Reflections On My Year In "A/V Production" by Isabel Arrellaga

I remember just over a year ago when I was figuring my choice sheet out as a freshman and thinking, “what electives am I going to take next year?” I didn’t know much about video and media production at the time but after watching K-ahs the whole year, I was hooked. The show looked like it was a lot of fun to be involved in. The students on the show always seemed to be laughing and having a good time. I immediately signed up for the intro to media class and hoped to one day make K-ahs and have as much fun as they were having. Now looking back on my year in intro to media, some things were what I expected and others were not.

I had no idea we would be actually filming, editing, and producing video packages and intros and that they might even have the chance to be on K-ahs. I loved being able to experiment with the equipment in my own way. Intro to Media is a very flexible and fun class. The students are trusted with the equipment and in return are expected to create high quality productions. I imagine this is what its like in the “real world” where people go out on assignments and are expected to get the story, this is exactly what is happening at Austin High in the Intro to Media class.

Overall my year in intro to media has been a success. I had a great class where I made many new friends, learned how to produce and film videos, learned a lot about video programs on the computer, and many other useful things. One of my favorite experiences this year was when we were assigned a group and told to create an intro and that the best intro would air on K-ahs. This project allowed a lot of creativity. We could make an intro about anything as long as it linked back to K-ahs. Although my group’s intro didn’t make K-ahs we still had a lot of fun thinking of an idea, shooting it, and editing it to our liking. Having the freedom of choosing to make an intro about anything we wanted was a really cool experience.


Isabel Arrellaga - A/V Production

Hands-On In The Media by Blair Barnes

This year in Gil Garcia’s Intro Media class, students were able to learn with a hands-on approach. This worked really well for my learning style, and I think that more classes should have learning experiences that are taught this way. Although a lot of work goes into the final product and there are many things to learn along the way to truly understand the concepts, I learned valuable things that I will never forget. One of the skills that I learned was how to use Final Cut Pro. This is a software program that is used by actual movie producers and editors to make movies come together. I learned how to sequence clips, add music, and incorporate special effects. It was exciting to actually get into the program and try it out for ourselves on our own projects after the lessons. We also were able to learn how to use the camera. Mr. Garcia taught lessons in the classroom about camera use, but we were then able to use the cameras to practice what we learned. For example, I now know how to shoot various angles to get the best shot for a scene. Rather than just learn about the different perspectives in film, we were able to try them out and learn by DOING. This is really important for kinesthetic learners or people with ADHD, like me. I realize that not every class is as conducive to hands-on learning as Intro to Media, but I know that every class has more opportunities for students to learn while doing. By diving in and getting our hands wet, my classmates and I walked away with a greater understanding of the concepts being taught.


Blair Barnes - A/V Production