Lights, Camera, Action! On Warren Woods Tower Digital Media Program
By: LaShe’ Mitchell WWT Junior
Photos by: Serena Yang WWT Senior
Digital Media Production is one of the most important fields in today’s world because nearly everything we watch, read, or scroll through is shaped by it. The Digital Media program at Warren Woods Tower High School (WWT) allows students to realize the different facets of the field while learning and practicing the arts of effective collaboration and communication.
Digital Media Production teacher Mr. Martin shared that his interest in digital media comes from a love of combining creativity and technology. Teaching became a way to help students discover those same skills. He has been teaching Digital Media Production since 2012, guiding students through projects and competitions for over a decade and has become a part of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) team at WWT. “My passion definitely comes across in my teaching. I hope students can learn workplace skills since it’s a CTE class, and I want to prepare them for life after high school.” CTE classes include both traditional and hands-on learning in fields where there is high demand or high interest in jobs and careers. This program is part of the Southwest Macomb Technical Educational Consortium (SMTEC), which offers many career and technical education programs to students from Center Line, Fitzgerald, Van Dyke, and Warren Woods.
Students can enroll in Digital Media Production classes in each of their four years in high school, which depends on individual student interest and commitment to the field. Digital Media Production I is an introductory course. It covers basic concepts such as equipment operation, script writing, lighting, safety, and editing. It also prepares students for more advanced work.
Digital Media Production II builds on the basics of the first course. Students strengthen skills in filming, editing, audio mixing, and working in production teams. This course also includes tangible assignments like school news broadcasts and district productions. Digital Media Production III goes further into advanced production topics, including using professional-level equipment, studio workflows, electronic news gathering, preparing students for more complex projects, and potential work roles.
Students in Digital Media Production IV are expected to independently manage the news studio and produce their own content, both live and pre-recorded. This course is ideal for students pursuing careers in a digital media field, as they gain relevant real-life and leadership experience.
The classroom combines a traditional setting with tables, chairs, and laptops, with a working studio. Most impressive is the studio, Tower Media Productions, where students create their productions. The studio emulates one of WDIV’s digital studios (local Channel 4) as it is outfitted with much of the same equipment. This includes lighting, cameras, the video control switcher, and audio mixers. Students work collaboratively on projects, writing scripts, recording audio, filming scenes, and editing. Projects include short films, school videos such as news and interviews, podcasts, and graphic design pieces. One of the most relished assignments is creating WWT’s Lip Dub. Lip Dubs feature mashed-up songs from popular artists over the years that students and staff lip-sync and dance throughout the school while being recorded in one long take by Mr. Martin. The Lip Dub is only produced once every five years because of the amount of work needed to create it. This guarantees that all students who attend WWT for 4 years will take part in a Lip Dub. To view the most recent WWT Lip Dub be sure to visit the Tower Media Production’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TitanNationWWT
Tower News is the student-run media channel production at WWT. Digital Media students collaborate to create a live broadcast that students can view on YouTube. Like local news broadcasts, the Tower News productions include stories on events at WWT, sports updates, human interest stories, and weather reports. Senior Abigail Sinn is excited to have the role of anchor. Her favorite part is the “live broadcasts and being on camera!” She plans to pursue a career in broadcasting, perhaps as a meteorologist.
Often, Tower News staff will interview students and staff about events that are currently happening around the school or community. Recently, students were asked to share their thoughts on what they would enjoy doing during the holiday break. Students love hearing and seeing their peers on these broadcasts. Senior Ian Mansour loves the interactions as well, “I love talking to people, learning about them, and seeing how [they] react to all kinds of wacky questions. The creativity of it all!” Tower News also records notable events such as our commencement ceremonies. These recordings provide WWT alumni and their families with a lasting memory of their special day.
CTE students in Michigan are provided the opportunity to earn certifications in their individual programs. WWT students may take the Adobe Certification Exam to become an Adobe Certified Professional in Digital Video using Adobe Premiere Pro. Mr. Martin shares, “while it is a very challenging test, it adds a strong credential to their resume.” He pointed out that the skills learned are not limited to media careers. Even students planning to be electricians, mechanics, or pursue other trades can use these skills to market themselves and their services while demonstrating professionalism. This may allow them to stand out from their potential competitors.
Students can also compete in SkillsUSA’s State Leadership and Skills Conference held in Grand Rapids. SkillsUSA is a student organization that promotes skilled trades, including Digital Media. Two WWT students, Abigail Sinn and Isaac Youhana, participated in the TV Production competition last April. They were tasked with making a commercial or public service announcement in downtown Grand Rapids. Students created projects that displayed their digital media skills against peers from other schools, given real-world experience, and a chance to apply what they have learned in the classroom. They were required to plan, shoot, and edit their projects under tight deadlines, demonstrating industry software proficiency, teamwork, storytelling, and adherence to standards from pre-production to post-production. Competing against 14 other schools, Abigail and Isaac took 5th place! They are looking forward to competing again this spring.
A variety of media production jobs are available because videos and digital content are used everywhere, from social media and advertising to news and entertainment. Acquiring the necessary skills can lead to solid job opportunities. As an example, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, film/video editors and camera operators can earn around $70,000 a year on average. Additionally, openings for these jobs are expected to grow or support their demand each year due to the changing industry, and to people retiring or moving to various aspects of the profession. Digital media production classes are also sought out due to the constant adaptation to rapidly changing technology, strong technical skills such as coding, workplace development, and creative problem-solving for complex technology, such as audio, video, and websites.
The Digital Media Production program at WWT brings together video, audio, photography, graphics, and editing to create the kind of content people interact with every day. Whether it is a short video on social media, a school announcement, a commercial, or a full documentary, Digital Media Production teaches students how to plan, film, design, and produce work that looks professional and communicates a message clearly. Learning these skills while collaborating and communicating effectively with each other may provide them with a solid foundation for many careers in our world that is so heavily influenced by digital media. As Senior Danielle May shares, “My favorite part of the class is getting to talk with other people and actually working with people!”
Article provided by Warren Woods Public Schools for publication in the Macomb Daily.
