Members of the Eagle Eye staff went to the Center for Creative Media in Tyler this Tuesday to tour a production  studio and learn about the creation of movies and news broadcasts.  Led by director Doug Rittenhouse, CCM also functions as a Christian-based teaching facility, offering internships and hands-on field work.  

“The main man talked to us for a long time and taught us a lot of interesting things about how journalism has changed over the years,” junior Andrew Barr said. “We did several activities that showed us how journalism and technology of today work.  It was just a cool experience and I would love to do it again.”

Being in the journalism field requires many different skills and talents.  Rittenhouse discussed how being able to write is not enough to go somewhere in this particular field. Being able to cover each aspect, from editing audio, to editing video, and always being on your toes for breaking news is needed in this working area.

“I realized that I needed to know how to cover each area of journalism,” sophomore Lorin Reue said.  “This is going to push me to go out of my comfort zone because I am not very skilled at video but now know that I need to be.”

CCM students taught about post production and what all goes into the process of editing and how to do things such as edit a person on a green screen and how to switch camera angles.  

“I thought the experience was very beneficial,” sophomore Isabelle Phillips said.  “I want to become a reporter and I had the privilege of talking to someone that has that experience and could give me guidance.”

During one workshop session, students used stage lights and colored “gels” to create the appearance of light that would naturally be there but either isn’t or is not strong enough.  These lights help set up the stage for filming a specific scene.  Other workshops included lessons on using green screens as well as how to use the Adobe Creative Suite.

“It was a lot of fun to get to learn the whole process that it takes in order to make a film,” sophomore Caleb Smithee said.  “My favorite part was when he taught us how to merge clips and switch between camera angles.”

The instructor explained how video and journalism reporting has altered and changed throughout events that have happened in history.  He also gave a lesson on what it takes to work in the entertainment business.  

“I really loved the atmosphere of the studio,” senior Emily Fry said.  “Everyone was really quirky and original in their own way.  It’s like a puzzle and everyone has their spot that they fit in just right.”

Eagle Eye staff members took the trip in order to gain more real-world experience in the media industry, as well as to explore options for after they have graduated.

“It was really interesting,” junior Kamryn Stacks said.  “I learned a lot and it really opened my eyes about the film industry. I would definitely recommend CCM to a friend.”

For more information on the Center for Creative Media, go to www.centerforcreativemedia.com.