January, 2008

So you really want to learn TV production?

You've come to the right place.

So says Dr. Ron Whittaker, PhD. Creator of Television Production from CyberCollege. All of us at School Video News couldn’t agree more!

This award winning  Internet project started as an offshoot of his two textbooks, Television Production and Video Field Production. After getting his Ph.D. Dr Whittaker started teaching TV production at the University of Florida.  During that time he was also writing for several broadcast trade publications. These articles -- nearly 100 of them by last count -- also provided material for the Internet project. Wanting to be closer to the “action”, Ron moved to California where he taught at the university level for over 25 years.

Recognizing that TV Production is a field that changes very quickly, Dr. Whittaker saw a need for regular updates.  Somewhere about 1985, he started putting things on-line for students and for people using his textbooks. Updating is a continuous process which can not be accomplished with standard textbooks. Since the cybertexts have been published there have been hundreds of updates.  Some are due to changes in the field, some are the result of suggestions by readers, some are designed to expand on existing information, and some are simply to correct writing errors.

Currently there are more than 800 illustrations with the 70+ modules and the associated readings. Altogether, there are more than 1000 related articles and forums.  In addition to the text itself, there is a complete Teachers Guide including several types of tests, crossword puzzles, and word squares. Also included are student projects and assignments. The complete course is also offered in Spanish and Portuguese. To experience the full range of content of Television Production, visit the completeTable of Contents by clicking here.

Although the modules emphasize studio and field production for broadcast television, what is presented is applicable to a wide variety of audio- and video-based media.

The materials are designed to take advantage of the capabilities of the worldwide web. The interactive tests, the discussion forum, and the numerous external links all require an Internet connection. 

We have seen studies that indicate that web-based training, even in its present primitive stage, can be more effective with TV- and computer-generation youth than what they often get in a classroom. The goal, of course, is to combine the best of both worlds.

Teachers and students may down load ONE personal copy.  Very stringent copyright rules prohibit use of the material in any way other than the methods specified.  Besides, once it is printed the content faces the same challenges as a text book: obsolescence!  Stick to the way it was intended, and you will have tremendous results. And the best part: its all FREE!

Through assigned readings and lab experiences, students are expected to acquire a basic working knowledge of the complete video field production process. This knowledge includes the following areas:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To view Television Production and its companion course, Elements of Mass Media, visit CyberCollege online.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Television Production Online Course