What do you get when you combine news, entertainment and a lot ofcreativity?
For four students majoring in television, film and new media, youget to be a finalist in a CSU system wide media and arts festival.
The students — seniors Crystal Fambrini, Audra Stafford, JoeyCastanieto and Kevin Smets — are being recognized for theirhalf-hour news magazine show called “Headrush News,” which theycreated and produced this semester.
“‘Headrush News’ was thought of last semester, because there’s nota news program around that really focuses on the youth, like peoplein their late teens and twenties,” said Fambrini, who first came upwith the idea for the show.
“A lot of people try to get into that market and they’ll eitherunderestimate us and really simplify things or go off in directionsthat really don’t interest us. What better way than to have a showthat is entirely put on by people that are at the right age for whatwe are marketing.”
“Headrush News” was nominated as a finalist in the news categoryat the California State University media and arts festival, acompetition for students from all of the 23 CSU campuses.
San Diego State has never been a finalist in that category.
“We see this as a baby step,” Fambrini said. “It’s awesome thatwe’re finalists at CSU, but we have so many more expectations ofwhere we want the show to go, as well.”
The four are currently producing a special show without commercialbreaks that showcases the best of “Headrush News,” which they willsubmit to the Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences Student EmmysDec. 15.
Winning a student Emmy is their ultimate goal, Fambrini said.
Fambrini and Stafford are the show’s executive producers;Castanieto and Smets are in charge of post-production.
All four speak in different segments on the programs. There is noanchor and all of the shows are taped outside without a studio. Dressis determined by what fits the segment.
The show is meant to be fast paced and produced like MTV, withvisual effects between segments.
In one segment the team will be talking about sky diving and thenmove into something like drunk driving. The show is geared towardpeople who are on the go and want their news fast and meaningful,Castanieto said.
Fambrini said she wanted to create a program that would merge thetelevision and film department with the journalism school.
“I know that I am very gung-ho on that. I wanted to try to bringthose two schools together a little bit more,” she said.
While taping their first show this summer, Fambrini and Staffordsaid they were doubtful the show would make it.
Fambrini said the hardest part of the show was developing theidea. Once the concept of the show was down, they had a better ideaof what to do.
“There would be like a week where we’d have eight hours of sleepthe whole six days,” Fambrini said. “I’d be just sitting there in myroom, and I’d feel a lot of pressure myself because I felt mainlyresponsible for getting everyone excited about it and I’m thinking,’What if this doesn’t happen?'”
Some of the guests on “Headrush News” have included ChrisKirkpatrick of ‘N Sync and New Found Glory. MCA records has alsoallowed the group to use their music videos in the show.
“I’ve learned more than I learned in college in four years in thelast five months,” Fambrini said, “just about the real world and howcollege helps you in the real world and connections, working withequipment and how much work it takes to make a show.”
The Web site for the show is www.headrushnews.tv and it will be upin a couple of weeks so students can learn about the show. The Website will allow people to download clips and highlights and alsoutilize message boards.