Online Workshop: Introduction to Television and Production Techniques
This online workshop is designed for people who want a clear, grounded understanding of how television production actually works, beyond fragmented tutorials or tool-driven short courses. It is structured to build solid conceptual foundations first, before moving into applied production techniques that can be recognised and used in real studio and field environments.
The workshop draws directly on professional broadcast practice and is suitable for:
- emerging practitioners entering television or streaming,
- experienced crew seeking a stronger systems understanding,
- educators, content creators, and technical staff working across hybrid production environments.
The workshop is delivered online and combines structured learning, practical examples, diagrams, and guided discussion.
Foundations Covered in the Workshop:
Film and Television as Production Systems
The workshop begins by establishing the essential differences between film and television, not as competing media, but as distinct production systems with different priorities, workflows, and constraints. Participants explore how historical practices shaped modern television, why multi-camera production developed the way it did, and how contemporary OTT platforms have blurred traditional boundaries while retaining television’s core discipline.
This section provides the conceptual framework needed to understand why television production operates the way it does, rather than simply describing what happens.
Multi-Camera Production in Practice
Participants are introduced to the logic and structure of multi-camera production, including how studios are organised, how decisions are made in real time, and why preparation and communication are critical. The relationships between cameras, sound, lighting, graphics, and directing are explained as part of a single system rather than isolated roles.
This foundation prepares participants for the applied techniques that follow.
Workshop Dives Into: Applied Production Techniques
Sound
This section examines sound as a primary storytelling and technical element in television production. Participants explore microphone types and polar patterns, placement strategies, basic acoustics, and the role of the sound mixer in a multi-camera environment. Attention is given to why sound problems are difficult to fix later, and how good sound practice begins at capture.
Camera
Camera operation is approached as a professional craft rather than a mechanical task. Topics include framing discipline, shot stability, exposure control, camera matching, and the responsibilities of camera operators within a live or as-live production. Differences between studio, location, and cinematic shooting styles are discussed to clarify expectations in each context.
Lenses
Participants are introduced to lenses as optical tools that shape perspective, depth, and visual emphasis. The workshop covers focal length, depth of field, basic optical behaviour, and practical lens choices in television environments. This section builds a foundation for understanding why lens decisions affect storytelling, rather than treating lenses as interchangeable accessories.
Vision Mixer
The role of the vision mixer is explained as a central interpretive and technical function in multi-camera production. Participants explore how shot selection, timing, transitions, and visual continuity are managed in real time, and how the vision mixer collaborates with the director to shape the programme’s rhythm and clarity.
Staging and Visual Grammar
This section addresses how people and cameras are positioned within a space to maintain visual logic. Topics include the 180-degree rule, talk show layouts, presenter-guest relationships, lighting considerations for multiple angles, and how framing and movement support narrative clarity. The emphasis is on preventing visual confusion before it occurs.
Running Order
Participants learn how a running order functions as the backbone of a television production. The workshop explores timing, cueing, flexibility, and the relationship between the running order, director, and technical crew. This section highlights how structure enables creativity rather than restricting it.
Script Markup
Script markup is introduced as a practical communication tool rather than a literary exercise. Participants examine how scripts are annotated for camera cues, sound, graphics, and timing, and how this shared document supports coordination across departments during rehearsal and transmission.
How This Workshop Fits Into the Learning Path
The workshop builds directly on the open learning material published on this site. Those learning articles are designed to stand on their own; the workshop provides depth, integration, and guided application of the same principles.
Participation is optional, and prior completion of the learning articles is recommended but not mandatory.
Registration and Next Steps
This workshop will be offered online at scheduled intervals.
If you would like to be notified when dates, fees, and enrolment details are released, please register your interest below.
→ Register interest in this online workshop