The NBC network welcomed 18 MoorparkCollege students to their Burbank studioon March 20 to connect with professionalsin the film and TV industry.

Moorpark College Professor Ferenc Gutai took advanced students from his RT M03B “Television Directing and Editing” class in for a closer look at a working studio.These students are aiming to go into film and TV after college. The class enjoyedspecial access to behind-the-scenes happenings and production facilities.

Gutai’s students toured pre- and post-production rooms, and walked through the transmission room, which sends video and TV feeds out to satellites for broadcast.The group also saw the Access Hollywood stage and met Jay Leno. Finally, they visited a “hot shoot” for the soap opera Days of Our Lives. This was a rare event in which the visitors were allowed to remain on the set while the production crew actually recorded the episode.

The RT M03B class helps students refine their skills through focused, independent projects and field trips to industry facilities. Throughout the semester each student chooses a project to put on his or her “reel,” the film equivalent of a portfolio. Students can produce almost anything- projects range from commercials to documentaries. The film department hopes to introduce a film festival as early as Spring of 2007 or 2008 to showcase the RT M03B students’ projects.

“These students have a lot of experience by the time they get to RT3B. It is the bridge class [between college and an industry job],” says Professor Gutai. “The purpose is to get students out with a resume and a reel of completed film work.”

Gutai will take his class to Panavision studios for their next field trip.