Audio Video Productions class helps students develop communication skills

Audio Video Productions is an elective course taught by instructor Dan Balman. There is an advanced class offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors and an intro class for freshman.

The main goal of the intro class is to get students comfortable using a camera, working with editing software and understanding how communication works.

“To get to the point where you are comfortable, first you have to be uncomfortable,” Balman said.

The advanced class is student run, they bring the skills they learned in the intro class and work together applying those skills.

This semester Balman is teaching three audio video classes and last semester he taught four. He has around 80 students in the intro class and around 40 in the advanced class.

“This class is more than running a camera and editing,” Balman said. “It’s learning the communication process of how to listen and how to speak, working with people in small groups, being able to dissect news stories and having an understanding of news.

Balman enjoys teaching this class because of the relationships he builds and the uniqueness of the students in his classes.

“I enjoy the diversity of the kids I have in here, everybody brings something different to the table,” Balman said. “I love seeing their creativity and vision come to life and to develop relationships with them.”

21abrooks@usd489.com