Video production teacher Mark Middlebrook, who started the broadcast program here, has decided to retire from his teaching position at the end of this school year.
“Interacting with all of the great students has been really wonderful,” Middlebrook said. “You also have all these great people on staff. That is what makes this school special. I haven’t been in a school like this ever.”
He says that in his classroom, his students were not the only ones learning. During his time as a teacher, students have taught him things he would have otherwise never known about cameras, tech, computers, movie making, acting and directing.
After working as a video production teacher since 2010, he joined Daniel Pearl Magnet High School in 2013. Middlebrook has taught video production, film theory and oversees the broadcast news show The Pearl Network News. Middlebrook plans to carry out goals he’s always envisioned of doing, including opening his own media company.
“I first got into filmmaking from watching my favorite movies,” said Middlebrook, who graduated from Cal State Fullerton. “One of my favorite movies is ‘Vertigo.’ I love any movies from Alfred Hitchcock. Classic cinema is what I like.”
Freshman Haskell Fay, a student in the period four video production class, enjoys the class and wishes to have more like it in the future.
“Mr. Middlebrook inspired me to love film,” Fay said. “His class is fun and informative, which makes me want to create films in the future.”
Junior Jacklyne Gomez, who is in Middlebrook’s fourth period video production class, learned a lot from him. She values her time in his class and hopes he lives a good life after retirement.
“He taught me real life skills,” Gomez said. “I want to learn about film so he taught me how to start a camera, how to put up the lights and he taught me all about the cords for each piece of equipment. I use all of these skills every day in his class.”
Out of all the things he has taught his students, Middlebrook hopes both past and current students have not just learned to record a video but to make a video in an original way that represents who they are as a person. He wants students to continue to be the good people he has seen them be in class.
“I plan to do several different types of media and right now I am researching the right way to do it,” said Middlebrook, who plans to work on a podcast during retirement.
Keira Van Der Molen contributed to this article.
