November 5th, 2004 at Plug n Play studios in Reading.
Take 40 students, 3 workshop leaders and a modest collection of digital audio and video equipment and what can you achieve in under 4 hours? How about six minutes of rockumentary-come-reality TV and a cheesy Christmas pop record?
Scripted, planned and edited for a same afternoon matinee screening, the X-Factor inspired programme "Star Track" was the brainchild of sixth-form media students at Reading's Little Heath school. During the day, students not only wrote and recorded a Christmas single for their newly manufactured band ‘6-Star,’ entitled ‘Put on your boots (It's Christmas)’, but directed and shot the music video (using a blue screen), interviewed the band, wrote the programme’s script, filmed behind the scenes and took a crash course in editing – all within a school day, and all right on their doorstep!
Nicole Abley,
head of Media at the school said, “Media is a new subject to Little Heath
and the pupils will benefit greatly from the practical support offered
by the team at Readipop, both in and outside of the classroom. It was a once
in a lifetime opportunity for many of them. I can’t praise the crew at
Readipop enough!” Students are already looking forward to more visits
to the studios to aid their film making and recording skills.
The results exceeded everyone's expectations. Check out some images from the
video and the finished track below:
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Click here to listen to the track. Visit Little Heath School online here.