It’s one the largest screens in a Texas school district; the Southside ISD Stadium Jumbotron. However, nothing is as big as the hearts and passion of “Cinema South SA” – the Jumbotron crew and A/V production class. If you’ve been to a football game at Southside Stadium this year, you very likely found yourself watching the Jumbotron more than you did the players on the field. You’re not alone.
Mr. Nephtali Valdes, A/V Production teacher and sponsor for both “Cinema South SA” and Sport Media Production, is deeply impressed with his students who took to the technology like fish to water. “I am really proud and a little surprised on how quickly the students picked up the cinematography techniques and came together… to put on a production. I hope the community noticed and wants it to grow. I hope it is not just me but everyone in the community.”
He says the potential to make Southside the premiere school district for production is limitless. The equipment the students are using at the stadium rivals that at the AT&T Center and Toyota Field. According to broadcast experts, Southside students are using technology that some of our local broadcasters would be jealous of…and that is saying something!
But this crew isn’t just about the production at the stadium, Valdes said. The students are producing media daily, “It is part of our lives whether you accept it or not. Everything we do in the classroom is everything we do in the field,” said Valdes, a first-year teacher. And, these students are learning skills that they can put to use right now that can benefit them later in the professional world. Ultimately Valdes says he sees Southside High School being the big draw for students interested in broadcasting, sports media, and film and media production.