Comedian Sharyn Hayden's Experience of TV Presentation with Bill Hughes (Week 10/10)
Monday, July 15th, 2013 at 3:13 pm | Uncategorized
I. Am. Devastated. Monday nights at the Gaiety School of Acting are no more, now that the TV Presenting course with Bill Hughes is over. I have waited a full two weeks to write this final blog, as I thought I’d feel differently about it, more healed shall we say, with the passing of time. But alas, my emotional development remains akin to that of a sixteen year old, and I am as traumatised with the course being over as if I’ve just said goodbye to my new best friends from Irish College for the summer.
I’ve taken to wearing only black (clothes and lipliner) and listening to Tori Amos albums on repeat in my room for hours, pouring listlessly over the presenting tips handouts that we received in class. When Tori’s piano-writhing angst gets to be too much for even me, I turn to studying presenters who I really like on TV – Chelsea Handler, Kirsty Allsopp, Keith Lemon (yes, really!) – trying to emulate them, repeating their opening pieces to camera into my teeny tiny powder compact mirror. I conduct my every day tasks as a famous presenter might, delivering amazing insights into the imaginary camera in front of me. ‘Sharyn Hayden presenting live from Boots, where one could be forgiven for thinking one only needed one item, but subsequently spent fifty euro. Clever in-store marketing on the pharmacies report, or did I really need five new toothbrushes for my family of three? You decide – watch this report’.
Ass Monkey has had enough, calling to me from the bottom of the stairs; ‘Come on now, dinner is on the table. It was only a course, for gods sake. Chin up!’
‘What do you know about autocue!!’ I yell as I punch the mattress with my fist and burying my perfectly made up face into the pillow (you never know when you might be called to be on camera). ‘You wouldn’t understand, you weren’t there!!’.
And that’s the truth: unless you get to the Gaiety School of Acting, and experience this TV Presenting course for yourself, you’ll never know why I enjoyed it and now miss it so much. Our class was a pretty amazing bunch – we’ve formed the ‘Wannabee Presenters Support Group’ and are keeping each other updated on any production companies or TV stations who are looking for presenters, which is great. From Ginger John to Stationary Shauna, I loved meeting them all.
The course has inspired a great confidence in me that was lacking before. The Nerves Warrior of the first few weeks was completely annihilated by the end of the course, and I jumped up at every opportunity to get in front of the camera. I feel as though I could happily go on to a professional shoot and have every tool necessary to do a great job. Many thanks to Bill, Anne and Bernadine from Mind The Gap Films, and the Gaiety School of Acting for an amazing experience.
And NOW Ryan Tubridy can pass on the nerdy jumper. I am ready.
*For more information on the Gaiety School of Acting courses, please see here: https://gaietyschool.com/courses
*For Mind The Gap Films, please see here: http://www.mindthegapfilms.com