Students take part in video projects throughout the semester.
Photo courtesy of Midwood High School.

May 1, 2009 - Recently staff from the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting took a trip out to Brooklyn to speak with students engaged in the film and media program at Midwood High School on the Brooklyn College campus.

Commissioner Katherine Oliver and members of the MOFTB staff met with a group of fifty students and their teachers, giving the high schoolers an overview of the film office and the production industry in New York City. Students learned about the history of the agency, some of the historic films and TV shows that have shot here over the years, and how the MOFTB works with productions to achieve on-location scenes on the streets of New York. The students also got to take a look at the PSA campaign “Reel Jobs. Reel Proud. Reel New Yorkers.” which highlights local residents who work in the City’s film and TV industry.

Commissioner Oliver and the staff were also given a tour of the school’s film and media studio, which was designed by Midwood alumnus Jerry Eisenberg and contains a traditional three camera set-up, blue screen, control room and editing suite. Today, under the leadership of Principal David Cohen, Midwood’s media program services approximately 500 students a year who fulfill their New York State mandated art credit while learning media literacy and digital video production. The school also just added an animation class that teaches digital, cell, and stop motion animation.

Midwood students are taught to explore community and cultural resources to achieve their video projects. Last semester, Midwood collaborated with Red Bucket films on the “My Block” project, empowering students to create a series of vignette video portraits featuring life in New York City.

For more information on the Midwood Film program please contact Dr. Ernest Pysher at epysher@schools.nyc.gov or phone 718-724-8566.