MSJC Boot Camp

Tuesday was an exciting day in class. We started off with a presentation by our illustrious leaders, Tom Merritt and Jerome Billins, about the Fair Use Act. They did a great job explaining it so even the Multimedia newbies got a clear understanding. They also taught us what our responsibilities are and how we can make sure everything we do is in our film is in compliance with the laws. Next, we had a presentation by the art people showing some of the cool technology we will have use of—they did some examples of turning a still picture into 3-D, some different types of morphing from an older photo of a building to a new photo, and shared some of the types of music we can use to help portray moods and emotions in the film. The writing team also had a chance to give an update and we shared our progress on the script. It was so much fun to have everyone participate in a fantastic discussion that expanded and refined some ideas for the opening. At the end of the day we even got a surprise treat! The instructors and participants of the MSJC Multimedia Summer Bootcamp invited us to have lunch with them.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Bootcamp, I was able to talk with Don Smith and get an idea of what it is all about. The Summer Bootcamp is a training program offered by the MSJC Multimedia Dept. to teachers from area high schools. It was funded by the Chancellor’s Office, the California Community College Governor’s Technical Education Initiative, and Career Technical Education Community Collaborative Grant and fourteen teachers from the following schools attended: Temecula Valley, Val Verde, Elsinore, Heritage, Chaparral, Perris Lake, Beaumont, Murrieta Mesa, Tahquitz, Murrieta Valley, and Perris. The event is a special 3-day course designed to help the high school teachers prepare their students for a seamless transition into MSJC Multimedia classes—for both dual-enrollment participants and graduates attending MSJC for the first time. MSJC representatives led a total of six sessions that were an Introduction to Multimedia. The sessions were designed to allow MSJC instructors and high school teachers a chance to “get on the same page”. The fast pace of technology changes everything so much, in what seems like just a few minutes, so an open dialog and effective communication between the college and high schools are important for the continued success of students. We are so lucky to have programs like this!

As a parting note, I would like to thank everyone in the Bootcamp for sharing their lunch with us. It was a great privilege and the tacos were wonderful!!