BDTV

Trial by fire for Bishop Diego’s video production department.

By Margaret Ford

South Coast Beacon InternTechnology and the media today surround everyone. Our lives are scheduled around TV shows, news broadcasts and movies. But what really goes on behind the scenes? Many high school teenagers don’t quite understand the amount of work put into what they watch. The perception is that all it takes is “Lights…Camera…Action!”

Many high schools provide classes that teach the different aspects of video production. One high school in particular takes a hands-on approach. Bishop Garcia Diego’s Digital Art and Video Production department aims to create and environment that closely resembles a working broadcast room.

“The students are given the opportunity to work with near cutting-edge digital technology and are assigned various jobs weekly,” said Joe Rieken, head of the Video Production department. He refers to himself as facilitator and moderator.

The course is designed to familiarize students with all aspects of video production, ranging from creation and implementation to editing and supplementation. Various advanced software programs, such as Adobe Premier and Photoshop, are used to capture and edit clips. These clips are gathered by each student and creatively arranged to be shown on the school video segment or as part of a larger project. The students are required to do many individual videos. Currently, the course is making a video modeled after the award winning recruitment video for the University of Notre Dame.

In addition, each student receives a turn as production director, anchor, and sound engineer, assembling credits, camera director and writer. The class collaborates each day during a 55-minute period to bring to the school a news program it calls Bishop Diego Television (BDTV). As student Kristi Kohler explained, “Until you’re actually doing what they’re doing: making deadlines, trying to cooperate with everyone else, and continually stressing out over never being finished in time, you never really understand how hard it is. I have a whole new respect for the people in news broadcasting because I know they are in a fast-paced environment that is in charge of informing millions of people about the world around them.”

During the third period of the day, each class throughout the school turns on television sets to watch classmates give them daily school and sports news as well as local, national and global news updates.

BDTV “keeps the school informed on what’s going on,’’ said student Ellen O’Connell.

“It’s nice to see my classmates in a simulation of a fun job that really shows who they are,” Shannon Corcoran said.

Through programs such as this, teenagers are actively informing themselves about the world around them. They receive real world experience while still in the classroom. The nuances of media production and technology prepare them for careers in many fields. They also learn that TV and life are more than just the touch of a button.