Case Study - Brighton Digital TV course
The first of its kind in the world, Brighton University’s MSc in Digital Television and Production Management aims to give people the high level interdisciplinary knowledge, skills and approaches required to create and manage interactive content across digital platforms. This includes technical knowledge, an appreciation of graphics and television production, human-computer interaction design, business management, and project management skills. The course began in October 2001 and is now training its 4th cohort of students.
The MSc comprises a combination of ten taught modules in the areas of business, design, management, and technology; practical workshops leading to the development of a project portfolio; and a three month work placement. The course can be taken either 12 months full-time or 36 months part-time. Each of the taught modules is also available as a stand alone course.
‘The MSc covers technical and business skills, but the key area is project management’ says Course Leader Richard Griffiths. ‘Graduates come in with different skills, but all leave with the ability to manage a DTV project. The industry has changed drastically since the course began, but the course has not had to change significantly because project management is still the key skill.’
Students are assessed on each module. ‘They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and, typically, one will know the material quite well, so there is a lot group work and everyone tends to level up as a result’ says Richard Griffiths. ‘There are no exams and it is all practical work. They are also assessed on their final placement and portfolio projects.’
Students usually fund themselves through career development loans. Typically some come from media backgrounds (usually mature students) and there are also those with web design and commercial backgrounds. Previous in-takes have included people from arts administration and even sculpture. The University is looking for people with a relevant background and an appropriate skill to offer.
‘Those who apply to the course have thought carefully about why they want to do it’ says Richard Griffiths. ‘They have a realistic perspective about wanting to be in the media and about what interactive TV can do. They are not looking for on-screen roles. In fact there have been some presenters on the course looking at making a career change to a behind-the-scenes role. This year there is a presenter from China.’ The course is made up of 50% foreign students, predominantly from Asian countries where there have been significant developments in interactive TV.
The MSc is not a traditional media course. Located within the Faculty of Management and Information Sciences its staff has been drawn from various areas of the University, including the Business School and Engineering Departments, and they bring a wide range of expertise. ‘We cast the net widely within the university and found we had good resources’ says Richard Griffiths. ‘The students get an integrated whole out of it.’ There is also a lively guest speaker programme.
The course also benefits from government and industry support. It was designed in collaboration with local digital media company, Victoria Real, who at the time were turning down projects because of a shortage of appropriately skilled people. Victoria Real were important in fronting the course to the industry and also helped to create the board, which currently includes representatives from BBC, Channel Four, five, Hewlett Packard (the course technology partner), Liberate Technologies, Norwich Union, OpenTV UK, Telewest Broadband, and Victoria Real (now London based and part of Endemol).
The board ensures that the course stays relevant to the industry it serves and is significant when organising placements. ‘UK students usually get good placements which are often seen as an extended interview’ says Richard Griffiths. ‘In the past it was more difficult to place foreign students who were likely to return to their own countries, but that is changing, particularly if a company is thinking of expanding into those markets.’
Students work in design and usability facilities developed by the University with support from technology partner Hewlett Packard. The dedicated DTV design studio contains 25 desktop workstations supporting DTV development software. There is also a laboratory to observe people using interactive TV, games consoles and other technologies in a domestic setting, as well as a desktop usability laboratory enabling designers to test out desktop software. Appropriate tools have been introduced whenever possible.
The final degree show takes the form of a pitching session to a high profile industry panel and graduates of the course have gone on to start careers with companies such as Turner TV and the BBC.
‘The course has a good track record of getting students into companies and the majority find the roles they are looking for – including some spectacular successes. For most students, employment is pretty much immediate on completion of the course’ says Richard Griffiths. ‘Recruitment has been a bit of an issue recently reflecting a downturn in the industry, as companies had to reduce staff levels, but the course is well established and there are good opportunities for people who want to build a sustainable career.’
Course graduate Michael Danks previously had 26 years experience in television post-production. He is now a producer on a BBC pilot – the interactive storytelling exhibition project – a new way of engaging the public with BBC programmes within a museum context.
‘It was a brilliant course. It enabled me to understand the technology and also gave me the confidence to talk to technical people and business analysts in their own language. I can now hold my own in any conversation. I also gained project management skills which have been very important. The course gave me an understanding of the constraints which has been really vital and is uncommon for university courses. Brighton kept it real but also allowed us to think creatively. Everything on the course has been applicable in my current job. I’ve created a full prototype for the exhibition project which is unusual and has been incredibly useful.’
For more information: www.brighton.ac.uk/interactive
Skillset 2005
The further details please contact:
Chris Chilton - Computer games and Animation Co-ordinator
