Learning the art of TV talk shows

For the past three weeks, a group of aspiring filmmakers has been hard at work learning how to create, produce, direct and host original TV productions, through UCT's outreach video training programme Stepping Stone.

The Stepping Stone Multi-cam course, which ran until 10 July, equipped 17 participants from previously disadvantaged backgrounds with the necessary skills to film their own TV shows.

One of the highlights was a joint project with the international TV talk show, Higher Education, hosted by American academic Dr Steven Roy Goodman who focuses on issues of relevance to tertiary institutions.

Filming of Higher Education Today at the UCT TV studios.

Course participants co-produced two Higher Education shows, on the topics of mathematics in Africa and agricultural training and education, respectively.

Another spinoff of this collaboration was that Goodman interviewed various stakeholders at South African tertiary institutions, among them UCT's Assoc Professor Elelwani Ramugondo, who talked about curriculum changes and transformation, as well as staff and students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Stepping Stone trainer Lisa Drennan with Jerimedro Jacobs, Thabo Skotoyi and Bri-Neill Dampies of the Stepping Stone video production team in the UCT TV studio at the Baxter Theatre Complex.

Finally, the participants created and produced two original TV talk shows, Na'Mean and With Campher Tonight, which showcased all the skills they had garnered during the course.

Story by staff reporter. Photos by Michael Hammond.