Students warm up for radio stardom!
23/02/2010
Lewis Fry prepares questions ahead of the interview
Media student Lewis Fry got the chance to brush up on his broadcasting skills this week, after he was given the opportunity to interview one of the actresses from top Channel Four drama 'Skins'. Lucky Lewis, who is currently in the second year of his BTEC National Diploma in Media at the Crawley campus, spent twenty minutes chatting to twenty year-old Klariza Clayton, who plays Karen Mclair in the show, over the phone, with the conversation transmitted live to a group of 20 first year students, keen to listen in on the action.
The interview was a pilot for a module the second year students are currently working on, which encompasses interview techniques and radio production and will see them interviewing a selection of staff from around the College and well known names in the area, in a 'Desert Island Discs' style show, where participants are asked to choose five songs which evoke memories from different periods of their lives.
Klariza, who has also appeared in the children's TV series 'Dani's House', and on the big screen alongside Michael Caine in the 2009 film 'Harry Brown', talked Lewis through the reasons behind her five song choices: 'Somebody to Love' by Queen; 'The Prayer', by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion; 'She will be loved' by Maroon 5; 'End Credits' by Plan B and Chase and Status; and 'Time is running out' by Muse. She was also asked questions about her career so far and for her top tips for breaking into the acting industry, suggesting that the best thing to do for aspiring actors is to "Get a show-real. Even if it is amateur footage it will be impressive to potential directors. Also, get out to plenty of auditions, and make sure you have lots of patience!"
When asked which films and TV shows she likes to watch when not working, Klariza admitted that she hates watching herself on screen, as she finds it "freaky", but is currently addicted to 'Glee' on Channel Four, and the MGM classic 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers', which is on repeat in her DVD player!
After expertly steering the interview, Lewis, who hopes to pursue a degree in Sports Journalism at University next year, was pleased with the outcome, saying that "it was a really enjoyable experience and I have learned a lot about radio interview techniques! I was a bit nervous, and having the first year students listening added even more pressure, but I am really glad I did it!"
It's back to the studio now for Lewis, where he will cut the raw material and insert the songs to create a polished radio show audio, under the expert tuition of lecturer Chris Beer and media technician Dan Creed. The finished programme will form part of his coursework, and will eventually be available to listen to on the College website.
The College is also looking for local celebrities who might be prepared to be interviewed for this project. If you know of someone in the public eye, who enjoys an eclectic mix of music, please contact the Marketing Department at marketing@centralsussex.ac.uk with details!
Photos by Sara Woolgar
