BMUFSD: Film Students Explore News Reporting In Workshop With BBC Cameraman

Press release from the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District:

2023-03-02

Tonight, when you turn on your television set to watch the evening news and you see an interview, think about what is going on behind the scenes – where is the camera? What is the producer whispering in the newscaster’s earpiece? How quickly does the newscaster wrap up the segment?

Before Winter Break, Briarcliff High School film students had the chance to see just that – the behind-the-scenes of a news segment. Several even had the opportunity to create one on their own, in a hands-on workshop, facilitated by BBC cameraman James Cooke.

Students in Jamie Mandel’s Introduction to Film and Digital Editing class, members of the Future Filmmakers club and several art students had a chance to work with a camera, interview “guests” on a pretend show and time it all to create a three-minute news segment, with Mr. Cooke’s guidance.

Originally from the U.K., Mr. Cooke has traveled all over the world for the BBC and now mainly works in the tristate area, filming, producing and editing news segments.

Last year, he visited the school and shared with the students behind-the-scenes stories about his life as a cameraman, while facilitating a short workshop in the end.

“This year, we wanted to expand the workshop so that multiple students could have a chance to participate in the hands-on experience,” Ms. Mandel said.

Mr. Cooke asked for volunteers to make a short news segment; he needed a cameraperson for the main video camera and another for an additional video camera. He also needed a “presenter” and two people to be interviewed, as well as someone to hold the boom mic, a person to hold the clapperboard and a “producer” to time the segment.

“The producer has to tell the presenter how many seconds are left, since they hear it in the ear piece,” he said.

The students began working on a three-minute segment, with two students being interviewed by a third.

“You can talk about anything at all, school, sports, anything,” he told the students.

They began with the “presenter” asking the “guests” about a film they have recently made in their Future Filmmakers club.

Mr. Cooke also assisted the student who held the boom mic.

“You have to anticipate when people are talking and to place the boom mic near them,” he told him. “You can hold it anywhere as long as you don’t get it in the shots of the two videos.”

“That was great, everyone did really well,” Mr. Cooke told the students when they finished filming the news segment.

Students found the workshop helpful.

“The workshop gave me an insight on the production of a news segment,” said senior Ryan Prechtl.

“It was more of an experience rather than a lecture, I really liked it,” said sophomore Conor Duperrouzel.

At the end of the workshop, Mr. Cooke discussed his passion for working for an international news channel and encouraged the students to find a job that they enjoy doing.

“My motto is: find a job where you get paid to do something that is fun,” he said.

The workshop was in keeping with Briarcliff’s commitment to expose students to a broad array of academic and extracurricular offerings, so they may find their passion and work toward meaningful careers.

This press release was produced by the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.