Wycombe High School invests in ETC LED
- Details
Before joining the school in his current role, Bob enjoyed a career as a media executive, occupying key roles at ITV, IMG and XIX Entertainment amongst others. The knowledge and insight he brings to WHS has proved invaluable. With a brief to develop creative methods of marketing the school to prospective students and their parents, as well as to teachers and other potential staff members, Bob turned to the power of television.
Harnessing every resource available to him, not least the latent talents of the school’s student population, Bob took over some empty office space and made a start. His aim was to create as professional a studio set-up as was possible. Headteacher Sharon Cromie was supportive of the project from the beginning, realising that the dynamics of TV content could go far beyond the constraints of traditional marketing materials. Essentially, Wycombe High TV (WHTV) would be both marketing tool and educational experience rolled into one - a channel for the school, by the school.
A key element in the very early stage of the project was to create an effective green screen for the embryonic studio space. WHS’s site management team stepped in to create portable panels that could be moved to different locations if required.
Provided that the accompanying lighting was of a high standard, this would ensure consistency of quality across broadcasts. A chance conversation which took place whilst Bob was buying chroma key paint from specialists Scenic Supplies, led to a meeting with Barry Grubb of lighting rep company 3LR. Following a consultation with Barry, WHTV trialled one of ETC’s fos4/PD8 LED Panels.
Bob immediately knew that the fos/4 panel was exactly what he needed. Easy to operate and adjust, and delivering exceptional light quality, the unit impressed from day one. With the channel now up and running and gaining momentum, the school, with the support of its Parents and Friends Association, invested in two of the ETC fos4/PD8 panels, which were supplied by Barbizon Lighting Company.
3LR’s business development manager for broadcast, TV and film, Barry Grubb comments: “What Bob Massie and the students and staff at Wycombe High School have achieved with WHTV is remarkable. They have pioneered something that must surely become a template for other education settings, demonstrating that judicious use of technology need not break the bank.
“Screens are part of the social ecosystem of this generation of students, so creating content and understanding the technology required to do so, is entirely natural. WHTV is a brilliant way of marketing the school, offering a real insight into its ethos through dynamic and interesting content. At 3LR Lighting, we’re really pleased to have played a small part in helping them achieve their ambitions.”
