Harry Potter star at Staffs University

One of the stars of the blockbusting Harry Potter movies took part in a live interview with students at Staffordshire University’s television studio.

Matthew Lewis visited the campus in Beaconside, Stafford, on Tuesday (October 30) to be a live guest in a production by final year BSc Film Production Technology students.

The 18-year-old actor, who has played Neville Longbottom throughout the series of famous movies, joined presenter Tom Stansfield to talk about his life on set and as part of the films.

That Tom and Katy Thing has been produced by third year students studying the Advanced Studio Production module.

Matthew, who is about to begin filming the sixth film – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – in December, said he was delighted to work with the students.

He has appeared alongside the likes of Robbie Coltrane, Gary Oldman and Maggie Smith since starting out in the films as an 11-year-old.

“I’ve sat next to Alan Rickman in the canteen and then watched him transform himself for the camera,” he said.

“It’s fantastic to learn from actors who have such great ability.”

That Tom and Katy Thing is the second programme the students have made in the past two years and was streamed live on the internet.

Presenter Tom Stansfield has already written his own sitcom and is hoping to work in television.

“I love working live. It can be tense at times with four or five people screaming into your earpiece, but it’s very exciting,” he said.

Fiona Graham, senior lecturer and studio production module leader, said: "We try to encourage good working practices so each team member will have the academic and production skills ready to go straight into studio based programming in industry,” she said.

“Each student works across a range of technical and production roles including, cameras, live switching, lighting, sound, production and script and directing.”

The 15 minute production of live television was researched and produced from scratch over the past four weeks.
The studio was formally opened by Her Majesty the Queen in March 2006 and has since hosted a range of student and corporate productions. It is open to industry for hire and regularly produces a range of events.

To date various programmes have included actor and Time Team presenter Tony Robinson, Kim and Aggie, Chris Barrie and Danny John-Jules from the popular TV series Red Dwarf.