This week we went on a school trip to Sky Studios in Livingston.  Our topic which we would be reporting on was called Mission to Mars. 

However, before we went to the studios, Mr Hunter told us that there was a Mission to Mars being launched In Primary 7.  It was called Destination Mars.   The background to this mission is there are 100 seats available on Mars 1one – this is the craft which will take one hundred people to colonise Mars.  Planet Earth is slowly dying and we will be required to save humankind by creating a colony on Mars.  Once settled, we will become the first citizens of Mars.

However, in order to become one of the chosen one hundred, each of us must complete a set of Earth-based missions.  There are fifteen missions, in total, which cover different areas of the curriculum.  Some mission require our knowledge of Topical Sciences, Literacy and Maths, whilst other missions require more in-depth thinking about, Religious and Moral Education and Technology. Each mission will test our knowledge of the Red Planet, challenge our thinking and create debates amongst each other in class.  Is it correct to colonise Mars?  We’re destroying Earth, should we destroy another planet?

The Destination mars topic ‘dovetailed’ nicely with our trip to Sky Studios as it covered some of the many questions which we will be investigating.  When we arrived at the studio, we were split into our four groups.  Each group had a different report to film:

Studio 1 – in the studio

Studio 2 – on location

Studio 3 – interviewing eyewitnesses

Studio 4 – interviewing experts  

As well as being in a different studio, each member of the team also had a role to do. There was the:

Producer – the person in charge of the whole team, who made the final decision and who made sure everyone was working on time.

Director – the person who manages the filming in the studio and decides on which shots look the best on camera.  The director also has to advise the reporters on how they should behave and speak in front of the camera.

Scriptwriter – the person who writes the words to support the pictures to create an interesting story for the viewer.

Camera Operator – the person who operates the camera to get the best possible shots.

Reporter – the people, who work with the scriptwriter to introduce the story, delivery the news stories on location, speaks with the eyewitnesses and questions experts.

Expert(s) – the person who has specialist knowledge around the news stories who will answer the reporter’s questions in front of the camera.

Eyewitness – the person the reporter will speak to and who has first hand experience of the news story and can give their version of events.

Editor – the person who plan the backdrops and voiceovers before filming (using the edit table), then picks and chooses the best recorded takes after filming to make one report.

Everyone, in each of the studios, had to work together as a team to ensure all deadlines were met.  Each studio had one hour to complete their scripts, edit them to fit into a 90 second timeframe , decide upon the most appropriate shots, the correct colour of clothing for each backdrop and which types of shots to be used; close up/zoom, plan and medium angle.  Finally, we had to rehearse each take and decide if it should make the final cut.  It was all very hi-tec, exciting and nerve wracking as we didn’t want to let the other studios down.

When we had our, ‘Wrap – it’s in the can’ moment (that’s another way of saying, ‘Well done – that’s us finished!’), we gathered in the theatre room and watched the final report – complete with Eamonn Holmes!  It was exciting watching the final ‘cut’  on the big screen, knowing that everyone had worked extremely hard –  from the people in front  of the camera, to the people making the key  decisions to the people selecting and filming behind the camera.  

Here’s a selection of memories from our visit.