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Video class takes students behind the scenes

By Sandy Mouat
CORRESPONDENT

            Instead of restlessly counting the days until the end of the school year, the students of the Video Production class at Stanley Intermediate School are riveted to cameras and computer monitors.  They are creating projects that utilize all of their acquired abilities up to this time, accentuating their written and verbal language skills, and their varied knowledge of science, art, history, mathematics, and physics.
            The Lafayette Arts & Science Foundation recently awarded a grant for additional computers and editing software to support the existing Video Production class, where teachers Michael Merrick and Kris Rasmussen focus not only on developing the students’ technical skills, but also on their esthetic appreciation of the artistry and techniques used in video media production.
            The class is geared toward motivated and responsible students who learn how to generate and develop their own ideas and write scripts, plan shots, direct, shoot video, and edit on computers using professional quality software.  The crew learns to operate camcorders, lighting systems, video and audio mixers, dubbing decks and other types of equipment with precision and care.
            "This is the kind of learning experience they can’t get from texts, they have to get their hands on the equipment and try everything out for themselves," noted Merrick.
            The students produce informational videos for incoming sixth graders, with themes ranging from the experience of a day in the life of a sixth grader, to visual catalogues of the electives available.  It’s far more effective when a teacher can be seen and heard explaining an elective, than to read a description in a course book. 
            During a typical class, one group of students may work on student biographies, while others work on video yearbooks, combining personal interviews with spirited coverage of school events.  Still other students may work with single cameras and remote controls, creating stop motion video.  In order to show "movement", they go through the painstaking steps that result in a very effective few seconds of film of normally inanimate objects, seemingly coming to life and moving on their own.
            For Wildcat TV, students blend invention and originality with technology.  The budding journalists are filmed in front of a green screen, enabling the background to be changed to various themes, ranging from light clouds in a blue sky, to a foreboding jungle.  Segments of Wildcat TV reflect the originality of the students, from slapstick to political commentary.  One short segment was a parody of the show "Survivor", where the contestants had to endure eating a dreaded bologna sandwich!
            "I like this class because you can really use what you learn here later in high school.  Students in this class learn a lot, and now when I watch movies, I can point out things I wouldn’t have noticed before.  I definitely plan to do this kind of work in the future," said eighth grade student, Perry Cushing.
            Another class project involves filming the school plays.  Using four cameras, the action is filmed from four perspectives at once.  The student director communicates with the camera people via headsets, coordinating the shots and live editing from a control booth equipped with four monitors, sound mixers, and other necessary equipment.
            Seventh grader Libby Lefanowicz worked on directing the filming of the play, and is now working on another project, editing a Wildcat TV commercial for a three week Video Production course to be taught by Merrick this summer.  She also commented that she hopes to pursue this kind of work in her future career.
            All of the students echo this enthusiasm for the coursework, and for Merrick and Rasmussen, who have encouraged and motivated them to achieve success with skills that will prove invaluable one day when they enter the job market.    
            "The greatest pleasure that I will get from this class is in the future to see one of my students' names up on the big screen in the movie credits or getting an award for their talents,” commented Merrick.  “That is what teaching is all about, finding a desire in our students and nurturing it to the highest level possible."

06/01 Reprinted with permission. Visit the Contra Costa Times on the web at www.contracostatimes.com.

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