Now, you might ask, “Why join broadcast? What’s the point?” Well, broadcasting class is for learning how to film, what makes a good video, how to set up scenes and actors, getting familiar with equipment such as tripods and cameras, grouping together, and finally, how to edit. The class can be loads of fun but keep in mind, there’s still work to be done, and well-manored behavior is a must.

The teacher of the class, Trenton Curtis, is starting his filming journey as well as helping students. He can be a bit intimidating at first, but after you get to know him, he’s quite a fun teacher to be around. The big things to look out for are deadlines and, most importantly, strikes. In his class, if you behave poorly, you can get a strike for things like lying, late work, insubordination, and not cooperating with your group. Get four of these, and he’ll put you in a probation group, which means you’re getting kicked out of his class by the end of the semester. His class is honestly a great choice, it’s very enjoyable, but it’s not to be taken lightly.

This is his first year teaching broadcast. He chose to teach this class because he teaches Yearbook and thought, why not teach both since he already has responsibility over the cameras? Curtis feels that developing an understanding of video making helps students improve on the videos they create, but also to truly appreciate what they are watching. You really dive deep into the scenes and get a deeper understanding of what’s on the screen. With this class, you may also develop a different view on watching television or movies. On the topic of influence, Curtis explained, “I consume media differently, and I watch movies and shows with a different lens now. I think about how I could teach my students to hopefully replicate what I see or what they see.” 

Turning to a student’s point of view, let’s take a look at rookie, Daisy Quinonez. After working with broadcast for two years back at Rosemary Clark Middle School, she decided to continue her journey in broadcasting. Curious about her reason for joining broadcast, she stated, “I joined Broadcasting because I wanted to create things, I wanted to make my ideas and things I imagined real.” She also mentions that, “I enjoy being a part of broadcast because I get to make things and connect with people.”

Now that you get the gist, you should totally consider giving this class a try if you aren’t sure what else to do. A huge benefit of this class is one, building some strong friendships and two, it’ll help boost your ego with being on screen for many others to see.  It isn’t an insanely difficult class, but there is definitely a little bit of a challenge, mainly just to stay on good terms with Curtis and to stay on task. And the coolest part: you’ll occasionally get to be on the TV here at PVHS. As Curtis would say, “Live, laugh, Slay!”