BROOKS INSTITUTE VISUAL JOURNALISM STUDENTS TAPE AND EDIT POLICE DEPARTMENT WEBCASTS

Santa Barbara , Calif. – (May 10, 2007) -- Brooks Institute film students and the Oxnard Police Department have teamed up to produce Internet Webcasts taking viewers directly to crime scenes for a report on local police activities. The project attracted CNN coverage in the process.

The section of the department's Website is called, “Straight To You.” On the site viewers watch Oxnard Police Community Affairs Manager David Keith, who outlines what happened at each location.

Keith contributed to a five minute CNN Headline News story anticipated for late April or May. Footage of Keith actually taping this show is on the Oxnard police website at www.oxnardpd.org.

The Webcast video footage is shot and edited by Brooks Institute students from the Visual Journalism program. They became involved when Keith pitched the idea to the school's Career Services department which put out a call for interested students. Several applied and Keith, impressed with the students' background and enthusiasm, immediately took all of them for his project.

“They are really dedicated,” said Lisa Kreamer of Brooks Career Services, who helped bring the students and department together. “He was lucky to get them.”

The students are not paid by the Oxnard Police. However they are part of an off-campus work study program.

After doing the research on what equipment they would need for the project, the Oxnard police purchased the necessary video cameras, computer and supporting gear for the students to use for the project.

Keith's goal is to tape a project each weekday beginning at 10am. Since editing time varies for each project, the video may be posted within a day or two of the actual shooting. Finished videos normally range from two to four minutes each.

The first story was posted on March 11, 2007. Within three weeks, a total of 10 stories were on the site under the “Straight To You” tab.

The stories range from an attempted child abduction to an apartment fire to graffiti removal. Each week Keith posts mug shots in segments called “crime stoppers.” Viewers see photographs of the department's “most wanted” list and are invited to call the department with information. During the segments, Keith says rewards in local homicide cases can reach $10,000.

The same segment shows the evolution of the “Straight To You” project. The first two mug shot postings were enlargements from a flier. In the third posting, viewers see large, clear color photos of those being sought by the Oxnard police.

One of the more ambitious videos so far was shot by Brooks Institute student Steve Lamme. He accompanied Keith and department officers on a visit to the Santa Clara River during a homeless camp clean-up. Viewers were taken on a walk on the trail into the camp and saw some of the now abandoned dwellings on the site. The clean-up also allowed for local social services departments to link up with the camp's residents and offer alternative places to live.

The Webcasts have raised the Oxnard Police Department profile and the importance of many community issues as they garnered attention from other departments as well as from the media. With the success of the Oxnard Police Department site, other police departments are looking to do similar projects.

About Brooks Institute

Brooks Institute celebrates more than 60 years of educating students in the visual and media arts. With campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura, California, the school offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in fields including Professional Photography, Visual Journalism, Film and Video Production and Graphic Design, and a Master of Science degree in Photography. Brooks' graduates are visible nationally and internationally, working for distinguished organizations including National Geographic, Smithsonian, Los Angeles Times and other national media outlets, including Hallmark Publishing, Cousteau Society, HBO, Kodak and other industry leaders in the visual media arts fields. For more information about Brooks Institute and the school's programs, visit www.brooks.edu, or call 805-966-3888.