Trainee project: TV program on mobility

"No way!" shouted the media designer trainee from Berlin. "The whole report's gone!" She and other trainees had spent days working on a piece called "Blind und Mobil" ("Blind and Mobile") but the computer had somehow deleted it. The trainees couldn’t retrieve it, which meant they'd have to re-edit and re-work all the material they'd been working with.

The TV workshop "Calypso – von der Idee bis zur Fertigung" ("Calypso – from the concept to the finished program") had beem a mix of highs and lows. Project data had disappeared, some of the lighting had broken down and shooting permits hadn't come through. It was frustrating but it wasn't hopeless, said DW Akademie trainer Ulrike Bratke consoling the trainees. She said it was simply part of a journalist's regular workday.

It started with an idea

"Mobility" was the focus of the program. After all, DW's international trainees are used to being on the road in various countries, and given that Germany is teeming with commuters, research would be easy. It seems everyone has to be mobile and flexible these days, and the trainees soon discovered that mobility has many different aspects.

During their first editorial conference trainees discussed the ups and downs and decided on five topics: problems encountered by today's working nomads, ways to combat the noise coming from trains that are supposed to be environmentally-friendly, challenges facing the blind, bike lessons for women, and why longboarding is becoming so popular.

TV trainer Bratke stressed that everything had to be on the storyboard before they could start filming. The trainees mumbled that they’d figure it out when they got there. No, countered Bratke, there was no way around it. If they had a clear concept before heading out, the whole production would be safer, more relaxed and focused.

The result was a great TV program

The journalism trainees teamed up with technically-astute media designer trainees. In five teams - each loaded with heavy cameras, sound recorders and a jumble of cables – they spent an intensive day in Cologne, Bonn and the city of Bad Hönningen filming and doing interviews. That, though, was only one part.

It was followed by several days of post-production where the teams stayed late, editing and adding sound. Flexibility was once again needed, and the young journalists and media designers helped each other out despite having their hands full. There were tears of frustration, but even the report "Blind and Mobile" came in on time, despite the computer crash.

Well, one more shock was in store just as they were wrapping up the program. Two presenters had originally been planned for the show, but one fell ill. That meant the other presenter had to quickly take on both roles, but the media designers found a solution to film the remaining intros in various locations.

And then everyone gave a huge sigh of relief. After 10 intensive days, they'd finished the new 20-minute TV program "Unterwegs – Das Magazin zur Mobilität" ("On the road – a program on mobility") and the young journalism trainees and media designers had become good friends.


The TV workshop "Calypso – von der Idee bis zur Fertigung" is one of the many hands-on seminars that are part of DW's 18-month journalism traineeship. The 10 day workshop is held towards the end of the training and gives participants a more in-depth look at TV skills required for working under real-life conditions. The young journalists work together with trainees from the media design program.