Start with the live work you already do
Before comparing any course, write down the last three live hits you were involved in, or the ones you expect to do soon. Note who was on location, who was in the gallery or at the desk, and where it went wrong or felt close to going wrong. Most people find the same two or three weak points repeating: a late cue, a shaky first thirty seconds, a script that ran out before the picture did.
That list becomes your yardstick. Live coverage training is only worth the fee if it speaks to the problems you actually have, not the ones a syllabus assumes. When you read a course description, hold it against your notes and ask whether the sessions would have changed any of those moments.
Be honest about how often you go live. A reporter who does one live two-way a month needs different practice from someone filing several a week. Both are welcome in our groups, but the right starting point differs, and saying so in your enquiry helps us place you sensibly.
- List your last three live moments and what went wrong
- Note who was in your crew and who was at the other end
- Say how often you go live in a typical month
Check the size and shape of your crew
Our live coverage course is built around a small crew: a reporter, a camera operator and perhaps one person handling cueing and filing. If you usually work that way, the exercises will feel familiar. If you work alone, you will still learn the planning and cueing habits, but you should expect to play more than one role during the practical sessions.
Think about whether you will train alone or bring a colleague. Learning with the person you actually go live with changes the result, because cueing is a conversation between two people and it improves fastest when both are in the room. If a colleague cannot attend, tell us who you normally work with so the exercises can mirror that relationship.
It is also worth asking what the course assumes about the people at the receiving end. A live hit depends on a producer or presenter who may never have met you. Planning how you communicate with them is part of the work, and you should check that any course you consider covers it.
- Decide whether to train with a regular colleague
- Say whether you normally work alone or in a pair
- Ask how the course handles the studio or desk side
Ask what the course covers from plan to file
A useful live coverage course follows the whole chain: choosing a position, checking the signal and sound, agreeing cues, delivering the piece and filing afterwards. Ask whether each step is practised, not just described. Sitting through a talk on cueing is quite different from running three cue sequences back to back and being corrected on each.
Look for a clear account of what you will do with your hands. On our course Priya, as tutor, sets short live scenarios that you plan, rehearse and deliver, then review. The review matters as much as the delivery, because it is where timing slips and unclear signals become visible.
Equally, check what is left out. Live coverage training does not replace instruction in camera technique or on-camera delivery, which have their own courses. If you feel unsure about framing or composure on camera, those may be the better first step, and it is fine to take them before this one.
- Confirm every stage from planning to filing is practised
- Ask how much of the day is exercises and how much is talk
- Check whether camera and delivery skills are taught elsewhere
Think about pressure and how you handle it
Live work exposes habits that recorded work hides. If you tend to speed up when a cue is late, or to freeze when the earpiece goes quiet, you want a course that lets you meet those moments in a safe setting. Ask whether the exercises include things going slightly wrong, such as a delayed cue or a shortened slot, and whether you are coached through them.
Equally, consider how you learn. Some people improve by repetition, others by watching a colleague and then trying. A small group suits both, since you get turns at the work and time to observe. Ask how many people share each session and how the turns are divided.
Mid autumn is a good time to think about this. Shorter days and changeable weather mean location work gets harder, and reporters who practise handling a delay or a dropped signal now tend to walk into winter coverage more settled. Weigh that against your own calendar before you decide when to start.
- Ask whether exercises include late or changed cues
- Check how many people share each session
- Consider the season you will be working in next
Practical questions about time, cost and fit
Finally, the ordinary questions. How long is the course and does it fit around your shifts? What does the fee cover and what would change it? Our prices page sets these out, and the route to booking is an enquiry through the contact page, followed by a written quotation or confirmation and an invoice paid by bank transfer. Nothing is bought on the site itself.
Ask about the cancellation position too, and read the payment and refund policy before you commit, so there are no surprises. If your employer is paying, check what paperwork they need and tell us early so the quotation arrives in the form they want.
If you have worked through this list and still feel unsure, write to us with your notes. Tom Whitaker looks after enquiries and can tell you plainly whether a place on this course suits your situation or whether another course would serve you better.
- Check the course length against your shift pattern
- Read what the fee includes before you enquire
- Read the payment and refund policy first
Deciding on live coverage training comes down to a handful of honest answers: what goes wrong in your live work now, who you work with, what the course actually practises, how you cope under pressure and whether the time and cost fit. If most of your answers point the same way, send us an enquiry through the contact page with your notes and we will reply plainly about whether the course suits you.