SANFORD — Lights, camera, action ”“ roll ’em. WSSR-TV is on the scene, videotaping that soccer game, a school committee meeting, creating a music video, or filming former First Lady Barbara Bush as she reads to children at a Springvale daycare.
From public service announcements that carry a stark message ”“ like the one about dangers of drinking alcohol ”“ or a perky, punchy, fun promo featuring little children encouraging folks to “Stuff the Bus” for education, young people in high school are creating powerful messages on videotape.
“I want to be a director,” said Emily Hutchins, a student at Sanford Regional Technical Center’s Media Communications program. “This is an opportunity to do what my passion is.”
Hutchins, Corey Eldridge and Joseph Lenhardt, who recently created a music video, are among many enthusiastic contributors to WSSR-TV.
Eldridge, a self-described perfectionist, said he’s into editing and has a passion for special effects, while Lenhardt enjoys acting and got the film-making bug taping his brother Rollerblading.
Bri Ryan of Berwick, also a media communications student, said she’s ready to get involved with WSSR-TV. She enjoys editing and filming for her classes.
“I’m behind the scenes, creating what people see,” said Ryan, who hopes to edit a talk show one day.
And while these and other students are filming and editing now ”“ and have been for some time as part of their media communications studies ”“ soon they and other Sanford students, not affiliated with the communications class, will be broadcasting from a new state-of-the-art television station.
WSSR-TV is located inside the Sanford Regional Technical Center portion of the Sanford High School building complex, in space that was renovated this past summer. The set-up isn’t yet complete ”“ it is a work in progress.
The new station, video cameras and editing equipment and all the other pieces that go into setting up a professional television station are funded for three years from the Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse of the (former) federal Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools program, at about $320,000 a year.
Coordinators hired to oversee WSSR-TV are Shannon Surran, who is out in the community, drumming up programming ideas for municipal entities like the police and fire departments, or for the host of non-profit agencies in town; and Sarah Schnell, the behind-the-scenes station manager. Both have prior television station experience, but consider their new positions combining television and working with youth a plum assignment.
They began this summer, working with students at a summer film institute hosted by Project Aware, and auditions were held in late September for a second movie: Sanford High School students a year ago wrote, filmed and edited a movie called “April’s Heart” that was recently recognized at the Portland Film Festival.
An upcoming production is a public service announcement to be filmed with first grade students at Carl J. Lamb School on the subject of respect, which will be edited by Schnell and a student.
The television project has the backing of Jamie Anderson, who teaches the media communications program, Sanford High School film club advisor James Harmon and SRTC Director James Stopa.
At some point, WSSR-TV hopes to broadcast over the public, education and government channel the town has from cable television provider Metrocast and recently won support for that venture from the town council.
Until the cable television channel can be arranged, videos produced can be viewed now on the school’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/WSSRCTV, or later ”“ they hope by Christmas ”“ at the television station’s own website, which is in the process of being developed.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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