TV masterclass helps students see the light
EMMA CURRY
AFORMER graduate of Accrington and Rossendale College paid a visit to give a lighting masterclass to pupils.
Greg Anderson works at Dock 10 in MediaCity as the head electrician. He is responsible for the execution, and sometimes the design, of the lighting plan for productions.
He has worked on a range of shows including Mastermind, Match of the Day, The Voice, Eight out of 10 Cats and Blue Peter.
He visited the students to talk to them about lighting and the ins and outs of working in the media industry. Bosses at MediaCity donated four programmable lights that have appeared on shows over the years, and Greg showed the students how they work.
He said: “As a former student of Accrington and Rossendale College, I wanted to come back to where I first began to learn my trade and give something back.
“The education I received here provided me with the tools and skills I needed to excel at my job.
“An opportunity had arisen where four lights became available to donate and I know that the students here would put them to good use, so I couldn’t think of anywhere better to donate them to.”
Stephen Murphy, team leader of computing and media at Accrington and Rossendale College, said: “If you were to think of a job working with lights, this probably isn’t the first thing that would come to your mind. It likely wouldn’t even cross it.
“Greg gave the students an insight into how diverse and interesting it can be. Not only is it great to have someone who is so high up within the industry come in and deliver a masterclass to our students, but for that person to be a former stu- dent really was the icing on the cake. Greg was able to share his progres- sion path with our students and really connect with them.”