A heavy investment has been put into the new Video Studio  Productions class that will appeal to people who are interested in technology and who want to learn how to use different tools for media.  Approximately $250,000 has been spent for the new equipment, which includes studio package cameras, an intercom system, microphones, a complete control room with sound mixers, switchers and a character generator.

The class will be part of the journalism suite in the new wing of the high school and will start in the September. Students can sign up for the class when they register for next year.

According to broadcast teacher Christine Stricker, many different types of people might be interested in the new class.

“People who like creating music, interested in television, and interested in the behind the scenes work of productions will fit in this new class and will be able to advance their knowledge in these areas,” Stricker said.

Before the class starts, ROSCOR, the company in charge of providing all the different equipment for the new video studio productions class, is offering workshops for Stricker and some interested students.  These workshops will be running over the summer and will teach participants how to use the equipment that was recently bought.

“I’m hoping to get a lot of the technology done in the beginning,” Stricker said, “so that the class is ready to begin in the next school year.”

Stricker has several goals that she wishes to be accomplished to make the class as successful as it can be and to include a variety of new productions.

“I want to keep the broadcast students separate from students focused on the production side,” Stricker said, “so there will be more products from the class.  I’m also hoping that the new studio will be used for other productions besides GNN so we can use the new technology for what it’s worth.”

GNN, the Greyhounds News Network, is the current broadcast news class that creates a video of news about CHS and displays it on Fridays during third period.  This class will continue but will also have some new facilities in the new wing, including six new sound-proof editing bays for doing voiceovers for stories. Stricker hopes that the new studio and class will produce more than just videos for GNN.

Stricker’s last wish is to make sure that the money being spent for the new video productions class will be worth the price for the new productions that will be made.

“We’re spending all this money,” Stricker said, “so it would be great if a more multipurpose production with ideas relating to the community could also be made, in addition to the journalism productions.”

Nancy Freeman, chairperson for the Career and Technical Education department , shares Stricker’s enthusiasm for the new class and the new studio.

“I think the new studio will bring a whole new level of professionalism to the broadcast journalism program at the high school and will offer students an opportunity to learn in a state-of-the-art facility,” Freeman said.
Freeman said she was excited about the possibilities the video studio productions class offered to the entire journalism program.

“I know the Globe editors are in the midst of rethinking how to get the news out in a variety of ways for today’s audience, with more emphasis on multimedia and online aspects.,” Freeman said.  “This studio should offer all kinds of ways to make that even more exciting and professional.”

Freeman hopes students who have been involved in the technical aspects of running the theater or creating electronic music might give this class a chance.
“We certainly believe that any students who are interested in the technical aspects of media production will find this video studio productions class a good fit,” Freeman  said.