Manhattan Beach Middle School

Middle School Students Produce Daily TV Newscast THE TV CONTROL ROOM WAS CHAOTIC the day before a holiday weekend…staffers talked about weekend plans…the crew bounced around the set to holiday music…the anchor tested her voice. But when the five-minute warning buzzer sounded, there was immediate silence as everyone jumped into place and concentrated on the show. Tapes were started…mikes tested…camera shots checked…music begun…5,4,3,2,1…."Good morning and welcome to the AM Wave." The newsroom is a classroom in Manhattan Beach Middle School where a video production class of 33 eighth graders produce a five-minute live newscast every morning aired on TV sets in every classroom and the school office. The daily broadcasts consist of birthday wishes, school news and announcements written by the students. Students also produce a 15-minute feature show that airs on the school's network on Friday afternoons. The productions on this show include segments on neighborhood places of interest, local businesses that students frequent, and reviews of videos, films and TV shows. "The television production class offers opportunities to students unlike any other exploratory class in that the course integrates technology with public speaking, decision-making, writing and art," said Janet Schwabe, principal of Manhattan Beach Middle School. "The students learn to work independently and in groups as they develop shows for the program." The school's TV studio has a full production bay, three logging bays, and two linear and one nonlinear editing bays. The Manhattan Beach Education Foundation and the Manhattan Beach Middle School PTA funded the equipment. "I like the class because we get to broadcast a live TV show," said Andy, an eighth grader, who is working with another student, Gerrett, on a feature on the LA Rock Gym. Another group of students was producing a review of a W.C. Fields black and white movie. Two girls, Danielle and Saratoga, were struggling with how to cut their feature on the MTV awards down to five minutes. "Students get time both in front of and behind the camera," said Nathan Eisman, who originated television production courses in the Manhattan Beach Schools in 1973. After cable was installed, and each room was outfitted with a TV set seven years ago, students began broadcasting into all classrooms on a daily basis. "During the class, each student produces a commercial, a movie trailer, and then a five-to-seven minute feature," said Eisman. "For each production, students prepare a script, a storyboard and a video log sheet, all of which have to be revised until I give approval. In the process, students learn writing, editing, and sequencing; they learn how to visualize their work; and they learn how to work until they have a good product." There is also a seventh grade class where students work in groups to produce a commercial, a movie trailer, and a five minute feature. Eisman says he would like more recognition of the value of video production classes. "Technology in the classroom usually means computers," he said. "Most people overlook the educational value of the team work, the creativity, and the development of a finished product that video production entails."