Bravecast Visits TODAY Show
Manalapan High School's broadcasting team, known as Bravecast, had an incredible opportunity to speak with TODAY show producer Christine Morea and travel to New York to visit the show's studio. A week prior to their trip, Mrs. Morea visited Manalapan High School to watch a Bravecast broadcast and engage with its members. During her visit, she gave a presentation about her career and provided insights into the production and news industry.
On Tuesday, April 29th, the Bravecast crew went to New York to see the TODAY show live. They proudly displayed a poster, created by graphics producer Shea Varga, at the studio. The team met several anchors, including Al Roker and Manalapan alumnus Dylan Dreyer, who interviewed them about the school and the broadcasting program. Notably, Mrs. Morea invited senior anchor Kiera Sullivan to join Al Roker on air to present the weather.
After the segment concluded, the group was invited inside the TODAY show building for a tour of the behind-the-scenes production. They explored the central filming location, observing the cameras, teleprompters, and bright studio lights while watching a live broadcast from behind the scenes. The tour also included a visit to the control room, filled with numerous display screens that monitored different aspects of the production. Here, the Manalapan students learned how tech directors manage camera changes, commercial breaks, and on-screen graphics. They also viewed a secondary studio, which featured a sleek, modern kitchen set up for cooking segments.
At the end of the tour, the students had the opportunity to ask questions and compare their own broadcast studio with that of the TODAY show.
"We talked with Mrs. Morea about how we can apply what we learned to enhance our own broadcasts. After the trip, we reflected on our experience, and our students were extremely impressed and eager to implement what they learned," said Joseph Gerardi, the Bravecast Director.
This experience was particularly eye-opening for many members of Bravecast, especially those pursuing careers in broadcasting.
When reflecting on the experience, Addison Brown, a Sports Team Reporter, stated, "This is one of the best opportunities you can have if you want to work in this field."
"I aspire to pursue a career in broadcasting, so this opportunity provided me with valuable insight into how the industry operates," said Shea Varga, Bravecast Graphics Producer.
The Bravecast team extends their gratitude to Christine Morea, Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer, and all the NBC staff for allowing them to attend the show and for inspiring these future broadcasters in their career paths.
