Houston County Career Academy cuts ribbon on AVTF lab

Friday morning, the Houston County Career Academy held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Audio Video Technology and Film Lab. HCCA Principal Sebrina Phelps said that this program has been five years in the making and started off as two computer labs, but has now become a full studio. Established in August, the program is for high school students that are interested in the television and film industries, and currently, 30 students are enrolled. The program teaches students aspects of the field including but not limited to terminology, safety, programming and production, lighting, and recording and editing. The lab is equipped with professional recording equipment, cameras, lights, and a green screen.  

Candace Hollingshed is the instructor for the program and has experience in the film industry.

“That’s the beauty of the Career Academy; we are a school of folks who are experts in their field,” Phelps said. “These folks are industry trained and so they’re able to share the love for what they do with our students.”

Hollingshed said that to date, the students in the program have produced a video montage, public service announcements, and a class produced newscast in which individuals in the district were interviewed. At the beginning of the year, Hollingshed said that she stepped into a classroom with a few chairs, tables and computers, “But on the first day of school I was proud to gain 30 optimistic and very excited students.”

Aaron Buzza, with Visit Macon and The Macon Film Commission, said that the pathway is opening at the perfect time. “We’ve seen the impact of film and television production grow significantly here in Middle Georgia; especially in the last year. This is an industry that will continue to grow both here and statewide, and provide students an opportunity to find high paying jobs,” Buzza explained.

“This program provides a wonderful opportunity to our students and is another way that our career academy can provide industry qualified employees,” said Superintendent of Houston County Schools Dr. Mark Scott. He further explained that the county is a Georgia Camera Ready Community, meaning the county connects film and TV productions with skilled liaisons to provide local expertise and support.

Perry High School junior, and student in the program, Kanah Belflower said that he has already benefited from the program. “If I didn’t take this class and I jumped into film right after high school, right after college—whenever I did—I wouldn’t have nearly as much of an understanding,” he said. Belflower further explained that he has already learned about camera work, directing, screen writing and acting. He also shared that now that he has the basics, he can focus on the more advanced aspects of the field. Belflower also says that the concepts learned in the course can reach into fields outside the television and film industry, such as sports recording and the medical field regarding instructional videos, among many others. “It’s really good to know how to run a camera in an age where everything is digital.”

Belflower said that the class has taught him life skills such as saying no and being decisive. “You have to learn how to be more of a commanding person for certain situations. It improves how you act professionally and how you act in your everyday life by making you more professional in your mannerisms and personality. It just overall improves who you are,” Belflower noted.

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