CCSD Pathway Profiles: Arts, A/V Technology and Communications
Woodstock High School teacher Jeff Wagner leads the school’s Career Pathway program for Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications. Here he works with sophomore Sarah Laurenceau on filming using a professional camera.
The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives. Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs. This week’s profile focuses on the Arts, A/V Technology and Communications program, which is offered at all CCSD high schools:
Emmy Award winner. Music production studio owner. Film producer. Videography business owner.
These are just a few recent student success stories from Woodstock High School’s Career Pathway program in Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications.
Teacher Jeff Wagner is in his 18th year at Woodstock HS and has helped guide students to these and other career successes.
“In teaching video production, I help students learn to take an idea and bring it to life,” said Mr. Wagner, who brought a background in advertising and marketing with him to the program. “I enjoy working with students who are passionate about learning different areas of television or movie production and helping them explore those areas of interest as a possible career.”
During his classes, students often are assigned real-world projects, like producing a weekly live news broadcast for the entire school every Friday.
“I think career classes are beneficial because they allow students to explore potential career paths and develop skills that will help them to be successful in those careers. Career tech classes also stress developing good work habits, provide real-world learning for specific jobs, and even help students develop skills and knowledge that adults find useful no matter what career they choose,” Mr. Wagner said. “In my class, students are exposed to many different aspects of both television production and the movie industry and are allowed to explore different roles and decide if that is a career path they want to pursue.”
Senior Abbey Skouras said, thanks to Mr. Wagner’s classes, she now plans to study film in college and pursue a career in the field.
“His classes have given me an opportunity to discover a love for film I would have otherwise not gotten the chance to explore,” she said. “I have been able to create with and experience using different types of equipment and had opportunities to use those skills outside of school. Entering into the broadcasting Pathway was the best decision I made in high school; I have discovered a love and a passion I would not have before.”
Within the Pathway, classes offered include: audio/video technology and film; audio/video technology and film II; audio/video technology and film III; and broadcast video production application. Students can earn Adobe Certified Associate and Adobe Premier Pro industry certifications and can compete with their school’s SkillsUSA team in audio/video contests at the state and national level.
This Pathway prepares students for careers including, but not limited to: producer, director, broadcast news analyst, agent or business manager for actors, singers or athletes; technical director/manager, casting director, copy writer, actor, film and video editor, audio/video and multimedia collections specialist, multimedia artist/animator, theatrical makeup artist, camera operator, broadcast technician, audio/video equipment technician, set or exhibit designer.
The average income range for careers in this Pathway in Georgia is $44,000 to $100,000-plus. Employers for this Pathway in Georgia include, but are not limited to: Trilith Studios, Blackhall Studios, EUE/Screen Gems Studios, Tyler Perry Studios, Third Rail Studios, Studio Space, Atlanta Studios, Coco Studios, Studio Plexx47, Encore Film and Music Studio, WAGA Fox 5 Atlanta, Georgia Public Broadcasting, PBS Atlanta, WXIA 11 Alive, WGCL TV CBS 46 Atlanta, WSB TV, TNT.
#CCSDfam