Ex-Ten’s production supervisor Nick Lovett to lead Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE’s Screen and Media course as program head

The next generation of television industry hopefuls are set to benefit from the Screen and Media courses on offer from NMIT (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE) thanks to their strong ties with the industry and the introduction of new program coordinator, Nick Lovett (left).

Lovett brings over 15 years television industry experience at Network Ten to the role, including four years as production supervisor of Ten’s Melbourne productions. He was also responsible for developing Ten’s Broadcast Traineeship, a program which provided training and opportunities for many former NMIT students.

Click here for further information on the Screen and Media courses.

Future student course enquiries or companies interested in production partnerships should contact the program coordinator, Nick Lovett via email here or on +61 3 92691745

As a career choice, the screen and media industry has always been a long and tough road – one that has become even more challenging in recent years. Emerging media platforms, increased costs of production, a crowded marketplace and fragmentation of audiences have all contributed to a very different landscape from a generation ago.

Nonetheless, local television production remains strong and thanks to a range of partnerships with the television industry, the students at NMIT have the advantage of gaining real industry experience and graduating with genuine screen credits to help launch their careers.

Says Lovett: “The current TV industry is represented by a broadened number of technical TV production roles, so NMIT is looking to provide extensive training with cutting-edge facilities. Whilst there is a major shift taking place in most media environments currently, there is still plenty of content being created locally, however it is being presented in a variety of different formats, largely based on the growth in internet usage and other more direct forms of marketing. NMIT is continuing to grow with the industry and we are striving to constantly upgrade and improve the facilities we make accessible to the students.

“For example, NMIT is one of the few institutions that have an EVS playback unit, but not all students are aware of the opportunities that this can create. The AFL football uses multiple EVS operators for each broadcast and there are several games being broadcast each week. That demand might not be immediately obvious to students. We’ve also got brilliant facilities like a full HD Studio with industry standard cameras and mixing consoles. We are also the only TAFE currently offering access to VIZrt Graphics systems, which is state of the art equipment in this field, all built around providing students with the best equipment and the best opportunities.”

The Screen and Media courses at NMIT are developed in close collaboration with the industry, consequently NMIT has a proven track record with graduates finding employment as camera operators, editors, directors, producers, floor managers, lighting assistants and as other technicians. Many of these opportunities stem from relationships developed with third party clients over the course of their studies, from sectors such as corporate video, government and TV broadcasting.

Says Lovett: “They start their journey with us – our Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma Screen and Media courses give students the time to develop their skills, work as part of a team, work under pressure and generally absorb as much as they can. I’m really looking forward to seeing the next generation of NMIT students in action wherever there is a production taking place.”