A Career in TV presenting

How do I become a TV presenter?
Being a television presenter is harder than it looks. Far from just standing in front of a camera looking exotic, you’re at the front end of a production team, delivering everyone’s hard work in an informed and entertaining way.

TV Presenters
First class presenters like Davina Mcall get to know as much, and often more, about the issues they are presenting as everybody else on the production. So nine-tenths of Rolf’s work is done off screen. In the gaps between filming Davina is out in the waiting area chatting to the public, talking to the production crew, being briefed by researchers on the cases he is about to see, giving and receiving advice on the work at hand.

TV Presenting Camera Technique
Once in front of the cameras, a presenter needs a cool delivery technique. Presenting even the simplest piece is often a mixture of reading from an autocue, improvising on the spot, and reacting to the instructions delivered by the producer via an earpiece. The presenter is doing all this whilst giving the impression that he is talking quite naturally to the viewers in their sitting room. A tall order!

TV Presenting Tips
Presenters also have to be very good with people. Most presenting work involves interviewing people; often complete strangers. Davina makes people feel at ease and gets the answers needed for the programme whilst always looking involved. In addition there’s reading the autocue, listening to instructions from the producer and noting which camera is running, whilst looking calm, composed, and completely in control. A tall order!

What do I need to be a TV presenter?
Technique is something that will come with training and experience. The raw material and talent will already be there, so it will be a mixture of the three ‘P’s:

Passion
It’s no good being a presenter on Big Brother if you’re not passionate about people  and it’s no good being a news presenter if you’re not passionate about current affairs.

Personality
If you’re the sort of person who can walk into a room full of strangers and strike up a conversation within 60 seconds, then you’ve got the inquisitive, easy, confident personality required for presenting.

Presentation
This isn’t just looking good. It’s far more a case of how you project your personality. Are you able to take in information and process it quickly? Can you form and present an argument succinctly? Can you ad lib without being boring?

Before you get started
Television is highly competitive. But nowhere is the competition greater than in the field of television presenting. Everyone wants to do it because it appears so glamorous, rewarding, and interesting. So prepare yourself for some rivalry!

Getting started
There are no hard and fast rules to making your way into presenting but you need to give yourself as big a chance as possible by adding as many strings to your bow as you can, both practically and theoretically.

Practical strings
Get used to being in front of a camera, to communicating with it and with the public. Make a tape with that mate of yours who’s got a camera. Go to the local shopping centre to interview people about issues of the day. These tapes can be used as show reels to show potential employees.

Theoretical strings
Degrees aren’t strictly necessary, but if you want to get into the high end of television presenting – in news, sports, science, economics, politics – then you’re really going to need a degree in a related subject. For more information log onto www.ucas.com

If you are seeking employment Join Xcel now for free, Job information please fill in the Career Information form

The College Information service is your free, Study information service, helping you find out about study opportunities at colleges and universities