You Can Do That on Television

By DEBORAH SAYER

Hanging out with friends, playing video games and watching television will probably top the "To Do" list of activities for many during summer vacation. But one area high school is offering teens an opportunity to learn how television shows are made.

For the 12th year running, Thornton Academy will offer its summer Television Productions Camp, providing area teens in grades 8 through 11 with a behind-the-scenes look at the technology and preparation that goes into creating a television show for broadcast.

The man behind the action is Ray Lund, 58, Thornton’s media graphics design educator.

Lund has 33 years tenure at the school, originally serving as its visual arts instructor to teach such mediums as painting, drawing, pottery and sculpture. These days, he’s retired his brush (at least at the school) to teach digital imaging and television production. He also oversees a staff of 40 teen volunteers who produce student- led programming for Thornton’s TATV Studio, broadcasting on Time Warner Cable’s Channel 3.

When Lund began teaching at Thornton in 1974, video and digital technology did not exist, but with its introduction in the 1980s, he saw video as an emerging art form.

Lund and fellow art educators advocated for merging new media, theater, dance and music as the four major art forms to be taught at the school and were involved in planning the design phase of the school’s new art department in 1995.

"We wanted to add all four disciplines as part of the arts department," said Lund. "(The building) was based on the design that the newly formed arts department had created. We worked directly with the architects. That’s fairly rare. That’s how supportive our trustees were about the process. I literally laid a piece of tracing paper on the initial blue print that the architects brought in."

The department features a center auditorium, surrounded by visual arts studios and performance arenas for the three other disciplines.

"We planned to have what’s called new media as an integral part of the program," said Lund. "The hardest selling point in all this was creating the space for new media. It was very challenging for administrators to wrap their mind around. It was kind of like building the plane and flying it at the same time because all of these new media concepts hadn’t evolved yet, programs in Web design, graphic design, video making and editing. We now are entering what we call Web 2 technology. (Students) are using sophisticated software to create Web sites using software that includes Flash or Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro for video editing."

"Part of my growth as an artist was finding a medium that is close to my heart," said Lund. "When this new imaging came out, I knew that it was the medium I was waiting for. It’s exciting. That’s why I’ve been in the craft so long. Any artist has a passion for something. Mine just happens to be new media. You get to intellectually engage in concepts, but it’s also that technical dimension to the craft that challenges you and to express that craft with mastery. You’re after that ultimate aesthetic."

And Lund is ever the student. Part scientist, part artist, he experiments regularly on his own time to bring those skills into the classroom to challenge his students.

"I’m now working on my master of fine arts degree in computer and new media and am half-way through college level courses that put me right on the cutting edge of what is being offered," said Lund. "I’m staying with or just ahead of my students. Though there are a few crackerjacks that can teach me and it’s a delight just to learn from them."

Lund’s television production team focuses on quality, rather than quantity, putting together about 50 shows each year.

"Our approach allows us a little more reflective time," said Lund. "Art criticism is part of our state mandate. You’ve got to critically look at what you’ve created. A daily show doesn’t allow you to do that. We do have a school news show that does local and statewide coverage, including live footage, on-site interviews and ENG (Electronic News Gathering) packages."

Those packages are delivered to the station where they are presented by two student news anchors.

And since the studio is student-run, Lund is always spreading the word about what options are available to interested students.

"We have a freshmen TATV rally day each year for about 18 students," said Lund. "We have the (student) staff come in for a day of activities to give them a quick immersion into the crazy things we do to give them a taste of the experience."

Participants of the television camp will have a chance to experience a bit of that. They’ll be shown all aspects of production, from script planning to final editing.

"This is a full week intensive in video work and audio work," said Lund. "The goal is to have them put together a show by the end of the week. To get to that point, they’ll learn all the elements of the craft."

Staff Writer Deborah Sayer can be contacted at 282-8228 or at:

dsayer@pressherald.com

[Sidebar]

IF YOU GO . . .

WHAT: Thornton Academy Summer 2008 Television Productions Class

WHEN: 8 a.m. to noon, July 28 through Aug. 1

WHERE: Thornton campus, 438 Main St., Saco, and other locales

COURSE FEE: $145 per person. Class is limited to 15. Signed release forms from a parent or legal guardian are required. Those forms are available online at www.thorntonacademy.org.

For further information, call 282-3361, ext. 242, or e-mail ray.lund@thornton.saco.org.

Originally published by By DEBORAH SAYER Staff Writer.

(c) 2008 Portland Press Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.