For 18 weeks in the fall, two 11-student teams produce 15-minute newscasts, complete with commercials and public service announcements. The students have to set up camera shoots, schedule studio time, coordinate the proper lighting and write scripts.

“The students have to be able to tell a story visually. They have to be able to take a message and communicate it effectively,” Hutchinson said.

Holt said for his generation, it?s all about using video to tell stories.

“For a lot of us, the technology is just so interesting,” he said. “We enjoy learning how to use it and have developed problem-solving skills in the class.”

Kim Henn, another student in the class, said she wants to pursue a career in video production to make films about snowboarding, her favorite hobby.

“I really like snowboarding, and I?m not the type to sit in an office all day,” she said.

Although the student newscasts are relatively short, a lot of work goes into the production.

“Our projects require a large group of coordinated people and take an immenseamount of time,” said Joanna Bloomfield, a student in the class.

For their final projects, students have to complete either a short film or a video program, Hutchinson said.

Last year, students in the class produced a feature-length film called “September Destination,” a haunting tale about a hitchhiker.

“It was a well-written script,” Hutchinson said.

Holt said he?s well on his way to achieving his dream in the field.

“I?d like to go to Towson University or the University of Maryland and maybe transfer to Full Sail in Orlando; it?s a great film school,” he said.

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