A training hub in Reading, founded in 2012, for reporters and camera operators working in television journalism. Here is how we teach and why.
zaflyra opened in Reading in 2012 with a simple idea: reporters and camera operators learn fastest by doing the job with someone experienced watching. Fourteen years on, that is still how every session is run, in small classroom groups with practical exercises.
Television news is learned largely on the job, and that leaves gaps. A new camera operator may never be shown why an exposure choice matters, and a reporter may never be coached on a piece to camera. We started zaflyra to give people a place to practise those skills properly, with tutors who have done the work and can explain what they see on playback.
Each course begins with a short explanation and then moves quickly to exercises. Operators shoot, check their pictures and sound, and shoot again. Reporters script, deliver and review their recordings. Tutors give specific notes rather than general praise, so you know exactly what to change and can try it straight away while the lesson is fresh.
Small groups mean everyone handles the equipment and everyone is heard. A tutor can stand next to you while you frame a shot or hear your delivery and respond to it. That attention is hard to find in a larger room, and it is the main reason we keep numbers low even when it would be easier to add seats.
Today the courses cover field camera technique, on-camera reporting, live coverage, classroom workshops on story structure and interviewing, and joint days for reporters and operators. A small team of tutors and a course coordinator look after the teaching and the timetable, so learners always know who to ask.
Good television work is built from small decisions: where to stand, how to hold the frame, when to breathe before a line. We teach those decisions one at a time and give you time to repeat them until they hold.
Pictures, sound and scripts should make a story easier to follow. We encourage plain wording, clean framing and clear planning, and tutors explain their feedback so you understand the reason behind each note.
Viewers rely on reporters and crews to be accurate and careful. We practise checking facts, agreeing roles before a shoot and owning mistakes, and we are equally straightforward with learners about terms, fees and what a course covers.
People often ask what to expect before they enquire. Our sessions are practical, paced for beginners and working professionals alike, and organised so that you spend most of your time making something rather than listening.
Sessions are built around exercises. A camera group might spend the morning on handheld stability and the afternoon on capturing clean audio in a noisy setting. A reporting group might script a short piece, record it, watch it back and try again. The tutor explains a point, shows it once and then steps back so you can try it yourself.
Television news is a team activity, so some of our time is spent on how reporters and operators work with one another. On pairing days you agree a plan, split the tasks, shoot the story and take it through an edit. Seeing the other person's constraints tends to improve the way you brief, frame and speak.
Tom Whitaker, our course coordinator, handles timetables, enquiries and learner support, so practical questions get a quick, plain answer. Before a session you will know where to be, what to bring and who is teaching. Afterwards, tutors are glad to point you towards the next sensible step in your practice.
“I had been shooting for a regional newsroom for a while without anyone really reviewing my framing. Going through my shots one by one with the instructor changed how I hold the camera and think about audio. I still use his checklist before every shoot.”
“I was nervous about speaking to camera and tended to rush. The coaching was calm and specific. Watching my recordings back with a tutor made the problems obvious, and I came away with a routine for settling myself before a take.”
“The live coverage session was the first time I had planned cues and timings with a small crew from start to finish. It was practical, a bit pressured in a useful way, and I felt much clearer about my role afterwards.”
“We attended a pairing day together and it was a good reset. Planning the story side by side, then shooting and editing it, showed us where our briefings had been vague. Our later shoots ran more smoothly.”
Write to us through the contact page about your role and what you would like to improve, and we will suggest a course and explain how the quotation and invoice work.