Written by Sharon Chen
Interest. Improvement. Initiative. These are the three key words which allow for a successful and happy experience in FVHS’s Digital Video Production class, or known by most as Baron Broadcast News. You have to first develop an interest in the filmmaking and storytelling process in order to take the initiative and embark on a quest for improving not only the quality of your videos, but in how you present and carry yourself. Though BBN is not as cutthroat as the actual film industry is in terms of competition–(for the atmosphere every time I walk into the classroom never fails to provide me with a welcoming and heartwarming feel)–rejection is still a presence within the room. In these terms, confidence plays a major role.
Though bordering on overused, there is no other word to describe Baron Broadcast News rather than “special.” It’s a class that allows its members to naturally develop their sense of leadership, so that the wallflowers of yesterday become the social butterflies of tomorrow.
From a personal standpoint, I first joined Baron Broadcast News, because I truly possess a strong passion for film. I love the process of creating stories and watching those tales come to life before my very eyes. The difference between how a story is presented in a book as opposed to a motion picture is often ignored, for many assume that a story is merely that– who cares about how it’s presented as long as it’s made public? Well, that’s a bubble that definitely needs to burst.
When you watch a film, you’re not only witnessing the story unfold before you, but you’re also privy to a sliver–no matter how small– of the videographer’s personality– their style, their likes and dislikes, and their mentalities, to say the least.
I’ll be completely honest; when I first joined BBN, I had little to no confidence in my videos. Why? Prior to joining this class, I had a very limited knowledge of film editing or how to handle certain equipment such as a DSLR camera and a tripod. However, I knew how to create a story. Needless to say, my interest in film & the process of creating a story to be told through such a medium was enough to propel me to strive forward and become a better version of myself– as a storyteller, filmmaker, and person in the eyes of my peers.
This blossoming interest of mine prompted me to take the initiative to enhance my experience in BBN. For countlessly consecutive days, I studied old and new footage of BBN, from Season 10 all the way to Season 14. From this, I hoped to learn more in terms of how the videographers of those years were able to condense their stories into concise yet meaningful representations of their visions. During that period of time, Google and Youtube were my best friends. With the flexibility of the Internet right in the palms of my hands, I researched various editing & filming techniques that I hoped to apply in the making of my future videos.
Though I obviously still have much to learn, I am grateful towards BBN for providing me with the opportunity to become exposed to the filmmaking process. Not only has my participation in BBN thus far fueled an even stronger passion for film and media, but I have met an irreplaceable group of individuals, whose creativity and open-mindedness surpass any others that I have met previously.
Interest. Improvement. Initiative. I repeat these three words like a mantra whenever it seems I might be at the worst of my conditions in the class, especially when I make mistakes and become in danger of disappointing my peers. The constant repetition of these three words inspire me to persevere through the rough tides and remind me of why I joined BBN in the first place. There’s a time-honored saying that one thing leads to another. By seizing the opportunity to join BBN, I found that to be invariably true. For through those three ‘I’ words, I found three others that are equally as important in having a similarly fulfilled experience. Passion. Persistence. Possibility.
