Students work their animal magic for the small screen

Key Productions director, John O’Hara, on camera and media production student Adam Sykes, 18, from Oldham (right) with the donkeys at Penny Farm in Blackpool.

A group of Media Production students from Hopwood Hall College have worked their animal magic by helping film a TV series that is airing this week.

The students, Sophie Barton, Rob Hodgetts, Leanne Kirkby, Adam Sykes and Anthony Lord, were given the opportunity of working with the Rochdale-based television production company, Key Productions, as part of their course and have earned extra credits for the project. They assisted in the filming at Penny Farm in Blackpool and their work can be seen in a number of episodes of Animal Sanctuary, a six part series that starts this week on the Horse and Country channel (Sky 280).

19 year old Sophie Barton, from Rochdale, really enjoyed the experience and said: “I was mainly performing the role of assistant camera. I found it really inspiring and helpful in my search for a career in television”.

Media lecturer Howard Holt, who arranged the work placements, explained: “Getting students into real work situations is an important part of our vocational course and I am very grateful to Key Productions for the variety of opportunities they have offered our students over the years”.

Key Productions producer, Trish O’Hara, added: “It was a pleasure to offer the placements to the students, who all worked extremely well as part of the crew. They communicated well with the presenter, sanctuary staff, the director and myself here at Key Productions. Hopwood Hall College media students are always of an exceptionally high standard and these students were a credit to the college”.