LINDEN, NJ — Students from Linden High School’s TNT News Crew are determined to participate in an educational workshop at the Imagination Campus at Disney World in early May.
The TNT News crew are all TV/Film Production students enrolled in the TV Digital Media advanced class at Linden High’s Academy of Excellence. They assist with taking pictures and videos of most of the events happening around the district, including sports games, concerts, assemblies and award ceremonies. They are true “magical elves” around the district and they are fundraising to go to the home of magic itself, Disney World. The youth are seeking donations for the early May trip and will continue to accept contributions beyond the date of the trip.
At the Immersive Storytelling Workshop at Disney’s Imagination Campus, the students will get an inside look at how Disney Imagineers create immersive environments that support the living stories of their theme parks. Through this journey, they’ll discover how a wide range of disciplines — from live performances and music to sculptures and culinary arts — all come together to bring stories to life inside the Disney Theme Parks. Then students will create their own live action story using those elements.
Educator Chris Paskewich, who manages the TNT crew said, “I try to incorporate real life experiences throughout the year, such as going to television studios and collaborating with other schools. Things to show them that other students are doing what we’re doing here and they’re doing it in real life, too. So, by going to Disney and learning about their craft, it will show them that what we’re doing here in class means they could potentially work in a place like Disney or elsewhere in that industry.”
Linden High senior and member of the crew Gabriel Gonzalez said being able to go to this workshop would be very meaningful. Said Gonzalez, “I really want to do film when I grow up. I’ve been a big fan of movies and Disney since I was a kid and, after being in this class for four years, I’ve seen all our hard work really pay off. This trip would give me drive and inspiration for my future career.”
Senior Erica Hernandez wants to attend the workshop to learn video editing skills because she said, “All companies use the same platforms and we use real-world platforms here, so we can find tips and tricks to make our productions even better. The equipment that we use is also the equipment that they use, so we can see how we can fluctuate using our equipment here as they do there.”
The students have the support of the Linden Board of Education as well. Board member Brianna Armstead said, “It’s important that as a district, as administrators and board of education members, we nourish and encourage the career path into TV and media. Journalism is something that was instrumental in my life, that I developed a strong passion for, and I really want to guide these kids to discover their passions,” Armstead said. “And also, they could make a lot of money in this field!”
Junior Richard Lugo said, “Disney is probably the biggest filmmaking company on the planet and, seeing how they do their stuff, maybe we could learn to become big, too!”
Linden High School Principal Charles Koonce said, “We can teach students the theory, but we also have to give the real-world applications, so the students can make full connections and gain hands-on information, so I am happy to be part of the wonderful attempt to bring our students to Disney Studios. We thank everyone for their support and we look forward to accomplishing this goal.”
Photos Courtesy of Meremu Chikwendu