Bobcat class teaches broadcasting skills

Sitting at a desk in front of a green screen, Emma Funk double-checks copy on a teleprompter.

Next to her, Adrian Mejia-Mon adjusts a microphone.

Then, Logan Eacker signals the countdown and presses the record button on an iPad.

It's showtime.

These Summerland students are part of a new course on this year's schedule.

Bobcast, a video production course, is in its infant stage. Students and instructor Patty Sukup believe the class will continue to learn new skills.

After spending a month learning about the ins and outs of a broadcast studio, students filmed and released the first Bobcast Oct. 14.

First, students determined how the daily show would be introduced and shot footage on the Summerland campus to be used at the beginning of each broadcast.

A typical day in the life of a Bobcaster, enrolled in the morning class, includes determining which announcements will be recorded that day, filming segments, editing the production and uploading it to the school's YouTube channel.

The editing process includes adding specialty segments shot by students in the afternoon class. Students choose and produce their own story segments.

Sukup shares a link to the video on the school's Facebook Page.

"Students are blocked from Facebook," she said.

Currently, 600 people subscribe to Summerland's YouTube channel.

"We reach quite a few people. I've seen people share it on Facebook," the instructor said.

Eventually, the plan is to livestream games and events.

In order for that to happen, the YouTube channel needs 1,000 subscribers, according to Sukup.

Running a class of this magnitude involves teamwork and collaboration. Students discuss plans and story ideas with one another.

And, they've learned to make adjustments. After filming the first episode, students realized in order to look at the camera, they need to focus on the prompter opposite of where they sit.

Senior Cassidy Bearinger said she signed up for the new course offering "for something fun to do."

Eacker's reasons for taking the class differ.

"It's a big interest I'm in to, with all the lights and sound and audio," he said.

With a week's worth of newscasts in the can, students discovered not every broadcast is perfect on take one.

"If we mess up, we can edit it," Bearinger said.

There are plenty of challenges, too.

Eacker said being in front of the camera is challenging.

"Not looking at the screen the whole time," said junior Emma Funk.

As of Oct. 21, Sukup said some lighting still needed to be installed in the green room.

Once all equipment is in place, students will be able to incorporate green screen video, like weather reports, full screen graphics and B-roll supporting scene material.

Students would like to include more of the student body in the show.

"Right now, we're getting comfortable with reading the announcements and getting it edited and uploaded," Sukup said. "I commend them. Even when we were practicing and I just threw them up there in front of the camera, they came up with a show. They just jumped in and did it.They've done fantastic.