This week saw two of our undergraduate students Caitlin Puddle and Jessica Cooper shadow The News Quiz production team on campus. The BBC Radio 4 programme aired (19/1/24) was recorded to a full house at Taliesin Theatre, And it’s great that editing sessions delivered during practice modules is being put to good use! Here Jessica shares her experience:
This opportunity was an amazing experience that I am very thankful that I got to be a part of. I spent 2 days gaining insight into what it takes to set up and execute a production which would not only be presented on stage to a live audience, but also as a radio show.
There were so many key moments which happened during my time shadowing BBC Radio 4 on this production, and some of those highlighted moments included:
- Meeting new people, which also meant developing new contacts/friends etc.
- It was nice being seen as a member of the team, everyone was so kind and welcoming.
- When Caitlin and I were given the responsibility of creating a sound effect which would be used during the actual show. We both spent our time prior to the show that evening researching for the perfect sound combinations to edit together (using the software Audacity). And then later got to listen to it live from our seats in the audience which was an exciting moment for us.
- Following the previous point. Being able to watch the show from an audience’s perspective was also another brilliant moment. It enabled me to see how everything that I was a part of backstage came together in the final stage.
This experience has given me a whole new perspective on the industry. Watching and being a part of a crew that is so dedicated to their roles was extremely refreshing and interesting to see.
And in reflection of this experience, I feel as though in the 2 days that I was with them I gained a greater understanding of what I may like to do in the future as a career!
If you want to listen, the The News Quiz aired Friday the 19th of January at 6:30pm or catch up on BBC Sounds.
And Caitlin added…”Recently, I had the opportunity to be a part of the production of The News Quiz for BBC Radio 4. It was great to have the opportunity to witness all the work that goes on behind the scenes of a radio production. Jess and I learned so much about pathways into radio production and the type of work that is available. Shadowing Sarah, the production coordinator, we got to see how she organised travel and accommodation for the talent, as well as undertaking many different activities through the day, including reading email submissions for potential comedy skits. It was fascinating to see how many different responsibilities she had for just one day. Jodie, who is currently an apprentice at the BBC and working in a similar role to Sarah, was also incredibly patient and she had a lot of valuable information to share about how she managed to get her apprenticeship with the BBC. With Jodie’s help, Jess and I were able to contribute to the production of sound effects for the show. It was exciting to hear our sound effects being used in front of the live audience later on. It was a great experience and I am so lucky to have been chosen to be a part of it”.
