Creating a Culture

At the end of the year (calendar year, not school year.  Sorry seniors) it's interesting to see where some of the TV 1 students are in regards to doing video projects.  We've covered the basics, gone over the shots, and had some practice in earlier projects.  It's around this time where things tend to get a little crazy, as we come up with story ideas revolving around an innocent, little, yellow, banana.

The Case of the Stolen Banana is a simple in execution, but ripe (ha! Shem joke) with creative potential.  I've seen everything from morph suits, to Assassins Creed costumes, giant gorillas, ninjas, lightsaber duels, and the list goes on and on.  So it's always an exciting project to do where the opportunity to flex creatively comes to the forefront.  

The project announcement has always garnered the same reaction.  "Banana?" asked rhetorically. Blank stares. Thoughts of me being crazy.  "Wait, seriously...a banana?"  This marks only the third year in which the project has been done, but it's interesting to see the impact it has made on the students who have done it in the past.  While current TV students are caught up in the production and "ride" of doing wacky things for their project they get to hear the overflow of comments coming from TV1 Alums. "Oh you guys are doing the Banana Project!". "That was my favorite project1". 'I loved that project!". Etc.  Instant connection between old a new, with a quick dash of nostalgia. 

In such a short time frame a project has been established that is uniquely Raritan, ours, our own, and thus a culture around the Television Production class and school itself has been born.   Something to think about as many of you leave your mark on the school.  What culture have you created?  What will resonate in the halls long after you graduate and move on to the next big thing?  What mark will you leave, when somebody steals your banana?