Taking place in the recently refurbished, state-of-the-art television studios at Bedfordshire’s Luton campus, the co-production opportunity was initiated by TV veteran and visiting lecturer, John Gough, who teamed up with Andrew Eborn, renowned international lawyer, producer and President of Octopus TV.

The production is latest episode of  Octopus TV’s ‘DNA of a Global Hit’ series, and this collaboration has provided postgraduate students from the School of Media and Performance (MAP) with ‘real life’ television production experience – much of which has been hard to come by during the disruption and social restrictions of the pandemic.

John Gough, who is the mastermind behind the successful international gameshow In The Dark, has been guest lecturing at the University of Bedfordshire since 2015. He was delighted by the efficiency of his students:

“This recording has been a brilliant example of how professional our students are. Here they are working under Covid restrictions, adhering to strict regulations, and producing an interview with one of the world’s top film directors that will be broadcast to a global audience, and I feel totally relaxed. Over many years I’ve worked in 35 different major studios around the world and I am as (if not more) happy today than I have been on many other studio recordings. And this is because of the students – the students understand what has to be achieved and they have the appropriate skills and experience to deliver to the highest professional standards. This collaboration has proved that the University of Bedfordshire can now be a part of more high profile opportunities in the future.”

He added: “I am hopeful this will be the first in a series of valuable co-production deals with Octopus TV that will further supplement the valuable work already being undertaken by the University for students in the field of media education.”

Discussing the experience, Andrew Eborn said: “I am delighted to be working with the University of Bedfordshire and the next generation of media production talent. Their enthusiasm and professionalism is outstanding and what has been achieved is nothing short of miraculous – especially in such challenging times.”

Premiering at the MIP China partnership forum, ‘DNA of a Global Hit’ is a keynote speaker series from Octopus TV in which leading entertainment content providers and industry experts are interviewed about their careers, as well as offering advice to those looking to step into the world of film production and content-making.

In this episode recorded at the University of Bedfordshire, Andrew interviewed award-winning British film director, John Stevenson, whose has been behind the world-wide success of many animated movie hits, including Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Gnomeo & Juliet, Madagascar and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Prior to that he worked as a story artist on films including Labyrinth, starring musical legend David Bowie, and Little Shop of Horrors, as well as working as a puppeteer on Tim Burton’s musical production of James & the Giant Peach.

Discussing the filming experience, John Stevenson said: “I had a great time being interviewed by my friend Andrew Eborn for his show which we taped at the excellent studios at the University Of Bedfordshire. Andrew is a wonderful host and puts his guests at ease, making an interview feel more like a chat between friends. The facilities and crew at the University were first rate; fast, friendly and super professional. There was no difference between the studio at the University and the work of the crew there and the many industry studios I have worked in over the years. It was a fun experience, and I would be delighted to work with Andrew and Bedfordshire’s students again, anytime.”

Due to the limitations of networking and in-house work experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, John Gough and the MA Screen Performance and Communication Techniques cohort launched an in-house production company called ‘Zooming In’. Through this platform, students were able to get hands-on remote experience of hosting virtual, online productions, as well as events where they were able to network with professionals which aimed to enrich their employability skills and their industry contacts during lockdown.

Lecturers have also been organising regular ‘Media Junction’ events throughout the year, where MAP students have been able to meet, question and received training by industry guests both online and in-person – including regular BBC actor, Ann Akin, and TV soap director, Rick Platt – giving them insight into their future careers and access to networking.

However, MA Screen Performance and Communication Techniques students who took part in the recording with Octopus TV were happy to be back on set.

“After working over Zoom for so long it was great to be back in the studio, and to be joined by an accomplished presenter and the director and story artist of award-winning and much loved films was a real treat,” said postgraduate student, Emily Blake.

She continued: “I was given the role of floor manager and talent manager on the day, so I was looking after the guests which is something I hadn't experienced before. For me, getting to work in a studio environment on a real production that will go out to a large-scale audience was really valuable.”

MA student, Paulina Wisniewska, added: “It was a great experience to be able to be a part of this project. The interview with John Stevenson was very informative for anyone interested in the industry. And the opportunity to work on post-production was extremely useful and valuable to me.”

Tom Young, a Media Production graduate and now a Freelance Producer, was invited to come back to his old University and help out on the day. He said: “It was an amazing experience to be involved with something as wonderful as this. Working on this production with a delightful crew has definitely been one of my career highlights so far.”

‘DNA of a Global Hit’ with John Stevenson will be broadcast to MIP China conference delegates on 22^nd June 2021.

For information about the University of Bedfordshire’s media production facilities and to find out more about courses with the School of Media & Performance, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/media-and-performance