A new video broadcasting course at Huntington High School has been approved by the Huntington School Board.
If there is enough student interest and funding in the budget is available, the course will be offered during the 2021/22 school year.
“During Video Broadcasting students will write, film and produce news stories highlighting events on campus, around the district and in our community,” states the course description. “They will learn how to produce live broadcasts as they rotate through various positions in and around the control room and studio They will research topics, write scripts and screenplays and direct, produce and film projects.”
The course proposal was approved earlier by the Subject Matter Council and the Educational Development Committee. Trustees voted unanimously to give it final approval earlier this summer.
“Students will use Adobe Premiere Pro video broadcasting editing software,” according to the course description. “They will gain hands-on, real-life experiences serving as a floor manager, camera operator, news anchor, shader, graphics operator, sound engineer, teleprompter operator and video switcher as they produce the Huntington High School news channel, which will be broadcast regularly.”
The new course will be open to students enrolled in grade 10-12 who have previously completed Video 1. A total of four production projects will be required and evaluated each marking period.
“Students will propose news stories (packages), write a script, create a shot list and timeline for each news story, film each story with proper footage (including interviews and B-roll, which is supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot) and edit and export their news stories during class using Adobe Premiere Pro,” states the course description.
Assistant Superintendent Beth McCoy said that Huntington High School’s film program has a long established history of individual student achievements in festivals and competitions. “Offering the Video Broadcasting class will allow access to video courses for more students who may have an interest in journalism, broadcasting and/or technical positions in a studio and control room,” she added.
District officials researched existing video broadcasting course offerings across Long Island and Mrs. McCoy said they found evidence of:
- Greater bonds between the school and community have been formed
- Deeper knowledge and interest in school events among the student population has been cultivated
- Students enjoy the experience to work collaboratively in producing a professional-level newscast
“These opportunities have also helped students to pursue their career paths in meaningful ways,” Mrs. McCoy said. “Students taking Video Broadcasting will not only have the opportunity to showcase their work within Huntington UFSD and the community, but will become part of a larger student video broadcasting family and enter their work in an annual competition at Stony Brook University.”
District officials estimate curriculum writing expenses of $660 and equipment costs of about $17,700, with the potential of grant funding. Expenses for student workshops and competitions, etc. are estimated to run about $5,000 annually.
While no new textbooks are required there will be needed upgrades to hardware and software programs along with broadcasting cameras and lighting and soundboard equipment and computer editing programs.