Questions and answers
Straight answers about our courses, who they suit, what to bring and how enquiries, payment and cancellations work, so you can decide before you get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
These are the questions trainees and employers ask us most often. If yours is not covered here, send it through the contact page and we will answer it directly.
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Do I need broadcast experience before I enrol?
No. Our groups include journalism students, people changing career and working reporters who want to sharpen a particular skill. We ask what you have done so far in the first conversation, so that your tutor can pitch the exercises at the right level and nobody is left behind or held back.
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Who teaches the courses?
Helen Fairbrother leads on-camera reporting and live coverage, Marcus Whitlock teaches field camera technique, and Priya Nair covers editing and workflow. All three worked in television newsrooms before teaching, so sessions draw on real deadlines, real kit and the mistakes that actually happen on location.
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How big are the classroom groups?
We keep groups small on purpose, so every trainee gets time on camera and time behind it, with feedback from the tutor after each exercise. Exact group sizes depend on the course and the date, and we will confirm them in writing when we send your quotation.
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Do I need to bring my own camera or equipment?
Not for the classroom and studio sessions, where we provide the equipment used in the exercises. If you already own a camera or a microphone and want to learn on it, tell us when you enquire and we will say whether it suits the course you have in mind.
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Can I train as a reporter and as a camera operator?
Yes. Many newsrooms now expect reporters to shoot and operators to understand the story, so you can combine field camera work with on-camera reporting. We will talk through which sessions fit your goals and put together a sensible order for them.
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How do I book and pay?
You send an enquiry through the contact page. We reply with a written quotation or confirmation, and once you accept it we issue an invoice, which you pay by bank transfer. Nothing is bought on the website itself, and no card details are ever requested here.
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What happens if I need to cancel or change a date?
Tell us as early as you can by email or phone. Cancellations and any refund follow our payment and refund policy, which sets out what applies at each stage. If your plans shift, we will always try to find you a place on another date first.
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Can you help me put together a showreel for job applications?
Yes. Professional portfolio coaching is one-to-one: we look at your existing footage, choose what belongs in a showreel, shape a reporter portfolio and go through how to approach applications for broadcast roles. Bring whatever you have, even if it feels rough.
Get in touch
- Phone
- 01392 574186
- By email
- hello@obychnyfy.com
