Cox Communications Provides Underwriting for Saddleback College Cinema/TV Program

Mission Viejo, Calif. – The Department of Cinema-Television-Radio (CTVR) is pleased to announce that Cox Communications has agreed to provide funding in the amount of $15,000 to underwrite Saddleback College CTVR students to produce four episodes of the magazine style program, The Scoop, during the upcoming summer months. Advanced Television Production students have been creating the show during the Spring Semester aired on SCTV-39 on Cox Cable. The show features not only special college programs, but interesting people from the surrounding community.

Professor Hiro Konishi, film faculty and co-chair of the CTVR Department, is thrilled to acknowledge that the assistance of Cox Communications will allow the students to reach out more into the community and spotlight more interesting and talented people and events. With this upgrade, there are plans to bring in studio guests such as the mayors in neighboring cities. Some of the funding will also be used to help improve the lighting and set pieces in the current studio set-up for not only enhancement purposes, but to provide the students with a professional environment to produce the shows.

“Cox Communications’ generous underwriting for the production of The Scoop and other programming for Channel 39 will provide our students with a great opportunity to experience producing programs that go above and beyond the normal classwork activities," said Mark Kruhmin, Media Production Specialist. "This funding will allow students expansion of their resumes for future job opportunities. Also, the Cinema/TV/Radio department will now be able to broaden the programming for SCTV Ch. 39 for more community outreach opportunities.”

“Cox Communications’ founder was a reporter and teacher who believed in the importance of the media and education,” said Jennifer Andrews, Communications Director for Cox Communications, whose parent company, Cox Enterprises, owns newspapers, and radio and television stations around the country. “By supporting journalism programs such as The Scoop at Saddleback College, we hope to help cultivate the next generation of reporters and provide them with the training needed to operate in this new digital media.”

For more than 20 years, the Cinema/Television/Radio Department (CTVR) at Saddleback College has been known for giving students hands-on experience. This means students are responsible for the design, shoot, and edit of the film. CTVR always puts the concept of bringing the “real world” into the classroom as a priority. Shooting on the latest technology including Premiere Pro editing software and RED digital cinema cameras. Saddleback offers the full set of filmmaking tools such as dollies, steadicams, and industry standard lighting, camera, and audio packages.

The department’s productions each year are featured in the Newport Beach Film Festival and students constantly transfer to the top university film schools or they are placed in desirable internships and jobs. Many former students of the program are working on major Hollywood productions and others. CTVR continues to teach the approach of concept to final edit in terms of visual storytelling, aesthetics, composition, directing, producing, cinematography, lighting, audio and editing. CTVR is an elite film school at Saddleback College.

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community. Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals. For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visit www.saddleback.edu/arts.