Senior producer Matt DeMattia reviews sports auditions on the tricaster.
Madeleine Gertsen, Features Editor
@mgertsencourant
It’s Friday morning at 9 A.M. and students scurry to get to their next class so they won’t miss the Morning Announcements (TMA’s). Teachers turn on their Smart Boards and cross their fingers for no technical problems, for they know the groans they’ll hear from students if that happens.
Down in an obscure corner of the building, NCTV producers make last minute checks as they all run around the control room. Sound levels must be right, each anchor’s hair perfectly brushed, and all technology working perfectly. NCTV students have been there since 6:45 A.M. awaiting the reactions they will receive from the whole school regarding the choice for Ram of the week, sports updates, weather report, weekly news, and the creative piece. Red lights go on and it’s time for the familiar faces of the weekly Morning Announcements.
Every week, the process of preparing for production starts anew. “On TMA we spend the week figuring out positions for Friday’s broadcast, getting announcements, writing script, editing graphics, and getting b-roll,” said Chloe DeMauro, a producer and anchor. “I think what keeps me going is the excitement. There’s typically some sort of technical production problem, and I enjoy tackling any sort of problem it may be.”
Aware of the huge importance of media today, NCHS created its own Television class and channel on top of this weekly broadcast, allowing students to explore their talent in the communications field. Senior Kyle Levasseur has continued with this course since Freshman year, building up to be the first student ever in TV5. “I chose to become the station manager of the class because I had naturally developed into a leader. After being in the class for four years and reaching TV 5, I felt that I was the best person for the job, and I would improve NCTV.”
Each week’s agenda varies for the different NCTV classes, but for more advanced classes, the News, Events, and Creative Content sections are responsible for preparing their respective parts of the Friday Morning Announcements. “News prepares for the Morning Announcements by writing the script, making graphics, being a field reporter, or even being an anchor on the live broadcast,” Kyle said. “Events requires filming a sport or art event and then editing it in class, which can include all the home football games, basketball games, the plays that the theatre department puts on, and anything else that the producers decide to do. In creative content, each person has the ability to decide what they want to do, including interviews, commercials, funny videos-basically whatever that person decides.”
TV Broadcasting is a relatively new class, only being founded 10 years ago. Teacher Roman Cebulski was in charge of the Graphics and Yearbook classes offered at the high school before the TV studio was built, but continues to have a similar approach with all of his classes. “My approach to the class, more than anything, is I want students to become leaders, think critically, and make decisions,” he said. “So I try to be as hands-off as I can, but guide them indirectly to make the right decision.”
NCTV teacher Mr. Cebulski offers advanced students different positions depending on where he believes the students will fit best. “At the end of last year, when I was made station manager, I talked to Mr. Cebulski about making this group to give people more creative freedom in the class, and give people the chance to do what they want to do,” Kyle said. “With it, we have seen many more creative videos made, and an improvement in filming quality, which is great.”
Seniors Kate Blasco, Jake Morris, and Matt DeMattia reviewed the B-roll on the tricaster.
For some, the ability to receive an ITE credit was an incentive for taking the class. “I took TV1 because I needed the credit, and it just so happens that I found that I really enjoy it and hope to pursue communications in the future,” senior producer Matt Demattia said.
With four different levels of TV Broadcasting all working in the same class, there is a variety of expertise at hand. TV1, which is a one semester introductory course, is the only class which is not an advanced class. “TV2 is combined with levels three and four. Basically the difference is that TV2 is really learning all of the things that NCTV does, learning about the process, and going through all of the different positions,” Mr. Cebulski said. “TV3 is students who are in a leadership producer position where they still rotate and try the different sections out, while managing TV2 students as well.”
Students who have reached TV4 are allowed more freedom than those in the previous available TV classes. “By TV4, the senior producers have figured out an area where they want to concentrate on which makes them the leader of that section,” Mr. Cebulski said. “If there’s something they want to branch out and try, they have the freedom to do that, especially since it’s their last year.”
As students ascend to higher levels in TV, for example moving from producer to executive producer, they are allowed privileges, including more authority and freedom. “I really like this class because it’s more of a family working in an office rather than students doing what they need to do for a grade in a class,” Chloe said. “The different levels create a more respectable environment, and as dysfunctional as we sometimes are, the process itself is pretty well structured.”
Within the advanced classes are the three branches of the Morning Announcements Crew, the Creative Content Crew, and the Events Crew, each of which is responsible for different aspects of preparing their class to create their channel. “I know that everyone knows me from the Morning Announcements and the Sports Report,” Matt said. “But what I enjoy the most is the creative aspect of the class: being able to have an idea and see the entirety of the process through planning, filming, and editing it.”
Every year, a few adjustments need to be made, especially after losing valuable senior producers. “The challenge for this year was going to be how we filled in the gaps and places of all the talent we had lost from last year,” Mr. Cebulski said. “The kids have done a really good job of making sure that happens and continuing to work at a high level.”
Chloe DeMauro and Kate Blasco do run-throughs before they anchor for TMA’s.
For the Morning Announcements, advanced NCTV students are required to come to class early Friday morning to prepare for their weekly broadcast. “I’m guessing for a lot of people waking up at 5:30 AM to get ready on a Friday before an early morning rehearsal isn’t their cup of tea,” Chloe said. “I find myself jumping out of bed on those mornings. That’s how I really know this is what I want to do.”
Sports and communications have always been particular areas of interest for Matt, who found that being the Sports Anchor was a perfect way for him to pursue both at the same time. “What I really love about this class is how is helps you learn and discover what you’re really passionate about,” he said. “This class has allowed me to explore the various aspects of the communications field, and choose what I really enjoy within the field.”
Past anchors have had an influence on students in NCTV who continue to apply the styles of different people to fit their own style. “I think what’s made great anchors in the past is really making the job their own,” Matt said. “Whether it was Brendon Baker’s intensity or Johnny Ostendorf’s humor, they both made the job their own so I definitely tried to be original and make the report personal to me.”
Not only is NCTV creating news announcements, event telecast, and live broadcasts, but they are creating students who have the hopes of pursuing this as a career. “Most importantly, NCTV has taught me to work with others and be a leader. It’s taught me how to stay organized, plan things out, and communicate,” Kyle said. “Television is something that I will follow in college and pursue as a career, and give all the thanks to NCTV.”
Kyle is not alone in his passion in the communications field. “It’s a growing field, the job opportunities are amazing and they’re only growing because there are more channels for entertainment and news,” Mr. Cebulski said. “If you can do something that you love and you can go to school for it, eventually getting a job to get paid for what you love, to me it’s not really like work. It’s my goal to get everyone to do something that they like and be successful in that field.”
NCTV students leave NCHS having learned much that they can apply to future communications studies. “The most important thing I have learned from my four years of TV Broadcasting is that organization and communication lead to a better TV station,” Senior Producer Jake Morris said. “Without planning ahead and successfully getting information across to the entire class, NCTV can not be successful. Yet organization and communication don’t just lead to a better TV station, they lead to better things wherever you work.”
NCTV is changing every year with new students signing up, new technology available, and the demand for communications experts increasing. “Next year, students in advanced TV will get a transcript with college credit from Norwalk Community College,” Mr. Cebulski said. “For people in communications, that’s huge because they can transfer those credits over. So I’m really excited for that to be put into place.”
