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BMCC announced today that it received a $93,350.00 grant to extend “BMCC On Air,” a student-produced news magazine style program. The National Science Foundation Grant is a smaller, supplemental grant to a 2005 NSF grant for BMCC’s Video Arts and Technology (VAT) program, which provides a dynamic hands-on and theoretical education in video, audio and television production.
“BMCC On Air” Gives Students Direct Responsibility
The NSF grant directly supports “BMCC On Air” which was developed as a response to a shortage of HDV TV internships for the VAT program’s students. “BMCC On Air” offers students a hands-on opportunity to work in a state-of-the-art HDV TV studio, giving the students direct responsibility for the outcome of the show. Over the past two semesters, 52 students have collaborated to produce sets, graphics, music, and more than 15 news segments about events in the college, the surrounding community, and youth culture.
The original NSF grant addresses the need to integrate government mandated and industry-wide high definition and digital technology standards into college curricula. Specifically, the initial grant was intended to prepare women and minority students for career opportunities created by the anticipated change-over of the entire American television industry to digital and HDV technology in 2008.
“BMCC On Air” Trains Women and Minorities
“BMCC On Air” is a key aspect of the VAT program’s focus to train women and minorities, both of which are underrepresented in the broadcasting industry. “BMCC On Air” leverages BMCC’s state-of-the-art facility, providing unprecedented experience for the women and minority students in the program, and gives them an advantage as they seek employment opportunities in a competitive industry.
“We realized that we could not provide large numbers of our students with internship opportunities that would immerse them in key positions of HDV production, and finding appropriate internships for VAT students to work directly with cutting edge HDV technology in an authentic industry setting was challenging, “But, ‘BMCC On Air’ insures that they have hands on experience with the latest HD technology.”, said Professor Shari Mekonen.
Students in the VAT program, many of whom are women and minorities, develop the confidence that comes from hands on experience and successes in the field. BMCC’s VAT program has attracted attention from New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg’s Task Force on Diversity in the Film, Television and Theater Industry, which has approached the VAT program to participate in an initiative to help diversify a crucial segment of the city’s economy.
Prof. Poster Calls “BMCC On Air” a Maturing Experience
Professor Sandra Poster said, “Faculty members serve as the overall supervisors of the project, but the students really get to make the decision, which is really what they will have to do when they go out in their professions. I think it is a very maturing experience and it puts a lot of responsibility on students in the best possible way. So we think it is very important that we were able to receive this additional funding to support the continuation of the project.”
Students participating in “BMCC On Air” work under the direction of a professional television producer and operate as a professional production company experiencing first hand the organizational elements needed to complete a regularly scheduled program. The capabilities of BMCC’s new high-definition studio, camcorders, graphics programs and edit systems are learned and mastered under the pressure of real deadlines and industry standards. Participants take away a professional CD of the segments they have produced that demonstrates to potential employers their readiness to work in a professional environment.
