The Reality of TV

Most families have a television, or watch TV shows online. The U. S.  television industry employs over 85,000 people, has a yearly revenue of $36 billion, and influences billions of people worldwide. Let’s do more than watch TV; let’s look into it.

CONNECT:

• We know what’s in front of the TV; what’s behind it? Find out in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBjBG9Sen0w
• How are weather reports created? Find out from the Weather Dude at http://www.wxdude.com/perform.html
• A lot of people are involved in writing a TV script: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-you-write-a-tv-script/
• TV is the result of advancing technology; trace those technologies at http://transition.fcc.gov/omd/history/tv/
• Time magazine has covered TV from its early days. You can see the articles of the time at http://www.time.com/time/archive/collections/0,21428,c_television_history,00.shtml
• Explore the history of Sesame Street and Children’s Television Workshop (the parent company) at  http://www.sesameworkshop.org/about-us/40-years-and-counting/ and http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Workshop

CREATE:

• Let’s make a TV show! This wiki gives step-by-step directions: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-TV-Show
• This site from educational TV productions provides filming and editing basics, and explains how to make a newscast, public service announcement, and an instructional video: http://home.utah.edu/~u0288525/videosite/formats/news.html
• You can make your own cartoons at home following these directions: http://www.ehow.com/how_7465832_can-make-cartoon-home_.html
• This BBC site tells beginning writers how to write a script, and what TV producers look for: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/write-a-script

CARE:

• How do you choose what kind of TV to buy? This video offers some criteria: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dtv.htm
• We know what’s in front of the TV; what’s behind it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBm9ZyIg3I0  This video shows the money behind television. You should care.
• This site is designed to be both a lesson plan/activity, and at the same time, a valuable resource for educators and parents who want their kids to become media literate when it comes to television and advertising. http://www.frankwbaker.com/toys.htm
• Want to get the word out about a cause you really believe in? This lesson explains how to make a video public service announcement: http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/activities-projects/mytube-make-video-public-30157.html

CAREER:
The script website gives you a bit of an idea of how many people are involved in creating a television show: writers, artists, costumers, make-up experts, hair stylists, lighting experts, set designers, props keepers, camera people, editors, reporters, accountants, sales persons, advertisers, technicians, as well as talent. Can you think of others? Explore these sources of career information:
http://www.nab.org/documents/television/NABTelevisionCareersSecondEdition.pdf
http://www.creativeskillset.org/tv/jobs/
http://www.mediacollege.com/employment/television/