Huntington School Board members have approved a new college credit option for Huntington High School students enrolled in Advanced Video Production III. The new opportunity will be available for the first time during the 2019/20 school year.
Huntington School Board members have approved a new college credit option for Huntington High School students enrolled in Advanced Video Production III. The new opportunity will be available for the first time during the 2019/20 school year.
![Art teacher Heather Swan leads Huntington High School's video program.](../../../assets/images/2019/march/cameo_05b.jpg)
Art teacher Heather Swan leads Huntington High School's video program.
The district’s Subject Matter Council signed off on the course last November 6 and the Educational Development Committee gave its approval on January 23. Completion of Creative Video II is a prerequisite.
“Advanced Video Production III is a more in-depth examination of the video-making process,” according to a course description. “The class is geared toward students who are serious about honing their artistic vision through the moving image media. Students will continue to develop their skills in video art-making and find venues for their projects through festivals, on-line exhibition and site specific installation. Students will choose a videographer/filmmaker to study and create a presentation using their video-making skills.”
The district plans to partner with St. John’s University to allow the Huntington High School students who complete the course to receive three college credits if they choose to enroll in the St. John’s aligned class.
“At the conclusion of the course, there will be a distinguishable project for students who opt to enroll in the St. John’s course,” according to the proposal that was approved by trustees. “Students will complete a research assignment on a cinematographer. This research paper will focus on the life and work of a cinematographer of a student’s choosing, including films, techniques and contributions to the film industry.”
An MLA formatted paper of 1,200-1,500 words is required for those seeking college credit. An additional project for the college-credit seeking students is a presentation and demonstration to classmates of the specific new techniques used in their films.
“Students who are considering attending film school and weighing a possible career in the film and video industry will be exposed to higher-level, real-life professional demands, techniques, projects and experiences,” said Heather Swan, the Huntington art teacher who leads the high school’s video program.
About Heather Swan
Heather Swan has been a Huntington High School faculty member since September 2006.
She studied fine art at the University of Southern California and in London before graduating from Long Island University–C.W. Post College.
“My love of technology and the arts began as a freshman in college when I received my first computer with Photoshop installed on it,” she said. After receiving a master’s degree in communication arts from New York Institute of Technology, Mrs. Swan went to work as the creative director at a Manhattan-based web firm. She eventually found her way to the Vancouver Film School and later pursued a career in computer animation.
After several years in the graphics design and animation industry, a desire to teach stirred within Mrs. Swan. She earned a second master’s degree in art education at Hofstra University. “When a position as a computer arts teacher was presented to me, I was thrilled to be able to utilize all of my previous skills,” she said.