CRESTVIEW — When Baker Middle School students like Pierce Thompson reach high school, they’ll already know the fundamentals of digital audio and video production.
“This is the training ground,” media teacher Marion Meggers said. “It’ll at least get them passionate about it, even if they don’t get certified.”
If her students need proof of their curriculum’s value, they can look to their teacher. Meggers graduated from Baker School in 2005 after four years in the school’s WGTV television production courses, which evolved into a CHOICE – Community High Okaloosa Institutes for Career Education – program.
With a University of West Florida bachelor's degree in telecommunications, Meggers returned to her alma mater. Since 2012, she has been helping younger Gators follow her example.
Baker School’s CHOICE digital media program is one of two available countywide. It's the only one offered in a North Okaloosa County school. The other is at Niceville High School.
INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION
While Pierce helped his classmate, Aaron Jeffers, choose a filter for a class project, next door, morning show production was in full swing.
In the control room, high school sophomore Austin Jordan helped younger kids edit footage of a football game. He said he would like to switch to digital media from another CHOICE program.
“I’m trying to be a teacher’s aide in this class,” Austin said. “Once I really get used to using the software, it’s pretty fun. It’s more fun than welding.”
While the middle school program prepares students for the high school level digital media curricula, the high school program earns students Adobe Certified Associate certification.
“They can become an editor or production designer at any facility,” Meggers said, “It’s proof that they can learn a trade.”
Students in the highest of the three high school levels help their classmates in the first two levels, and the high school kids, like Austin, often mentor the middle school students.
POSITIONS
One day in the WGTV studio, cast and crew members set up for a morning show segment. Seventh-grader Avery Stewart had just become floor director after winning a game of rock-paper-scissors. Moments before he was on-camera, delivering an announcement.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” Avery said. “I like it all.”
Keri Coates, an eighth-grader, was in the control room where she prefers to be.
“I like being director,” she said. “I like controlling it (the shoot). I want to get things more in order.”
Announcer Joshua Roberts, a seventh-grader, earned a title unique to most television newsrooms.
“I’m the one-take wonder,” he said, explaining his ability to deliver his lines perfectly the first time. “I can basically memorize the words and pattern the way you’re supposed to say it.”
OWNERSHIP AND PRIDE
As students turned the three cameras toward the anchor desk from the green screen where Avery and Allison Morenz had just read announcements, Avery swiveled the studio lights for the next segment.
For Meggers, students’ ownership and pride in their role is heartening.
“It’s a whole different setup we need for openings and closings,” she said, referring to the start and end of the morning show. “But it’s stuff they need to know, and they’re able to do it.”
With equipment in place and the set illuminated, Meggers and her crew retreated to the control room, where they oversee production through windows and on monitors.
“Quiet on the set!” Avery said. Meggers began the countdown. As Allison Morenz and Kalea Ward began the first of several takes, Meggers gave a steady stream of directions to the camera crew in the studio and techies in the control room.
After an acceptable take, Meggers said, “That’s a wrap.” The scene was over, and just in time. The class-change bell rang, and another crew filed into the room.
This time, it was the high school students. Soon, Pierce plans to be among them.
“I’ll be coming back next year,” he said. “It’s a cool program.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker School digital media courses earn industry certification (VIDEO, PHOTOS)