Lakeside High School is now home to the only custom-built mobile production trailer for any school in the state.
The $115,000, 16-foot trailer includes two 40-inch television screens that house a tricaster, which merges live video switching, broadcast graphics and web streaming into a portable, compact appliance. All of the equipment is in high-definition and meets industry standards.
"It's awesome; I don't know how else to put it," said Lakeside broadcasting teacher Chris Slaton. "He custom built it from the ground up. Jason (Moyer) built it all."
Other schools in the state have started broadcasting programs, but no other school has acquired its own production center.
"Chris Slaton brought this to us and we jumped on board," said Darin Landry, Lakeside High School principal. "It's just unreal, the number of kids that we have in it the first year. We're just excited and looking to grow."
The trailer gives Lakeside the capability to broadcast schools events live on the Internet. Plans are in place to broadcast 20 live events on US Education TV.
Lakeside broadcasts will be available at http://bit.ly/1u6dnMu. Every event will be made available for viewing on the web page following the broadcasts. Resort TV Cable has agreed to replay Lakeside broadcasts on Channel 16.
The first full broadcast effort will be the home volleyball match on Sept. 11. Lakeside will only broadcast home events. Additional volleyball broadcasts are planned for Sept. 30 and Oct. 9.
Lakeside football games will be broadcast on Sept. 12, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 24 and Nov. 7. Basketball games on Nov. 22 and Dec. 19 will also be streamed.
Jason Moyer of JBM Productions approached Slaton last year about giving students experience working in his trailer. Moyer was on the Lakeside campus preparing advertisements.
Moyer's 30-foot production trailer is set up for a larger crew for professional broadcasts, including games on ESPN3. Moyer provided hands-on training for Slaton and 20 students on Tuesday. A trial broadcast was conducted for the football scrimmage against Sheridan that evening.
"It's something I wish I would have had the opportunity to use," Slaton said. "How fun is it to have a trailer and the kids want to use it. They love it.
"Last night, they were wanting to do more and more. They don't want to let other kids do the broadcast. It's 'their' broadcast."
The trailer was purchased with funds Lakeside earned through the Arkansas School Recognition and Reward Program. Lakeside was recognized by the program in December. The ratings were based on combined student performance, student academic growth and graduation rate, under criteria set forth by rule of the state board.
Lakeside High School received $111,617.74, the most of any high school in the state and the second-most overall. Valley View Elementary School was the only school to receive a higher amount.
Both the high school and Lakeside Middle School were named in the top 10 percent. The rewards for the two schools totaled more than $175,000.
The school formed a committee with parents and educators to decide how the funds should be utilized. Landry said the production trailer was a natural fit for the award money.
"That was the overall consensus of this," Landry said. "We were trying to start pushing this Broadcasting career study and it was a perfect fit for us."
Approximately 80 students are enrolled in Slaton's four classes in Fundamentals of Audio/Video Technology and film. All 80 students are required to work at least four events.
Only students in grades 10-12 are enrolled in the classes currently. Freshmen may be allowed to enroll in the future.
The trailer allows students to learn in positions like producer, director, technical director, instant replay operator, audio technician, graphics and commentary, to go along with four camera operators.
Events will be broadcast from start to finish. Slaton envisions building other segments such as a pregame show, coach interviews, and halftime shows.
"We can evolve the program from there, not just be a broadcast, but be a full show," Slaton said.
Slaton and his students will spend the coming weeks training and learning more about the equipment. The events will be broadcast on US Education TV for free.
The program goes along with the work Steve Taylor is leading in multimedia technology at Southern Arkansas University Tech. Slaton said it illustrates how students can go from high school to working on a movie set with the right background, knowledge and job training.
"Where's the best work experience you can get? It's on the job," Slaton said. "I think that is something fun to explain to the kids, that a four-year degree is good for some people, but not everyone needs a four-year degree.
"Some of these paths that you go and do. It's hands-on. They want that experience. You start low and build yourself up."
Local on 08/31/2014