What Happens Behind the Scenes of Eubie TV?

You’ve probably heard of EubieTV, the live Blake news source that is led by Mrs. Emory and Mrs. Wilbur and plays at the end of 4th period every day. This class consists of students from James Hubert Blake High School. The team works together to make announcements about various school events and important news the student body needs to know. These students are part of the Advanced Video Production class. Mrs. Emory, the video production teacher, states “We run based on announcements submitted by staff.”

Most announcements are born when a club or after-school activity sends information to a submission folder.  Afterward, Mrs. Emory reviews and hands the request to Mrs. Wilbur to further review the news. This process ensures the media is checked and vetted before being added to a script. This media is then passed on to the students to add to and revise their scripts for the news. Mrs. Emory adds “Students need to be independent workers and independent critical thinkers. A lot of times when they edit the script they need to be able to look at the […] announcement for anything that needs to be revised or changed.”

The classroom contains clothing and costumes used for the news close to the set. There are cameras placed throughout the studio where the students present the news and process. Behind the cameras are the students managing the videos and producing the work needed for the media. In the computer room people have stations where they plan and record the work presented through the lens. Wires and other equipment are tucked away from the cameras that are set in focus. The people behind the scenes also have to make sure that the anchors are on track “We [Camerapeople] just wear our headsets to communicate with the director and make sure everybody is doing their job” says Coleman Moore a 12th grader currently assigned to Camera 3.

The actual class period is very busy and slightly chaotic. The first half is simply spent preparing for the second half when they actually enter the studio to stream. The preparations vary depending on the student’s role in the production. The news anchors spend the period revising and memorizing the script for the day. Graphic designers will start uploading their graphics and scheduling when and where they appear on screen. Camera people will mainly chill and assist where necessary. These roles change about every two weeks to ensure everyone gets a job. Alexander Kamara, a 12th grader currently working as an anchor and who wants to do video production as a career, positively commented on this practice. “We do so many roles here. And I know all these roles are in the media production space, so I feel like I get to taste a little bit of each role.”

The class is an interesting opportunity to learn more about TV production and participate in something unique. When asked what the class’s most admirable quality was, all the interviewees mentioned the friendships formed when working together. Giselle Wyche, a 12th grader who took the class all her high school tenure, put it simply “[You] get to… be a part of something in our community because it’s the announcements you watch every day.”