Bloomfield Community Television hosts free digital literacy classes

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — People can learn a variety of digital literacy skills this month during free workshops presented by Bloomfield Community Television.

“We want to make sure that people know that we are a resource for the community — as far as providing the technology, helping them understand the technology better and helping them tell their stories,” said Carrie LeZotte, the director of cable and community relations for Bloomfield Community Television. “That’s really what we’re here for, to provide the technology so that people can tell their stories.”

BCTV will offer its first free digital literacy workshop, “Back to School With BCTV,” 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 25.

“If you want to know what goes on in this building, it might be fun for you to come to,” said Amy McKaig, BCTV’s digital content coordinator.

The day includes a full slate of classes taught by BCTV staff and special guests, covering a variety of topics — including filmmaking basics, Photoshop, podcasting and more. Those interested can sign up for one, more or all of the classes being offered, but they must register by Sept. 19.

The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a “BCTV Orientation,” a required first step in people producing their own show as a community member, a nonprofit partner or anyone interested in being a guest on one of BCTV’s shows. LeZotte will teach guests all about the mission of BCTV, how it’s funded and where the organization is headed.

At 11 a.m., Greg Black, BCTV’s operations manager, will present “Digital Literacy in Documentary Filmmaking.”

The class will provide a survey of the documentary genre in film from 1896 to present day that showcases different techniques community producers can consider when creating their own content.

At noon, workshop attendees will break for lunch and will welcome Twisted Street BBQ in the BCTV lot for those who wish to purchase their own meals.

A “Promote Your Podcast with Canva” class will begin at 1 p.m. McKaig will explain the features of a free Canva account — which can be used to create graphics for use on YouTube, social media platforms, and even on promotional items, to get more people watching and listening to a podcast.

“Canva is just a really useful tool now that we use here, but people can also use it to create content for their own videos, Instagram or whatever they’re operating on. They can create their own logos and do a whole bunch of things there,” said LeZotte.

At 2 p.m., Phil Swantek, a producer and educator, will discuss the “Basics of Shot Composition for Storytelling.” Swantek will compare different types of cameras, demonstrate the basic use of a camera, and go over some basic shot compositions.

An “Introduction to Photoshop” workshop, presented by Bart Gioia, a technology trainer at the Baldwin Public Library, will begin at 3 p.m. Guests will explore some of the capabilities of Photoshop to see why it is the industry-standard photo editing software for creative professionals, and they will learn some basic techniques to apply to their own projects.

The final workshop of the day, “Podcasting Behind-the Scenes,” will begin at 4 p.m. Attendees can be part of a live studio audience for the taping of an episode of The Distracted Librarians, one of the latest podcasts produced at BCTV, to see what it’s like to be a host, a guest or one of the producers of a podcast. Watching a production, LeZotte said, is the second step for prospective producers and community members interested in producing their own programming.

BCTV is located at 4190 Dublin Road in Bloomfield Township. For more information or to register, visit www.bloomfieldtwp.org/cable/workshops.