2008 Woodie Awards
Students take dir[rec]tion
Broadcast production class allows students to direct and perform in their own shows
Kayhan Yekrangi
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Features
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Where else could you find the parody "Hell Date" or "Desperate Husbands"?
"There's no limit to how much fun we have," said first-semester student Russell Barnett. "It's so hands-on I don't even bring a pen to this class."
The class is "Broadcast Production," which meets once a week and includes beginning, intermediate and advanced students all in one classroom.
"Most students are beginners, and the advanced students are like the mentors," said instructor Tal Skloot.
Although most students are beginners, some are experienced in television and acting.
Susan Cochran, a second-semester student, is in the latter group.
"After working in front of the camera," she said, "I became interested in behind the camera, so I started taking classes at DVC."
Richard Woodruff, an adviser and assistant to the program for the past two and a half years, described the class as "close to a team game as football…this is the highlight of my week"
Every semester, groups within the class must produce four skits or shows. The first project is usually a newscast but the rest of the projects range from parodies of dating games, Spanish soap operas and sitcoms.
The level of entertainment and hands-on teaching make the learning process very quick.
First-semester student Josh Dejauregui said he has already "learned a lot about the process, pre-production and the equipment."
The students must be versatile and adapt to different positions quickly, but they still have a good sense of what they like best.
Third-semester student Eric Brush is a mentor to the beginner students. He said he knows the studio better than most.
"I like to run the show," he said. "Directing is more fun, but I'll take anything."
The class can be a stepping stone for those who are seeking a career in television or journalism.
The past two semesters, the students took field trips to the Bay Area's KTVU Channel 2, and two students became interns at the station last summer.
"It's a great place to start," said Meaghan Krakoff, a second-semester student and KTVU intern. "It's kind of like a hidden treasure at DVC. Not that many people know about the class."
Krakoff, who will return next semester and also re-apply for another KTVU internship, added: "The hands-on experience is the best part."
Skloot said the most rewarding part about teaching the class is watching the students develop their skills.
"Most have learned to produce a show on their own," he said. "I don't even have to get involved. I can just stand back and let them work."
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