In Spring 2023, WUCF partnered with the Film Studies and History Departments at the University of Central Florida to create a Florida Road Trip Storyteller Experience for students, based on the station’s original production Florida Road Trip. This training was led by Dr. Lisa Mills, Professor of Film & Assistant Director of Film & Mass Media Program, and Dr. Robert Cassanello, Associate Professor of History. The course allowed students to uncover Florida-specific topics and create original video productions that enhance our understanding of the state and its culture, people, and history. In addition to their regular instruction, WUCF’s Managing Producer, Kyle Fuchs, helped provide guidance to students by giving feedback and sharing best practices in production and storytelling. "The relationship between the Nicholson School of Communication and Media and WUCF TV is critical to the success of our Film and Mass Media students. Collaborating with Dr. Cassanello and his history students is always a rewarding and enlightening experience,” said Dr. Mills.
The class was comprised of students from both history and film departments to encourage students to apply their fields of study to each of their projects. Students were put into groups with a mix of history students and film students to focus on the historical and production aspect of their video projects, respectively. "I have always been fascinated by the history of our own backyard. These short documentaries by students at the University of Central Florida are wonderful windows into important moments in the history of our community,” said Dr. Cassanello. The class taught students how to find and access historical and humanities source material, best practices for engaging subject matter experts, and how to produce content that reflects our diverse heritage, traditions, and history.
Throughout the semester, the students worked to find and create compelling stories in Central Florida and across the state. From story research to shot composition to editing, each student group implemented all phases of production for their projects. “I really enjoyed the process of researching and creating these pieces. With every project, I learn something new that enriches my understanding of Central Florida and I’m grateful to live in such a historically rich community. Within our groups, we divided the roles needed to create these videos and while I have more editing experience, I picked up some scriptwriting, research, interview, and scheduling knowledge working on these projects, so I am grateful for this opportunity and am proud of the videos I helped put together,” said Hope Miller, a film student at the University of Central Florida.
WUCF values the impact of Florida stories, and this partnership helped provide an applied experience for the next generation of content creators. “WUCF is Central Florida’s Storyteller, so it has been a pleasure to work with the students as they learn the skills needed to become impactful storytellers. I look forward to developing more partnerships like this in the future,” said Kyle Fuchs, WUCF’s Managing Producer.
You can view all the student projects below:
Funding for Florida Road Trip Season 9 was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities
Story Topic: Jules Andre Smith and His Art
Student Storytellers: Ashleigh Melvin, Jones Reeves, Lynda Nguyen, Hannah Neely, Jillian Harper
Story Topic: The Impact of Ray Bellamy
Student Storytellers: Jack Hall, Jones Reeves, Nathan Patterson, Valeria Chirinos, Jillian Harper, Hannah Neely
Story Topic: The Legacy of South Street Casino
Student Storytellers: Katherine Touzin, Andrew Like, Nicholas Rudy
Story Topic: The History of the Dinky Line
Student Storytellers: Ethan Wiley, David Lannon, Katherine Touzin, Joshua Benedict, Nicholas Rudy
Story Topic: Dr. Wells’ Home
Student Storytellers: Hope Miller, Matthew Ferrari, Lynda Nguyen, Rachel Strobhar
Story Topic: Tabebuia Trees & Central Florida’s Marching Bands
Student Storytellers: Estefani Blades, Hallie Richardson, Logan Griswold, Joshua Benedict, William Alderman, Andrew Wacker, Nayanne Silva
Story Topic: Martin Luther King, Jr. in Florida
Student Storytellers: Ashleigh Melvin, David Lannon, Hydeia Williams, Ethan Wiley
Story Topic: The History of Playalinda Beach
Student Storytellers: William Alderman, Hallie Richardson, Valeria Chirinos, Jack Hall, Nathan Patterson, Nayanne Silva
Story Topic: The Evolution of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Student Storytellers: Hope Miller, Rachel Strobhar, Logan Griswold, Matthew Ferrari, Andrew Like