Media Productions Class to Receive 5 State of the Art Video Cameras as Part of Innovative New Program Integrating Filmmaking Techniques into High School English Literature Classes
September 12, 2006 – Brookings, SD – The Independent Film Channel (IFC) and Mediacom Communications announced today the donation of five video cameras to Brookings High School's 11th and 12th grade Media Production classes as part of IFC's groundbreaking new standards-based education initiative Film School, which uses the excitement of film making to enhance the learning experience. Students at Brookings will be able to use the cameras to create original video as a unique tool for increasing their understanding of and passion for English literature.
The presentations to donate the cameras and launch IFC's Film School initiative will be held 10:00 AM today at Brookings High School and will include remarks from local school officials; IFC executives Evan Fleischer and Thom Bennett, and Mediacom's Regional Vice President. Brookings is the third market in the nation to participate in this national public affairs initiative which was launched in January.
"Kids use media in very sophisticated ways every day outside the classroom," said Bill Jensen, Regional Vice President for Mediacom. "Our relationship with IFC will help bring media and video inside the classroom in a productive and innovative manner, helping students to learn English literature and gain useful media literacy tools at the same time. The donation of the video cameras will ensure that students of all means will have the same opportunity to take part in this exciting program."
"Our increasingly digital world demands the integration of traditional forms of learning with new methods and techniques," said Judi Lopez, SVP, National Accounts for Rainbow Networks, which owns IFC. "We believe IFC's Film School will address those needs and interests and open exciting new horizons for students. At the same time, Film School's curriculum fulfills IFC's core mission of supporting the voice of new, young artists."
IFC can be viewed locally on digital cable channel 219. The unique network developed Film School as a way to provide students with the tools they need to get energized about classroom activities. The curriculum's two-pronged objective is to give English teachers additional ways to engage their students and to provide students with tools for increased media literacy. With this curriculum, students will watch films relevant to their English literature classes while simultaneously learning about the art of filmmaking, including screen writing, film production, and critique. Ultimately, students will be encouraged to make their own film interpretations of literature.
IFC also plans to launch a national student film competition this fall that invites students from around the country who have made films as a part of their participation in the Film School curriculum to upload their films to ifc.com where they can be viewed and voted on by viewers nationwide. Top ranking films are featured on IFC and distributed to local cable affiliates as video on demand (VOD) offerings.
Film School was designed and developed by IFC as a public affairs initiative and is a grassroots extension of the network's 2004 docu-drama reality series from acclaimed filmmaker Nanette Burstein in which New York University film students compete for a coveted filmmaking award that could lead to the launch of a high-profile directing career.
IFC's Film School is a free resource. Teachers and students at other schools can register at www.ifc.com/filmschool for Film School materials including:
- Film School Curriculum Lessons Plans
- Multimedia Film Glossary
- Teacher Resources
- Student Resources
- On-line Expert Communities
- Professional Development
- Information about Screenings
- Contest to Showcase Student Works
About IFC:
The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is the first and most widely distributed network dedicated to independent film 24 hours a day, uncut, uncensored and commercial free. The network is part of IFC Companies — the only brand to operate in every area of independent film to include television, production, financing, distribution, digital, on-demand and exhibition. IFC Companies uses its unique cross-platform position to broaden the audience of independent film and to provide independent filmmakers with a strong voice. IFC Companies is a division of Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC.
About Mediacom:
Mediacom Communications is the nation's 8th largest cable television company and one of the leading cable operators focused on serving the smaller cities and towns in the United States. Mediacom Communications offers a wide array of broadband products and services, including traditional video services, digital television, video-on-demand, high-definition television, digital video recorders, high-speed Internet access and telephone service.