A talk titled “Working Freelance on Television” took place at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), and was organized by the Faculty of Communication Studies, Department of Radio-TV and Film Studies. The talk was given by Halit Ziya Demirtaş who has been working in Turkish television for 30 years. The event which took place at the FCMS Purple Hall was attended by a large number of people.
The opening speech of the talk was given by Chair of the Department of Radio-TV and Film, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahire Efe Özad who thanked the attendees for their involvement and wished everyone a productive talk. Underlining the importance of the faculty and sector coming together, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özad stated that such organizations will continue in the future.
Demirtaş who is the creator of successful television series such as Manşet”, “Zamanda Yolculuk”, “ve Zaman Durdu”, “Hey Taksi” and “İki Kuşak Bir Mutfak” provided students with information about Freelance work stating that he started such work on Yeşilçam and has been carrying it out in the 30 years that have passed since then.
Demirtaş spoke about the difficulties he faced when starting his career, the firsts he lived in the business and the paths he followed. During the speech he stated “Specialize, so that you stand out and don’t become ordinary. Be knowledgeable about a topic and trust your knowledge”. Demirtaş also advised students to decide what they want to do upon the completion of their education and to add experiences onto the knowledge picked up at the university.
Providing examples from work during his 30 year career Demirtaş went on to answer audience questions. The talk ended with a group photo after Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özad and Vice Chair of the Department of Radio-TV and Film Studies Ahmet Goran handed Demirtaş a gift and plaque of appreciation.