Although West High journalism students typically act behind the scenes, they are now in the spotlight as a new documentary highlighting their dedication begins filming at West. This summer, Michael Kofsky, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, scouted the nation for top-performing high school journalism programs. His vision? A 10-minute sizzle, a short-form preview to show to potential sponsors. This mini film is set to be filmed, condensed and edited all within the span of about four months. Filming alongside Kofsky is Andria Chamberlin, a cinematographer also based in L.A. 

The two are partnering with the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit organization whose core mission is to promote the development of news literacy in K-12 education. Following his nationwide search, Kofsky picked both City High and West High’s journalism program to be featured in his film due to their highly esteemed journalism publications.

Throughout the week, Kofsky and Chamberlin spent their days between City and  West, capturing the dedication of both publications. They followed specific student reporters to capture what it was like to get the inside scoop directly from sources. Emma Lai, the video, podcast and feature editor of the online publication, has been investigating Iowa’s water quality crisis. She took them along with her in order to interview Dr. David Cwiertny, a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa. Lai will be filmed interviewing Dr. Cwiertny about concerns from the student body, alongside additional questions about his lab and workspace. 

Aside from highlighting specific students, the team also spoke to the editors-in-chief of print and web publications in order to get a clear idea of the responsibilities that come alongside leading the publications. The team inquired about the state of scholastic journalism and what is necessary to support it. Later in the week, they intend to cover the first Friday night football game of the season, the Battle of the Boot. This game highlights the unique rivalry shared between City and West, and the friendly competitive antics that the games entail. 

Kofsky and Chamberlin hope that once they are completed with the filming and editing of their content, the final product will be just what their idea needs to spark the interest of big streaming services such as Netflix, Apple TV and HBO. 

You can find more information on Michael Kofsky at: http://franklinstreetfilms.com/

You can find more information on Andria Chambrlin at: https://www.andriachamberlin.com/testimonials

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