Our intern, Ayomide Salami writes on his recent visit to the Lagos Television studio sharing his learning experience.
One of the most interesting experiences I have had during my internship so far was my visit to the Lagos Television (LTV) station in Alausa, Ikeja. I went there with my boss, that I am currently interning with. He had an interview scheduled for around 11:00 a.m., and he decided to take me along with him.
On getting to LTV, I was really impressed by the environment. The place really got my attention and I was eager to see how the inner building looks like. Although I had visited a television station before with my boss, but this experience felt different. The station had separate entrance and exit gates. The main building was large and beautiful, with small palm trees surrounding it.
After we entered, the receptionist asked us to sit on the seats provided for visitors. There was a television in the reception area showing news. I also noticed two drawings hanging on the wall. One was a picture of a boy blowing a trumpet, while the other showed a man playing a drum.
After waiting for a while, one of the staff members came to meet us. I was not sure of her exact position in the organization, but she directed us to a waiting room. When we got there, I noticed that there were quite a number of interns like me around.
Not long after, a man came to meet my boss and informed him that he would soon be called in for his interview. Before the interview, my boss was taken to have makeup applied. This caught my attention because I was curious about why someone going for an interview would need makeup, so I went online to find out.
I discovered that makeup is often used before television appearances because studio lights and high-definition cameras can wash out facial features and make certain imperfections more noticeable. It was another reminder that we learn every day.
I later followed my boss into the studio where the interview was going to take place. This was probably the most exciting part of my visit because I got to see the full setup and experience the behind-the-scenes process of television broadcasting.
Inside the studio, I noticed that two cameras were being used. One was positioned toward the right angle while the other was positioned toward the left. One camera was mainly used to capture the person speaking at a particular moment, while the other provided a wider shot that captured both the interviewer and the interviewee. There was also a studio light hanging above, providing bright and proper lighting for the interview.
Another thing that caught my attention was a small television at the back of the stage, which was used to monitor the news before it was eventually broadcast to the public. The entire studio was designed with different colours.
The interview lasted for close to an hour. After it was over, we left the studio, and my boss took a picture of me. That picture was to serve as memory of my visit and the experience I had at LTV.
I can honestly say that visiting LTV was one of the best experiences I have had as an intern so far. As a Theatre Arts student, I am used to being around performances, stages and theatrical productions, but being inside a television station gave me the opportunity to see another side of the creative industry.
The experience taught me that there is so much more to the entertainment and media industry than what we see on our screens. Getting to understand how interviews are prepared, how cameras are positioned, how lighting is used and how everything comes together before a programme reaches the audience was truly fascinating.
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