The Light and Cameras For the Future

In the confined office, filled with books, videotapes and other performing arts works, the BCC Director of the Media Technology program sat eager to chat. Professor Jeffrey Wisotsky, in his leather chair conversed on the award winning program that reaches out to the hearts and minds of upcoming filmmakers, editors and the like.

Beginning in the mid to late 1970’s, the Media Technology Program has changed quite a bit over the years. Starting as a vocational program that fixed 16-millimeter projectors, it then transformed into an audiovisual services for recording and splicing the old analog techniques that were used in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. In the early 1990’s it was changed to Television Technology and when Professor Wisotsky came in as Director from serving as an adjunct in 1996, the name was changed to Media Technology.

At that time the program made a major transition from analog to what it is today. To seek funding for the program, Wisotsky along with the program chair Debra Gonsher wrote ten successful letters for Carl Perkins vocational grants awarding the program over one million dollars. These funds were used to upgrade video and editing studio to be one the most cutting edge studios in the CUNY system today.

Professor Wistosky has worked some 18 years in CUNY along with other professors who according to Wisotsky are working professionals in the film industry. “The professors of the media technology program are here to teach and motivate the minds of our media technology students, some who go on to be promising filmmakers,” said Wisotsky.

Such inspired students as Fernando Gil and Daarina Herriott are prime examples of students who not only contributed a number of successful works through the program but on their own to further their skill, repertoire, and fulfill their passion for film.

“They teach you how to teach yourself,” said media tech student Fernando Gil, award winner of the Peter J. Rondinone Memorial Award and Avid Editor Award. “I’m sort of a starving artist,” as he regretfully labeled himself. Mr. Gil has engaged in a number of projects surrounding the subject of his own blend of film genre.

In a snippet of one of his filmed shorts called, “One More Cup of Coffee,” a young man finds he’s struggling with a man constantly asking for money. This is an interesting beginning to a filmmaking start. Taking an innovative approach at blending different genres in an unexpected sequence of events seems to show the ideal mind of a filmmaker that with practice could learn to keep his audience in the edge of their seats.

Daarina Herriott is another successful media tech student also being awarded the Peter J. Rondinone Award at the 8^th annual BCC film festival. She was awarded 2^nd place in the overall festival and her successful film short, “Run On” was one of few chosen to be in the 2011 United States Super 8 Film & Digital Video Festival.

“What I’ve learned is invaluable and I hope to continue to learn as much as I can about filmmaking in the future,” said Ms. Herriott.

The media technology program provides a number of opportunities for its small number of students; roughly 20 students per class being the cap size and approximately 150 students per semester. Being responsible for such a small amount of students there are a wide variety of career opportunities for the rising artists.

There are over 50 internships under such companies including Cablevision, MTV, NYC, and Madison Square Garden network for some. Including the vast connections of the media professors, as well as Wisotsky, who is a member of the Director’s Guild of America, there are many doors that lead to promising careers for the graduating media tech students, Daarina being one model student receiving an internship in Bronxnet.

At one point, the media technology program was exclusively contracted with NYCTV who took a number of media tech students under their guidance where they shot late night shows and were paid while doing it. Unfortunately the contract ended in 1997, but nonetheless many doors were made constantly available in vocational positions for the students.

A large majority of the students who graduate go on to either four year colleges such as City College for Fine Arts and Filming, according to Mr. Gil, while others take one the film positions in connection with the program. The few who don’t rush into furthering their education, take time off their rigorous film training to work on independent films to further the pursuits of this imaginative career.