NTV is back and better than ever with their 20th season on dock. Members ranging from crew to leadership gave us a look into behind the scenes of their first episode.
The crew first begins in video production teacher Steve Sellwood’s room, where each member collaborates on ideas for the new episode.
The first big decision for every season of NTV revolves around set design for the main host desk. After much deliberation, the production team decided on a retro diner look.
“It’s something that the production team has been wanting to do,” creative director senior Garret Howard said, “and we felt like this was the perfect year to pull it off.”
With that major design choice out of the way, the production team turns to planning segments for upcoming episodes.
“Everyone brings a pitch into class, and by the end we have a whiteboard filled with ideas for all kinds of segments,” producer junior Janna Elshahawi said. “We pick whatever segment would look best in the episode or a future episode, and groups individually start pre-production.”
Crew members are split into groups of five to six people with different roles—editors, cameramen and directors—who are responsible for pitching ideas, writing scripts, filming segments or editing them together.
“We work on it, we film it, we send it rough cuts a week before it’s due and receive feedback from producers until we get a finalized segment for the episode,” sophomore Joy Bae said.
NTV’s first episode included sports updates, a look into the Marching Band and the new teachers on campus, with a brand new intro featuring many extracurriculars from VAPA to sports.
“We wanted to focus on students returning back to school and resuming all the activities we know and love,” co-producer senior Matthew Son said.
While the team works hard to learn the ins and outs of producing a 10-minute show each week, the natural fellowship and welcoming atmosphere keeps students coming back year after year.
“Even when we’re working, it feels like you’re hanging out with your friends,” crew member junior Dongjun Hahm said. “Although we’re assigned to groups, we still have a lot of fun filming in and out of school while shooting together.”
NTV plans to release a new episode most Fridays this year.