School Documentary

For all Media students...

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to be involved in a prestigious project that will remain long after you've left GHS. Imagine your name on the end credits of a documentary that people are watching in 50 years time to see what the school was like at the start of the millennium!

As most of you should already know, Mrs Griffin has commissioned a film to be made over the course of the next year that will document our school as we prepare to leave our present accommodation and move into the new buildings.

We are hoping that this will serve as a record of a very important time in the school's history -– of the staff and students who work here and of the current environment where this happens (before it is demolished), thus preserving memories and images of GHS in 2005-2006 for future generations. It is something that we hope to show to invited audiences (like at the Media Awards Evening) and for it to appear on the new school website when it's up and running.

A number of Year 13s have already captured footage from the Prospective Parents' Evening and various other major events over the past term or so (well done to them!) Now we are moving on to the exciting second stage of the project that will involve some of you working alongside real media professionals!

During the week commencing 27-02, a top Channel 5 news reporter - Lindley Gooden (above) - will be in school for a whole day to work with a select group of Year 12 and 13 Media students who will form the main planning team of the project. Your task will be to come up with ideas about what we want to include in the film - it's your school and you know it as well as anyone!

On this day we will also be assigning roles for the remainder of the project. To get one of the key roles you must have been selected for the planning meeting. We'll need camera crews, interviewers, people to be involved in the editing etc. Some of the subsequent shoot will be filmed by you (either with or without Lindley) and we'll also be employing a professional cameraperson for a few days to work with you too. When it comes to the editing stage we will also seek to get outside involvement, so again you will get to work alongside someone with industry knowhow.

There really is no substitute for this kind of opportunity - it's a bit like getting media work experience (often really hard to come by) without having to leave the school! It will look very impressive on your CV/Personal Statement whether you choose to go on to do media in the future or not.

So if you want to be part of the team you need to email Macguffin to say why you want to be involved, what experience you already have that makes you suitable to be a member (media experience and your personal qualities) and which specific roles interest you and why. You may also like to suggest a few ideas for the film itself that might demonstrate your keen eye for documentary production and this could be the thing that sets you apart from the other candidates. The deadline is Sunday 26-02 and you will be informed by email if you are successful and when the day-long planning meeting will occur.

Good luck!