PAST INSTALLMENTS OF this column have emphasized the importance of arts education and high-tech training. We’ve tried to give meaningful exposure to progressive programs in various centers, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The latest to come to our attention is "One Community, One Goal," in Miami/Dade County, Fla. The first courses in the entertainment industry portion of this program began this year at three high schools: Miami Beach Senior High; DASH, a magnet school offering instruction in architecture and design; and Turner Tech.
The seeds for the "One Community, One Goal" program were planted in ’97. Film commissioner Jeff Peel, director of the Miami/Dade Mayor’s Office of Film & Entertainment, noted that a prime catalyst was a study which found that due to the large immigration population in South Florida, there could be a shortfall of 250,000 jobs in the area over the next decade. "That possibility sort of galvanized political and business leaders here," said Peel, "and the wheels were put in motion to help address the problem."
A mix of elected officials and industry/business community representatives targeted the entertainment biz as one of several key sectors for future job growth. Their cooperative effort helped to land a $450,000 Annenberg Challenge Grant for Arts and Entertainment Education. That endowment is being matched on a local level, meaning that a two-year budget of $900,000 has been established. Those funds have already helped develop a curriculum that is starting to benefit students, as it exposes them to different aspects of the filmmaking and performing arts disciplines, including camera techniques, audio mixing, postproduction, dance and music. The plan is to spread this curriculum to high schools throughout Miami/Dade County.
"You can’t fully build an industry unless you have the workers for the industry here," said Peel, noting that the Annenberg Grant was awarded for far more than just grooming prospective candidates for careers in the entertainment field. The point, he said, is that programs such as these engage students and offer real incentive for them to stay in school and get a well-rounded education. As previously reported, there have been numerous studies showing that arts education helps to improve test scores for students in other subjects like math, science and English.
The industry is pitching in—the latest example being Will Edwards, owner of Miami-based Sprockets Music and Post, who donated an AMR 2400 professional recording console to the ARTEC Academy at the aforementioned Miami Beach Senior High.
"When I decided to upgrade my main studio, I had the opportunity to sell the equipment," related Edwards. "But I was aware of the Annenberg Grant and the educational outreach consulting from the ‘One Community, One Goal’ effort aimed at the entertainment industry. Donating it to the program served a better purpose."
This type of console is used nationally by industry professionals and enables the audio engineer to record up to 84 channels simultaneously. "This equipment will help the students in the academy to receive the kind of hands-on experiences which will prepare them for a career in the arts and entertainment industry," said Garry Graff, director of the ARTEC program.
Edwards explained that with the console contribution, "we hope to set an example for our industry to participate and assist in the education of our next generation of arts and entertainment graduates."
Jury Presidents Named For The One Show 2025
The One Club for Creativity has announced the global creatives from around the world who will serve as jury presidents for The One Show 2025.
These creatives will lead judging for each discipline, and have a vote on the work.
Confirmed One Show 2025 Jury presidents, by discipline, are as follows:
--Brand-Side/In-House: David Lee, CCO, Squarespace, New York
--Branded Entertainment: Malcolm Poynton, Global CCO, Cheil Worldwide, London
--Creative Use of Data, Creative Use of Technology: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, CCO, FCB Canada, Toronto
--Cultural Driver: Bianca Guimaraes, partner, ECD, Mischief, New York
--Design: Liza Enebeis, creative director, partner, Studio Dumbar/DEPT®, Rotterdam
--Direct Marketing: Vicki Maguire, CCO, Havas London
--Film & Video: Javier Campopiano, global CCO, McCann Worldgroup & McCann Global, Madrid
--Gaming: Taj Reid, global chief experience officer, US CCO, Edelman, New York
--Integrated, Experiential & Immersive: Chris Beresford-Hill, worldwide CCO, BBDO New York
--Fusion Pencil: Walter T. Geer III, CCO, Innovation North America, VML, New York
--Green Pencil: Barbara Humphries, ECD, The Monkeys, Sydney
--Health & Wellness, Pharma: Wendy Lund, chief client officer, WPP, New York
--IP & Product Design: Ronald Ng, global CCO, MRM, New York
--Moving Image Craft & Production: Irene Kugelmann, chief creative officer, DDB Group of Companies Germany, Berlin
--Music & Sound Craft: Joel Simon, CCO, JSM Music, New York
--Out of Home, Print & Promotional: Kainaz Karmakar, CCO, Ogilvy India, Mumbai
--Public Relations: Patricia Ávila, regional director for Latin America, Ágora, São Paulo
--Radio... Read More