Lights, camera, action!
Students share the news of the week on the new Fort Plain Network
New this school year, students in the high school’s Multi-Media Production class have been honing their skills while reporting and sharing school news and happenings in a weekly broadcast on the in-house Fort Plain Network (FPN).
“The idea for these broadcasts has been a couple of years in the works,” said teacher and Educational Technology Specialist Rachel Heroth. “Last year we offered a Video Production class that the students really enjoyed. The Multi-Media class, which is new this school year, and the FPN project have expanded on that. They include so many hands-on and authentic ways for the students to learn new skills, to try new things and be creative. It is also a good way to serve our school community.”
Gimme a beat!
Many of this year’s FPN news team caught the news “bug” early on while producing the sixth grade Hilltopper Herald school newspaper with Harry Hoag teacher Matt Heiser. Trying their hand at broadcast news was a logical next step.
Though members of the school news team say it can be a challenge to be “camera ready” so early in the morning (class is the first period of each school day) and meeting weekly deadlines takes dedicated effort and organization (often free periods and evenings, too!), all say they are enjoying the FPN experience and positive feedback their efforts have received.
Broadcasts are planned, written and produced each week by the students in the Multi-Media Production class. And while students are gravitating to roles they most enjoy, they are also given regular opportunities to try new parts of the production and develop skills with these, too.
“This is about student learning, so I really try to keep the entire production in their hands,” said Heroth.
Junior Jordan Brown, who along with sophomore Emma Cook research and write each week’s script, chose this class to fill an elective requirement but is finding the experience fun and satisfying.
“I like writing and English is one of my favorite classes. I took a turn as anchor one week, but like writing the script most,” Brown said. “I like the creative aspect of putting together the news because every video is different, but there is still a sameness to what we do each week.”
On-camera personalities Sean Gutermuth, Jacob Herringshaw and Madison Stuart say they weren’t comfortable immediately with being in front of the camera, but are settling into and enjoying the role of being the ones who deliver the week’s news
Great things from humble beginnings
Like many great productions, the Fort Plain Network (FPN) has had humble and homespun beginnings. The studio is in a high school classroom. The “green screen” that students deliver the broadcast in front of was hand painted this past summer by Heroth and her family. Even the episode “clapper” and teleprompter were produced in-house by students in the school’s Technology and Design class.
That said, production values are high and the news is of-the-moment. The team takes care to include content that will matter to their peers and the larger school community. Along with the week’s regular news, recent special segments have focused on such topics as mental health and wellness, clubs, activities and volunteer opportunities.
“Part of the process involves planning a week ahead or sometimes more for the content we want each episode to include. But, just like network news, we are sometimes tweaking our script the day of filming depending on when we get submissions or if there is something ‘late breaking’ that we need to be sure to add,” Heroth said. “We are always learning how we can do more and do better.”
Behind the scenes: Meet the FPN Team
Jordan Brown – screenwriter, anchor, editor
Madison Clayburn – stage manager, cinematographer, graphic designer, editor
Emma Cook – screenwriter, anchor, graphic designer, teleprompter operator, editor
Shawn Gutermuth – anchor, animator, graphic designer
Jacob Herringshaw – anchor, editor
Vandwane Hisert – graphic designer
Hunter Palmeri – graphic designer
Kendra Sackett – teleprompter operator, graphic designer
Peyton Spicci – graphic designer, special reporter anchor, graphic designer
Madison Stuart – anchor, editor, graphic designer
Watch the Fort Plain Network (FPN)
View current episodes of the Fort Plain Network broadcasts on our school channel.