Advanced Video Production prepare students for the big screen

The Advanced Video Production program was established at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year which offers opportunities for students interested in filmmaking to learn and practice their skills. 

The elective taught by Karen Alorro provides a more hands-on experience compared to the normal video production course, in which students learn the basics and gain new experiences like making music videos or documentaries. 

“I like learning new things about our school through events I’ve filmed and covered,” junior Elisa Garcia said. I got to see and learn about band that I’ve never known before. I [was] able to have an inside look in things I’ve never seen before when filming.” 

Since this class’s debut, the students have worked on a collaborative short film with Drama called the “Trailblazing Production.” The name was created by Alorro, based on the equestrian term “Trailblazing.” The film will be a murder drama with a plot meant to practice all the basic skills to produce, film and edit. 

“I chose [the name] “Trailblazing” because I aim to groom ‘trailblazers’ in my class–innovators and people who create the pathway for others,” Alorro said. “I am especially proud of my Advanced Video Production students because they are literally the ‘trailblazers’ for the Walnut High School video production program.”

However, as film production progressed, the crew eventually encountered some difficulties. Some of the actors’ schedules conflicted with their original plan, and ideas for the film didn’t translate as they’d expected to the actual product.

“Alorro would cheer us up and console us whenever we needed it. Our way of thinking is that the more and more videos we produce, even if it’s bad, there’s still gonna be that one video that we will be satisfied with,” sophomore Audrey Nunez said. 

Shortly after creating the first cut, the project was halted until after winter break due to an advertisement the students are developing. Currently, the students are working on a promotional video to introduce the programs that the school has to offer. The various CTE, athletic and academic programs will be featured. 

“It’s going pretty well, but due to our scheduling conflicts it’s been pretty tough but it’s coming along,” sophomore Deandra Meza said. “I have enjoyed filming and coming up with the shots that match the energy and emotion we try to portray in our films.” 

Since 1997, the video production program was established for weekly broadcast videos but discontinued for a while. This year, these seven students act as the foundation for the shaping and developing of the program. In the future, the goal is to attract more students interested in the field. 

“The main idea is to get students to [understand] that the class is less of an actual academic class but more of an opportunity for the future in something they may find interesting,” senior Jonathan Liao said.