Our students participated in Thunder Media Day, a valuable life and learning experience
The Oklahoma City Thunder Media Day is jam-packed with video and photo shoots to prepare promotions for the upcoming season.
It’s hard to describe. You really need to be there, just like the Broadcast and Video Production students from Francis Tuttle Technology Center.
“I definitely got a major life experience out of it,” said Broadcast student Terrell Hunter. “I was in the green screen room. I got to work with the players a little bit, pump them up and get them in a playful mood for the video shoot.”
A group of students from instructors Waleed Salim and Marc Dillard’s classes attended Thunder Media Day on Sept. 26, and they weren’t only observers. Francis Tuttle students got in on the action, interacting with players, working with Thunder production staff, and getting their hands on professional equipment and software that helps make the NBA team’s season so memorable.
“I was in the messaging room. Players would come in and read off cue cards and record various messages,” Lanie Hansen said. “I got a real-world experience. You don’t get a do-over with work like that. You have to be ready to go.”
Students spent all day working in various stations. They worked with a green screen, recorded video messages, and monitored audio to ensure the final product was high quality.
Broadcast and Video Production students have participated in Thunder Media Day for several years. All of the students this year were doing it for the first time.
“What I liked is, I settled into it pretty easy,” Hunter said. “Now, I’m centered on a career working on a production team with ESPN. That’s my ultimate goal.”
Students also met with Thunder media staff and people from other outlets, such as ESPN, The Franchise, and Fox Sports. They saw first-hand the work done by professionals and how to use what they learned in their own projects.
“I really liked seeing the pattern they create to get what they want,” Hayden Mortimer, who worked with players in front of a giant LED animation screen, said. “You can take that process they use and apply it to your own work.”
