Simon’s Rock students don’t wait to land a job at a major studio to find out what it’s like to anchor a news program, moderate a political debate or produce a television broadcast; they enroll in Larry Burke’s Electronic Arts Studio Video Production course. With unfettered access to the state-of-the-art equipment located in the College’s Electronic Arts Studio, Burke tours students through the technical process of filming by orchestrating a series of three hands-on projects. “The goal,” he says, “is to introduce the students to aspects of broadcast journalism, to familiarize them with the range of technology in the studio, and to learn techniques that are used in 3-camera ‘live-to-tape’ productions.”

Welcome to class: a dimly lit studio with a bright green screen, a grid sporting electronically-controlled lighting, a chroma key curtain for blue-screen effects, sophisticated digital video cameras, and a seamless backdrop for still photography. Next door in the control room, students work on a massive sound and lighting board, control the teleprompter, and monitor screens feeding shots from the studio and the field. “Basically,” Burke says, “this is a near-professional television studio.”

On a Friday afternoon in October, the EAS class is finalizing their first project. Students are collaboratively writing, directing, producing and reporting on the political climate at Simon’s Rock in a program they call, “The Election Nears: Conversations on the 2008 Presidential Election.” Splitting into groups of three, correspondents interviewed campus political experts like Political Science professor Asma Abbas and Provost and Vice President Mary B.Marcy. Today, they are cutting the field segments together with studio pieces.

Floor managers are calling for cameramen to “tighten the cues” and for anchors to “stay on the mark.” The control room crew tracks the action on half a dozen screens while cueing monologues on the teleprompter and relaying feedback to the crew in studio. “Tell Patty to look up,” one student instructs after she catches the correspondent’s sideways gaze while introducing a field segment. Patty looks up and nails the introduction on the third take. “Got it,” director Olivia Stransky relays to the floor manager.

Guiding the taping process is veteran television producer Mike Watt. As students in the control room question what can and can’t be edited during “post production” Watt weighs-in, peppering the conversation with industry wisdom. “Keep the tape rolling,” he says motioning his arms. “There is nothing cheaper than tape.” Watt and Burke dart between the control room and the studio. They’re advising students on how to adapt to unexpected technical difficulties. The students are quick to improvise. “OK, listen up,” the floor manager pipes, “When we’re rolling just pay attention to my cues. I’m the only one with sound.”