Mid-Hants Railway

During the first year of the Media Production course, one of the modules is 'video production: stories for clients'. For this module, students are required to construct a promotional documentary for the client, Mid-Hants Railway, in groups. The client requested several work packages for the students to complete; the work packages are essentially documentary topics about The Watercress Line (e.g. driving and firing a steam locomotive). One of the most exciting parts of this project is that the best documentaries submitted have the potential to actually be put on the Mid-Hants Railway YouTube Channel.

For my project, my group and I had to create a documentary about the James Nightall train. Our project was more about promoting the history associated with the trainline which gave me more creative freedom in creating a documentary centred around storytelling.

The Watercress Line

The Watercress Line initially opened in 1865 and was designed to run through agricultural areas, providing a way between Southampton and London. It was utilised particularly in the world wars and, as a result, is now a National Heritage Railway that has been rebuilt and run by volunteers.

Production - filming in Ropley

When it came to making the documentaries, we were given a specific filming day to be taken to The Watercress Line station in Ropley where we would film everything needed for our documentaries. We got to use a range of equipment that we’d been trained on in class which was great as it meant I could finally put my skills to use. One fun aspect of the day was being able to see the education room and, as shown in the photo below, we were able to see all the educational resources, including the costumes.

The day mainly consisted of interviewing volunteers about their topic and filming the station and trains. For many of us, this was the first real-life experience we had with dealing with external clients, which was somewhat nerve-wracking. However, it allowed the idea of communicating with clients on a professional level but in a lower-stress environment since the students can work as a group to produce their documentaries. The students are required to maintain contact with the client to get feedback which not only strengthens their communication skills but also allows for better products to be made. All the volunteers were nice and cooperated willingly, thus leading to a more positive experience.

This project is one of the many examples of how the Media Production course is set up to help students gain essential skills for their careers in a way that benefits both the university and local organisations. Furthermore, the was overwhelmingly positive feedback from students about this module regarding the benefits of working with clients and being able to learn about a train line with such a rich history! I personally had a lot of fun with the creative freedom of the project and learnt invaluable skills in project management.

By Bethany Harrison