It’s not every day that Year 13 Media students get the opportunity to work on a real life production to be used county-wide, but this was the case at Ratcliffe College when Head of Department, Charlotte Gregory, was approached by an officer from the City Licensing Unit at Leicestershire Police.
PC TJ Mavani recruited four students to work on a five minute documentary detailing the good work of city police officers, particularly in dealing with the night-time economy. Georgina Kerridge, Jay Thobhani, Daniel Delargy and Alexander Gardner had all completed the AS level in Media Studies, working individually, but came together to tackle this project, as part of their A2 level coursework, because they were inspired by both the topic and prospect of exciting real life shoots.
The production was targeted at students of Year 9 age and above and primarily looked at the work of the police on a typical Saturday night out in Leicester. It also featured other key events, such as the Summer Sundae music festival and the Safe and Sound initiative, organised by Leicestershire Police and other city agencies to reassure us all about how our community is cared for.
The students went through several gruelling shoots, as they followed the police documenting their work. An evening shoot would typically start with a police briefing at 8pm, and then students would accompany police with their HD cameras to give us an insight into the way in which officers maintain a positive atmosphere on our streets. Georgina Kerridge commented ‘It was a great experience and made us realise the extent of the work the police undertake. The making of this production will be an excellent foundation for my future career.’
The production will be used to make others aware of the varied work of police officers in the city. PC Mavani said: “It was a pleasure to work with the students who were very professional and enthusiastic. I think the film is excellent and gives an insight into some of the challenges faced by the police, and other agencies in the city, from the night-time economy and annual events such as the Summer Sundae music festival. It also shows some of the measures we use to keep the city safe, such as drug detection machines and knife arches. We will certainly use the footage to raise awareness of the good work carried out by the police and other agencies in Leicester.”
Gareth Lloyd, Headmaster, commented ‘I am exceptionally proud of our Year 13 Media Studies students. They have produced a superb video, promoting a much needed message: that the Police and authorities of our vibrant city of Leicester do genuinely care for our citizens. A film for young people, by young people, showing through education the positives of life – fantastic!’
This really is a landmark production in the history of Ratcliffe College Media department and hearty congratulations go to Georgina, Daniel, Alexander and Jay; they really are our directors and producers of the future!
Charlotte Gregory, Head of Media Studies