Lights, Camera, Action! Writers are furiously writing and not running out of ideas; new ideas sparking every given moment; cameramen are discovering different new angles; directors are laying out the instructions for everyone; actors are following the directions they are given.

That is a typical day in this module called “TV Show Creation,” taught by Ms. Katherine Coughlin.

TV Show Creation is a 9-week long module where students create their very own 5-minute long TV show-ish videos. Students of any grade can take the module but only during the first and fourth quarter. Students get to experience the roles of actors, directors, cameraman, and writers in this module.

“The videos that are created during this module are submitted to an aspiring filmmakers competition towards the end of the quarter,” said Ms. Coughlin.

Students are assigned to a group of four to five people based on the survey they fill out during the first week of the module. These students then work together for the rest of the quarter each assigned with roles of their own, such as directing, shooting the videos, checking the script, again and again, to spot a mistake or add to it. And two things everyone has to do is write the script and act (not necessary if you are the cameraman).  Students decide what sort of video they want to create, where they want to shoot the video, and which outfits the cast will be wearing.

Junior Hansel Figueroa says, “I never had this much fun in any of the modules I took in the past couple of years, and I  think it might be because of the abundance of independence and personal choice provided in the module.”

This module does in fact give students a lot of freedom given the fact that they can choose what they want to write, who to sit next to, etc.

Junior David Howard thinks “This module is great for those who wish to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, even if they do not necessarily have any prior information of it.”

This shows how the module is both a pathway to refine one’s interest in the entertainment industry, as well welcoming those not familiar with it,

Unlike other iSchool modules where one can earn a whole credit depending on the subject area, this module is based on this module lets you earn 0.5 English Credit and 0.5 Technology credit.

And you might ask as to why you are getting this 0.5 technology credit is given to students in a module taught by an English teacher.

Well, according to Ms. Coughlin “ the real-world problem solving that students learn in this module is that, most of the students who take this module arrive entirely unaware of how to use iMovie and other similar software but at the end of the quarter almost everyone can edit certain scenes, and most students leave mastering the skills of  using editing software.”

The first couple of weeks are usually spent learning about different parts of humorous skits and watching videos made by students who previously took this module and learning from the mistakes they made.

And then when they are assigned to their designated groups, they start working towards completing their own skits.

To say the least, this might be perceived as another typical iSchool module that focuses on solving real-world problems, provides you with responsibility, gives you enough freedom, all of which is consistent in the three core beliefs of the NYC iSchool. But what makes this module different? Unlike other modules, you are able to create your own videos or even act and write your scripts. Isn’t that interesting enough?

Well, if you even have the slightest interest in directing, acting or writing you should definitely put this module as your first choice for the 4th quarter, which is the last quarter of this school year.