HUDSON- Every Friday morning, students start their day by watching the school’s announcement video, Friday Morning Lights. While it may seem effortless on screen, a dedicated crew works behind the scenes to make it happen. Anchors Alessandra Burnett and Makenna McGuire shared their experiences, giving insight into what it takes to produce the weekly videos.
Both Burnett and McGuire serve as anchors, and their journey into the program began in similar ways. Burnett explained that she signed up after Ms. Shekleton sent out a form to students interested in participating, noting that commitment is key since members contribute to both Friday Morning Lights and daily announcements. Makenna also heard about the opportunity through friends and followed up through the same interest form.
Through their involvement, they have developed many valuable skills. Alessandra emphasized the importance of flexibility.
“There are many times where somebody isn’t there, or there’s a technical difficulty, like at the beginning of the year, the teleprompters weren’t working, so it took a lot longer than usual. You just kind of had to work with the issues and stay positive.”
McGuire highlighted patience and communication.
“When I am there, there are usually a lot of things happening at once. Sometimes the mics aren’t working, but we make sure not to get annoyed and just wait and work it out. Communication is crucial as well. We definitely need good communication throughout the crew.”
The production process itself follows a tight weekly schedule. The script is typically written on Wednesday nights once updates are collected, and filming takes place the next day during Thursday’s ARC period. By Friday morning, the final video is ready for students to watch.
Makenna added that ensuring everything runs smoothly is one of the biggest obstacles, as technical difficulties and missing crew members can disrupt production.
Even with these challenges, both anchors find the experience highly rewarding.
“I really enjoy seeing the product put together to watch myself, also being with everyone there every Thursday. Alessandra, Aiden, Gaff, and Jamo, all of them, they all make it so fun, such a good experience.” McGuire says.
Beyond the crew itself, Friday Morning Lights plays an important role in the school community. Burnett shares her personal take on the videos.
“It gives people something to look forward to on Fridays because, since they are somewhat long videos, it eases people into their mornings, getting to watch them. Also, when there are funny videos at the end, like dodgeball tournament highlights and March Madness interviews from all around the school, it connects to the people and makes it better than us just talking to the whole video,” said Burnett.
For students considering joining the crew, McGuire leaves this advice,
“Show up. Make sure when you’re speaking, you just kind of smile at the camera, like showing you are engaged in what you are talking about. Just sound like you are having a good time, be present, it’s a great experience.”
