By now, we’ve all seen the Early bird, everyone's favorite morning announcements' replacement. Yes, it may be very different from what you’re used to, but with enthusiastic hosts and bright segments to show off school events, it's most certainly an upgrade from those unclear voices on the loudspeaker from before. As someone who currently helps produce the Early Bird, I’d like to introduce to you how it's made and how you can potentially be involved.

 How it's made.

The process for the early bird starts in period 1, Mr Van Buren’s room (Room 113). There are two groups that help produce the early bird, Ducks and Gulls. Whenever one group is in the studio filming the Early Bird, the other group is responsible for filming segments.

The filming for early bird segments often start a week before they’re filmed. On Thursdays, fourth period, Advanced 2 & 3 students plan out and assign which segments are going to be filmed, as well which days each segment will be aired. Then, those segments are filmed, edited, then uploaded to Google Drive, where they are saved until needed. 

When it's time to start filming, the group members are split into the Studio and the Control Room. The Control room controls audio, cameras, which segments are being played, the overlay for the hosts, and the scripts. Then there's the Studio, where the floor manager sets up the lights and TV for the hosts, while the Camera operators get each host into frame. Speaking of the hosts, they’re the face of the show, and communicate all your morning announcements.  

Once everyone is in their positions, mic checks are done for the hosts to make sure they sound good with no noticeable issues on mics. Then, the recording begins. If there are any noticeable issues during the recording, we usually re-record that specific section, then seamlessly edit it into the final recording. Recording often takes less than 20 minutes! 

How Can I Get Involved?

Fortunately, anyone could realistically be a part of the early bird. The first way is by making it to Advanced AV 2. This requires the prerequisite class, Advanced AV 1, however, the intro to AV class offered during freshmen year isn't required. (though strongly recommended.) Also, all AV classes are taught by Mr. Van Buren. 

However, if you want to just simply make an appearance on the Early Bird, you can submit a form here (Faculty/ Staff only, except if you’re on a team) that will allow clubs, teams, classes, teachers, or organizations to make announcements that will be said on the early bird. You can also submit a video (30 seconds max) that will have its own segment. 

Also, certain segments, like Sasha’s spotlight or Rizzo’s Quizzos, frequently interact with the siths community; you can use these segments to interact with the Early Bird. You may also see filming happening during school hours, so feel free to say hi or ask any questions. By getting involved, you'll not only gain valuable skills and experiences but also become a part of the vibrant team that makes third period announcements more interesting than before.