there, which I'm so grateful for.”
Ellie started her Belfast Met journey by studying her Film and Media Studies A-Levels at its Titanic Quarter campus, and went on to complete a Higher National Diploma in Creative Media Production (Factual TV and Journalism).
Ellie went on to study TV and Film Production at Teesside University and has recently graduated, saying:
“Because of all of the hands-on experience and good grades I achieved while studying at Belfast Met, I secured a place at Teesside University and I am delighted to have just graduated from my top-up year in TV and Film Production.”
Speaking about his experience working on the One Show, Christopher added:
“The experience itself was great, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The crew that came over from London were great to work with and gave me some tips about getting into the industry. The guests were lovely too and really took the time to talk to us and ask about our hopes for the future.
“This experience gave me a taste of what it is like to work on something as high-profile as The One Show, and I hope to have more experiences like this in the future.
“This is definitely something I would like to pursue more, and being given this experience and my past experiences with Belfast Met, it has laid the groundwork for me to do that.”
During his time at Belfast Met, Christopher studied a BTEC Higher National Diploma in TV Production and Journalism, and is now entering his final year of a Journalism degree course at Ulster University. The One Show opportunity came about for Christopher and Ellie through their former Belfast Met lecturer Lynda Bryans.
Course director at Belfast Met’s e3 Film and Television School Lynda Bryans explained:
“I work closely with One Tribe TV and other production companies who know our reputation for turning out students who are immediately ready for work in the industry. Our learners benefit from an all-round, hands-on training that allows them to pivot into different roles very quickly and I think that's what sets us apart from the more academic focus universities put on their journalism and production courses.
“It's so rewarding when I see the next generation of journalists, reports, producers, directors and presenters coming from the Journalism and Documentary course at Belfast Met. And so many of our past students are already working in high profile roles in media.
“We are very excited that the Gerry Kelly chat show (Havelock Street Productions) is coming back again this year and once again, our students will take on production training roles throughout that run.”