Why We Do This

Posted May 14, 2020

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We ran our very first video bootcamp in Bergen, Norway in 1988.

32 years ago.

We have 30 young Norwegian journalists in a room with no prior video experience whatsoever and we had to be on the air in a month.  It was a big challenge. 

We had to vastly streamline and simplify the teaching process. We had to invent a whole new curriculum that would work.

Since then, we have run video bootcamps all over the world. 

On Monday we are going to start back to back live streaming virtual video bootcamps for MMJs for Spectrum News 1.

By our count, more than 50,000 people all over the world have attended our bootcamps, in more tha 25 countries. 

That's a lot of people.

But every once in a while, we get an email from one of our former students that confirms our work in a more personalized and emotional way.

Yesterday. I got a mesage from Mark Jones, who took the bootcamp when he was working a KRON in San Francisco in 2003.

That was 17 years ago, but here is what he wrote yesterday:

• Michael,   How are you my friend.  I think of you often, especially now with the Covid 19.  I hope you are safe and healthy. There is not a month that goes by that I don't mentally thank you for giving me the tools to continue the career I love.   Since I left KRON, I've had 5 Emmy nominations, so I'm doing something right thanks to you. I've been out shooting the Bay Area almost everyday since the Shelter in Place was ordered. I thought you might enjoy seeing the piece I shot, produced and edited.   I'm the Johnny Appleseed for Bay area transit. https://youtu.be/02Bj9d8Ynb4 Regards, Mark Jones