Students from the OHP/Marysville Broadcast Video class participated in a hands-on career learning experience during Friday Night Football on Friday, September 6.
Spectrum News, which was onsite to broadcast the Marysville Monarch football game, invited the students to help with the setup and observe the live broadcast operations. The Broadcast Video class is one of the classes offered in the new OHP/Marysville Media Arts program.
"Mario Hernandez from Spectrum News is also an advisory board member for the OHP/Marysville Media Art program, and reached out to us to offer this opportunity to students," said Amanda Blackburn, the OHP/Marysville Media Arts instructor.
During class, students toured the broadcast truck, but four students—Blake Bertram, Dominik Fry, Jackson Prestwood, and Brandon Weigand—really jumped into the action. The group worked closely with Derrick Eaton from Spectrum News 1, assisting with running cables, placing mats, and preparing materials for the broadcast.
During the game, the four students observed how the producer communicated with the technical director, camera operators, graphics team, announcers, and other professionals involved in the production. During halftime, Spectrum News staff took time to answer the students' questions about career paths in the industry and the technical aspects of live broadcasting.
“We were very excited for the opportunity and gained great insight into the industry," said Blake Bertram. "We were surprised to see how quick and seamless the setup operated.”
The OHP/Marysville Media Arts program is a new program for the 2024-25 school year. In addition to Video Broadcast, courses offered within the pathway include Video Production, Intro to Media, Digital Image Editing, and Multimedia Web Production.