Postgrad film course offers chance to experience Waterford Gaeltacht
Budding film makers still have the chance to make their mark with a Waterford-based postgraduate programme accepting applications for a start this autumn.
Applications for this year’s Ard Diploma i Léiriú Teilifíse / Higher Diploma in Television Production at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) are still open.
Run in association with Nemeton TV, one Ireland's leading production companies, and Údarás na Gaeltachta, the course is based in Nemeton itself in Waterford’s Gaeltacht, An Rinn, with one day a week in WIT in Waterford city.
As one of the most highly regarded filmmaking postgraduate courses in the country students continue to make their mark with the national broadcaster, as to date over 40 films from the course have been broadcast. Films produced on the course have gone on to win Best Irish Language documentary at the National Student Media Awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
"One of the main attractions of the course is, that as a consequence of the quality of teaching, the students go on to immediately attain jobs in the industry in some of the most successful TV production companies in the country and abroad. Former students produce work for TG4, BBC, RTÉ with companies such as Nemeton TV, Tyrone Productions, Independent Pictures and Fleadh TV,” says course director Moira Sweeney
While Irish language proficiency is required, Leaving Cert Irish level is adequate. "The course attracts a wide range of students with differing levels of Irish. There are always students from the Gaelteacht with native Irish, but there are also those with Leaving Cert Irish who find that their competence improves dramatically with practice over the year. We also offer Irish language courses for all students who might need to brush up their Gaeilge,” she explains.
The Higher Diploma teaches production and camera work, editing and scripting skills as Gaeilge and the varied nature of the course ensures graduates are very well equipped to enter the Irish television industry in a number of positions.
The course is taught by lecturers from WIT and top industry specialists with many years experience in television production in Ireland and the UK. On completion of the course, the students therefore have excellent practical and theoretical competence in television, whether as directors, editors, camera operators, producers or production managers.
Aisling Ní Fhlaithearta, who hails from the Aran Islands originally, says she has gained work as a series producer thanks to her qualification. "I am a former student and now working full time in the industry, this is purely thanks to this higher diploma course and the opportunities Nemeton TV has given me. What I loved most about the course was that it was entirely hands on and practical. I came in with no experience only a hunger to learn and be creative. We became a small family due to the class size, all the while working very hard to create great content. I was lucky to have produced and co-edited one of the programmes that was chosen by TG4 to make into an hour long feature after the course finished, we won a SMEDIA award that year and the documentary continues to air frequently on TG4. I would recommend this course to anyone who has a passion for creativity in any shape or form, whether it's art, music, science etc, anything. So many say they could never do it, all they need is to understand it, it only takes cop on and some hard work, but is guaranteed to be thoroughly enjoyed.”
