While basketball teams playing in Lincoln-Way High School’s post-Christmas tournament dashed back and forth across the gym floor, another team was on the move in the balcony.
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The LWTV crew, the student organization that televises school events and creates programming, was filming the tournament’s four days of games last week at the east campus in Frankfort and training the next generation of video technicians as well.
Tom Arthur, who supervises the 39 students on the LWTV crew, decided this month to use the tournament as a workshop experience for junior high school pupils interested in television production.
The high school crew quickly took the youngsters under its wing, organized them according to areas of interest and demonstrated how to set up and use cameras, cables, monitors and sound equipment.
“We’ve always had little brothers and sisters show up [to help the high school crew],” Arthur said. So this year he extended the opportunity to junior high school pupils in the Lincoln-Way attendance area.
And they jumped right in, aiming cameras, editing tape, adding graphics, mixing sound and taking the microphone for play-by-play and color commentary.
Tony Johnson, 13, of Summit Hill Junior High School in Frankfort Square, said editing is easy once you get the hang of it. “You’ve just got to pay attention to everything,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to doing the camera,” said Cristian Bitter, 11, from Mokena Junior High School. “I want a career.” Cristian said he has learned a lot just watching professionals. “I watch so much TV, I know what to do and what not to do,” he said.
James Foster, 13, who attends Martino Junior High School in New Lenox, is making career plans too.
“I’ve always liked TV, and I want to be a meteorologist on the Weather Channel,” he said.
Helping film the Lincoln-Way games was right in line with Brianna Lynch’s career goals.
“I want to be a news anchor and a sports announcer,” said Brianna, 12, who attends St. George School in Tinley Park.
Kara Worthman, 12, of Summit Hill Junior High, sees the work as a steppingstone.
“I just want this to be my day job,” she said. “I want to be an actress.”
Molly Rose, a 13-year-old pupil at Christ’s Academy in Manhattan, likes the behind-the-scenes work.
“I’m really very interested in audio. I’m very interested in sound booths,” she said. “The sound board with all the levers is something I have to conquer.”
Johnny Lindbloom, 12, of St. Jude School in New Lenox, had a simpler reason for volunteering to learn about audio. “I just like to press buttons,” he said.
The LWTV students enjoyed sharing their expertise.
“I like setting up all the equipment and helping out everybody who doesn’t know how to use it,” said Don Winnie, 16, of Mokena.
“We do what needs to be done and have fun doing it,” said Janine Batchelor, 16, of Manhattan. “I’m being secretary for the tournament.”
Student announcers Joe Mroch, 18, and Tom Ritter, 15, both of New Lenox, were eager to explain their role. “You’ve got to know your stuff about sports,” Ritter said. “You’ve got to know a good play.”
Announcers have to stay aware of a lot of information, from statistics to players’ names, Mroch said. “If [the junior high school students] learn to do two things at once, it’ll give them mental discipline.”
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TV production requires a lot of time and energy, Arthur said.
“We do an incredible amount of work, but it’s fun work,” he said. “Once you find what you like to do, the time just flies.”