WINTER YOUTH & TEEN: News Video Podcast (Ages 10-15)
Course Description:
Students would be collaborating with each other in the creation of an edited short news podcast, and choose which segments they wish to perform on-screen. Each student would alternate between brainstorming, writing, performance, and some technical roles over the course of each class, per individual interest/preference.
The segments described below are the draft thematic options I am currently considering for the students to choose from as individual mini-projects each class day, to collectively create a full program. Students would also be encouraged to concoct their own original segments. Graphical/technical elements would be developed in advance for efficiency.
Local News Report “This Week in Concord”: Student anchors sit behind the news desk presenting comedically-framed local news stories and original content.
Weather Report: Student weather anchors are producing a whimsical take on local weather conditions. The green screen background would have a composited weather map, animated in post-production to correspond.
Science News: Student science correspondents are overviewing the latest in science news. “Latest at NASA + Aliens?” Potential presentation of small-scale visual science experiments on-camera.
Sports Report: Student sports analysts are reporting the recent local school sports events, depending on the season. Potential for the anchor(s) to humorously analyze pre-existing free-domain material, such as the 1967 Baseball World Series, Ping Pong, Quidditch, etc.
Economics Report: Student economists are referencing comically-fake charts and advising stock market investments in hilariously-named corporations of the students’ invention.
Under the Umbrella: Student art correspondents briefly interview an in-house artist or exhibit with iPads, all within the Umbrella Arts facility.
Political Analysis: Students comically arguing in the vein of political analysts, a completely non-partisan and absurdist interpretation of politics, without direct reference to actual political parties. Potential for students to feign portrayals of non- existent candidates for “Mayor of Concord” in the form of a mock debate.
Fake Commercials: Students would create amusing fake products to advertise on camera with green screen/graphics during “a word from our sponsor” commercial interlude.
Furry Friends of Concord: Students highlight their pets (cats, dogs, fish, hamsters, pet rocks, etc) by filming 10-second videos of their pets at home/after class using their phones (or their parents’ phones) emailed to the Umbrella for editorial use. They would then present an on-screen profile of their pet with the provided footage and narrating their pets’ adorable qualities.
Local News Outro: Anchors wrap up and sign off the episode with accreditation to all the student participants and the Umbrella. Graphics and titles. Add the upcoming Umbrella event schedule as an end-screen image.
