Dominic Bigue is the teacher at Capuchino who instructs the art of video class and the “International Baccalaureate Film” class. Bigue uses the class to teach all elements of production from the screenplay to final video. In the two year “IB” film class, students study the depth of film by analyzing aspects of film making and creating films. The art of video class is offered as a Regional Occupational Program class where students are given transferable credits for college. Leonel Madrano, now a freshman at the College of San Mateo, previously attended Capuchino. As a senior at Capuchino, Medrano took the art of video class and is now taking it again under an internship program.

“The class gets you excited. It’s helped show me what I want to do with my life. Plus, I get college credit,” Medrano said.

This hands-on class involves 30 Apple computer stations with the professional “Final Cut Pro” editing program. Students can borrow cameras, tripods, microphones and other video tools. There is more than $25,000 worth of equipment available to students. These tools provide students with many opportunities to explore different techniques and styles while learning about video production.

From the outside, this classroom seems average. On the inside, however, the room transforms into a working studio that resembles an actual television studio. With a full “green screen,” professional-type cameras and a control room, students are given the resources to create large-scale productions.

These video classes are not just offered to the students at Capuchino, but are also offered to students from other high schools, college students and even adults. The class also offers screenings of the work students have finished. Periodically after school, students eat popcorn and view the movies or segments they worked on for weeks.

Capuchino junior Isabelle Kiely is in her third semester of the art of video class.

“It’s awesome. You get to use a video camera and you are able to produce your own ideas,” Kiely said.

Kiely has helped produce many of the news broadcasts that are shown every Thursday during the school year. She is currently working on a news feature on the “Sojourn to the Past” trip. Typically the news segments run between two and three minutes and focuses on a specific event. Kiely is also working on a video for parents that will be shown at the eighth grade high school information night. Kiely has also created various creative videos along with the news segments she produces. Other creative projects students complete, include interviews, video poems, life stories, and music videos.

“I recommend others to take the class because it’s the best way to show creativity,” Medrano said.

The Capuchino High School art of video class addresses all elements of video production. By using advanced technology and the willingness to produce, students are able to create actual works of art. The news videos that the students create can be viewed on the schools Web site at chs.smuhsd.org. The student’s creative videos and video projects can be viewed at chs.smuhsd.org/bigue/art_of_video/index/index.html.

Vanessa Harvey is a senior at Burlingame High School. She can be reached at Vanessa@smdailyjournal.com.