FA's Film Lab and Media Center Undergoes a Transformation

Photos courtesy of Mike Dana.

This summer, the FA Film Workshop and Media Center underwent a total remodel, complete with new paint, windows, modern furniture, a new suite of the latest Apple iMacs with professional photo and video-editing software, new lighting and production equipment, and a floor-to-ceiling green screen wall.
"To say the film production and media rooms look very different is definitely an understatement," says Mike Dana, director of the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center and FA's film workshop founder and instructor. "It's inspiring to see this long-time vision come to life and offer our students state-of-the-art production equipment that rivals many colleges and universities."

Dana, along with FA's Chief Financial Officer and Director of Capital Projects, Jeremy Angell '99, worked collaboratively in designing the space and choosing the new modern furniture and paint colors.

"Increasing our technology offerings and enhancing these areas on campus has been a priority of the Board and administration," says Angell. "We want our students working with the latest equipment and professional software, so they have the necessary skills and experience upon graduation to pursue future careers in these fields."

And according to a recent career poll from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, film and video editing careers show a whopping 18% job growth through 2024. Along with an optimistic job market, the multimedia skills learned in Dana's Film and Photo Workshop also helps students excel in their college courses.

"Many of my students who come back to visit FA share with me that taking this course helped them to become more creative. And the cinematography and editing skills they learned in the class, aided them in creating compelling presentations for their college work, which often set them apart from other students in their class," continues Dana.

What's also remarkable about the Film Lab and Media Center's remodel is that not only was the design of the new space managed by Angell and Dana, but the renovations were all done in-house as well! Alums Scott Thurston ‘71, Nicholas Johnson '08, and Christopher Graves '09, who work at the Academy as part of the maintenance team, handled the project's demolition, carpentry, and finishing work — skills which they developed from taking the Industrial Arts class during their time at FA.

"Having an in-house team with such a robust skill set has enabled the Academy to cut costs in construction and allow us to invest these savings in other areas like new software and hardware," says Angell. "It's a real testament to the school's preparation of our students for teaching them practical, life skills. I can't say every school has the luxury of having a maintenance team as skilled and well-equipped as ours to handle these types of projects."

The newly remodeled Film Lab and Media Center is located in the Main Building, downstairs to the left of the “Fishbowl.” If you happen to be in the area, come by and check out the new space. We’re sure you’ll be just as impressed with the remodel as much as our students.
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List of 5 news stories.

  • Fryeburg Academy Students Place 1st and 2nd at the Maine State Science Fair

    Fryeburg Academy is pleased to announce that three Academy students were recognized for their outstanding science projects on Saturday, April 1st, at the Maine State Science Fair held at the University of Maine Orno.  May Shin ‘23 and Jiwon Choi ‘24 took first place in the Plant Sciences (Growth & Development) category out of ten submissions with their project entitled “The Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Mushroom Substrate on the Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics for PE Microplastics-Contaminated Soil.” The pair studied the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizae and mushroom substrate on plant growth in soils that are contaminated with microplastics.

  • FA Faculty Member Named as DOE’s Inaugural Class of Teacher Leader Fellows

    Fryeburg Academy is pleased to announce that faculty member James St. Pierre was among five Maine educators named to the prestigious Department of Education’s Inaugural Class of Teacher Leader Fellows. “Being a teacher leader means connecting and helping others connect. It means gathering the ideas and experiences of the teachers in the state and sharing them in manageable, practical, and efficient ways. We have such a great array of professionals whose knowledge can elevate all students, so to be one of the leaders bringing them together is a privilege,” says St. Pierre

  • FA's Model UN Attends MUN Conference in New York

    FA's Model UN Team took its second-ever trip to New York City and the National High School MUN conference from March 9-13. The conference was held at the Midtown Manhattan Hilton blocks from the UN building. As representatives of Germany this year, our team was given the unique opportunity to visit the German Mission to the UN, where German diplomat, Hoger, answered our questions about global trade, green energy, and Russia's war on Ukraine. We also spent Saturday morning in the General Assembly of the UN seats, an unforgettable moment, listening to a young Iraqi-American man talk about his struggle to identify with both his birth home and his adopted home.

  • Fryeburg Academy Announces 28 New Inductees to the B.W. Tinker Chapter of the National Honor Society

    We are pleased to announce that Fryeburg Academy inducted 28 new inductees to the B.W. Tinker Chapter of the National  Honor Society on Monday, March 20th. Membership in the National Honor Society is among the highest honors that can be awarded to a high school student. The B.W. Tinker Chapter of NHS works diligently to bring the accomplishments of outstanding students to the attention of parents, teachers, peers, and the community. And the chapter, along with the more than 15,000 chapters in schools across the nation, strive to give practical meaning to the Society's standards of scholarship, leadership, service, and character selection. Students are not inducted simply because of a high academic average, but rather recognized for excelling in all of these areas.

  • Winter Sports Assembly Awards 2023

    On Thursday, March 16th, Fryeburg Academy celebrated the sports season with its annual winter sports awards assembly held in the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center. The following student-athletes were recognized for their outstanding performance during the winter 2022-23 season:

    Individual Team Awards
    Alpine- Sam Winterbottom '23, Coaches Award
    Clara Yager '26, Most Improved
    Hogan Bemis '23, Coaches Award
    Joshua Wake '23, Most Improved

    Boy's Basketball- Camden Johnson, Coaches Award
    Gunnar Saunders '24, MVP

    Girls' Basketball -Sydney Shaw, MVP
    Carla Pintor Gali '24, Coaches Award

    Ice Hockey- Peyton McMurtray, Adversity Award
    Caleb Micklon '23, MVP

    Indoor Track -Zack Emery, Coaches Award
    Emily Chaine '24, Coaches Award

    Nordic- Owen Reinbach '25, Coaches Award

    Wrestling- Gabe McKenney '23, The Athlete
    Eliya Deri '24, Heart

    All-Academic Team (seniors with a GPA of 3.2 or higher)
    David Bellis-Bennett, Alpine
    Kacey-Jane Clark, Nordic
    Owen Galligan, Ice Hockey
    Myles Garland, Ice Hockey
    Andrew Irwin, Nordic
    Elsie Leonard, Alpine
    Gabe McKenney, Wrestling
    Caleb Micklon, Ice Hockey
    Grace Murley, Alpine
    Ally Southwick, Girls' Basketball
    Isaac Twombly-Wiser, Nordic
    Samantha Winterbottom, Alpine

    All-WMC Conference Athletes
    Gunnar Saunders '23, Boys' Basketball
    Sydney Shaw '24, Girls' Basketball
    Mina Milosevic '24, Girls' Basketball
    Hogan Bemis '23, Alpine
    Holden Edenbach '25, Alpine
    Chandler Thorne '25, Alpine
    Jacob Adams '23, Indoor Track and Field

    3-Star Jacket Recipients (earned three varsity letters)
    Corbin Blake'23
    Elsie Leonard'23
    Emerson Hall '24
    Sydney Shaw '24
    Russell Carbonaro '25
    Jagger Helwig '25
    Chandler Thorne '25

Fryeburg Academy

FRYEBURG ACADEMY
745 Main Street
Fryeburg, ME 04037
p. (207) 935-2001      
f.  (207) 935-5013      
admissions@fryeburgacademy.org
Fryeburg Academy is an independent boarding and day school, serving grades 9-12 and postgraduate. We invite you to explore our site and learn how students from around the globe find their place in the world through our exceptional academic, art, and athletic programs.