We were back to being up and at it in the morning, and we met at 9:15 a.m. in business casual for an hour-long ride to Manchester to get to Salford University and BBC. When we arrived, the space was so cool. I didn’t realize they were in the same little complex of businesses. They even had a name for it, it was called Media City because it had BBC, iTV, software studios, recording studios, Salford University, and a bunch of restaurants with outside space to create a perfect networking hive. Show’s like Doctor Who and local talent production shows are filmed here too. Celebrities often come around here because it is such a useful space and because BBC Radio/TV always have fun guests. Prior to this, the space used to be a junkyard. What they did with the space just made so much sense and was so cute.
The University had such a fun feel to it. It felt more like an office building than a school. I liked it a lot, and you could tell what students were working on was good for their experience. You could also tell they were a very inclusive school because they had gender neutral bathrooms, which we love to see. The tour guide really believes in the saying “a room is only what your creativity makes it,” and I thought that was really cool because then, she would tell us all the stuff their studios were used for like, virtual reality, opera performances, video game demonstrations, basically anything is done in them at this school.
We got to check out their studios, and they have actually won an award for how nice their wire setup is. Their studios are so nice many big-name companies ask if they can rent it out, and since schools are paid through the government here, they allow them to use the space as long as students can take hand or job shadow with the project(s). The control room was insane; it felt like you could control all the studios from one room.
Then, we got to check out the MakerSpace, where they create all their props. They make their digital creations into physical creations. Then our tour guide presented her finding on virtual reality; where it is going in technology, and how it could affect our everyday lives. She believes it is the future of cinema, and the more senses they plan to incorporate that will make the stories feel more real. Then, James came in to talk to us, who works with a BBC children’s show called Blue Peter. He had started with an entry level job, getting everyone’s coffee, and made his way up. He started with BBC Sports, even though his original degree was in French Studies. It was good to know that, even if you just get your foot in the door there is always room to grow.
We broke off for a lunch break and went to Nando’s, and then soaked up the sun in the little park within Media City. Then, we met up at BBC, where we had two tour guides to show us around their studios. We found out everything BBC had there, they rent; from the building to all their set equipment. I thought that was pretty interesting, but it makes sense. You just wouldn’t think a company that big would rent their stuff, but it makes you appreciate them more in a way. Since their studio is rented though they use a special paint to hand paint their floors, and use tin foil to cover up their wires, so they follow life hacks just as much as us down there, which was fun to see.
After our tours, we hopped back on the bus and headed to our hotel in Manchester, and grabbed dinner. Then, it was a pretty chilled out night because I just stayed in to call my friend for a few hours, and then just went to bed because we have an early flight in the morning.