Planned VS Afterthought
When starting a brand new program, one of the most essential but often times most forgotten part of the process is developing/determining the actual class/studio/control room/storage space. Yes it seems dumb, but of course if we are teaching video production we do need facilities that will aid the process (Well, at least not hinder).
I have seen all sizes and shapes of high school and professional video production facilities. What I really have determined is that although having a large facility is nice it definitely is not mandatory. I much rather have a small, well organized facility than a gigantic, messy, poorly-planned one. Bob King, a teacher I met in Tennessee when I first started teaching, was by far the best I had ever seen at utilizing lack of space and maximizing it's potential. He showed me that you have to be creative and flexible to make even what seems like the worst setup work for you. Rather than be bogged down about the situation, be positive and find creative solutions to your challenging environment.
I have seen all sizes and shapes of high school and professional video production facilities. What I really have determined is that although having a large facility is nice it definitely is not mandatory. I much rather have a small, well organized facility than a gigantic, messy, poorly-planned one. Bob King, a teacher I met in Tennessee when I first started teaching, was by far the best I had ever seen at utilizing lack of space and maximizing it's potential. He showed me that you have to be creative and flexible to make even what seems like the worst setup work for you. Rather than be bogged down about the situation, be positive and find creative solutions to your challenging environment.
All this Cool Gear Must Needs Storage
Undoubtedly, as your program is born and grows you will acquire a plethora of expensive gear so you must have a place to properly store all of it. If met with resistance, stress to your administration how the investment in this costly program will be better protected if your gear has a nice home to be put away when not in use.
I have lived with and seen programs that had very little or no storage, and it definitely is no fun. Gear gets damaged more easily, and even worst it can grow legs and walk away even easier.
My storage room is spacious with shelving covering the walls. The only thing I wish was different is the door. I would prefer a dutch door so the bottom could remain locked and closed enabling only a few student equipment managers access to distribute and store gear. We will talk about Gear Circulation in a future post.
I have lived with and seen programs that had very little or no storage, and it definitely is no fun. Gear gets damaged more easily, and even worst it can grow legs and walk away even easier.
My storage room is spacious with shelving covering the walls. The only thing I wish was different is the door. I would prefer a dutch door so the bottom could remain locked and closed enabling only a few student equipment managers access to distribute and store gear. We will talk about Gear Circulation in a future post.
My New Facilities
At Shadow Creek HS, my classroom arrangement is hands down the best I have had thus far (my third school). Space is definitely not a problem. Better yet sound was even considered by those who designed the space. There are a few things I will add like some large aluminum wall hooks for cable storage and maybe a pegboard with hooks for smaller cables. All in all I am thrilled about the possibilites of this space and look forward to filling it with computers and equipment soon.
The next blog post will probably be on equipment. So check here or Twitter @2BaldDudes for the New Post Alert!
The next blog post will probably be on equipment. So check here or Twitter @2BaldDudes for the New Post Alert!