True Synergy: BuffTV enhances fan experience at basketball games
Manteca High’s student cheer section, The Herd, joins in the pregame introduction of the boys basketball team by shining their cell phone lights. (James Burns)
By LILY VILLA
The Tower
The world sees the finished product, but the real magic occurs within the walls of room S-1 and the media lab at Manteca High.
Video Production students spend the 90-minute period minute collaborating and planning, writing and filming, producing and editing content for their YouTube channel, MHS Buff TV, and the campus community.
Within the classroom, there are designated writers, editors, producers, and those who host. Students get to cling to their strongest skills and develop them throughout the variety of projects BuffTV produces, most notably the Manteca Minute daily show.
Video Production, a CTE course instructed by Manteca High alum James Burns, helps students sharpen social skills and build confidence when speaking, whether by interviewing, collaborating within the classroom walls, or speaking in front of a camera. BuffTV has become a gateway for students to connect to their school by creating content that will remain long after they graduate.
Full Court Press
PowerPlay hosts Nick Grabowski (left) and Andrew Robison (right) present Manteca High senior guard Ramesh Kabiri with a player of the game shirt.
“We all get to do something we are good at and love," stated senior Raleigh McQuarters, whose theatre experience has made him one of the classroom’s strongest on-air talents. “It’s exciting to just be me."
The Video Production class and The Herd, Manteca High’s student cheer section, share something in common: They are both hyped to show their love for their school.
The goal of Vice Principal Neil MacDannald is to provide programs that cater to students so that they have a reason to be excited to get up and go to school.
Mission accomplished.
“Our class is like the job you don’t come home crying from every day,” McQuarters said. “It’s amazing.”
Recently, McQuarters and his classmates have been working to improve the fan experience at sports events inside Synergy Gym, the school’s multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art facility. One of BuffTV’s goals is to connect the students with their school — and sports provide the perfect platform. The use of technology has elevated the energy at games and the excitement around the teams and the athletes.
From this perch at the scorer’s table, student Gage Pfeifer (not pictured), a junior in James Burns’ Sports Multimedia class, runs the in-game entertainment, including videos and music.
BuffTV has produced athlete profiles and short skits, like Celebrity Lookalikes, and compiled music playlists that play above the crowd on the Jumbotron and along the scorer’s table. These little touches are meant to enhance the fan experience at basketball games and volleyball matches.
In between the action, seniors Andrew Robison and Nick Grabowski can be found near the home locker room hosting PowerPlay, a show on Instagram live for those who cannot make the game. Robison and Grabowski break down the action and interview coaches and players.
In addition to the content available on Instagram, BuffTV recently launched its TikTok account: @MantecaHighMedia_Burns. There, viewers can find hype videos, interviews with staff, teachers and students, as well trends.
To brainstorm these ideas and more, the class will convene on Monday mornings to discuss “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” according to Burns. Feedback is crucial to strengthening the fan experience at sporting games and the effectiveness of BuffTV, the school’s marketing and branding arm. Every student gets to voice their opinion and contribute to the overall work of the videos.
If you are interested in Video Production and becoming a member of BuffTV, contact the multimedia and journalism teacher James Burns at jburns.musd.net.
Students in Video Production pose with Manteca High instructor Jessica Culpepper (center) and Manteca boys basketball player Peyton Nieman (back row) following the filming of a yoga skit.