Brought to Woodland by Ralph Riello in 2008, Digital Media for the first two years was just a club. Then in 2010, the two classes, Digital Media One and Digital Media Three, were introduced.

Over the years, the program has evolved from a digital media class to a production company. The school offers Digital Media classes as electives and Hawk Productions as the club/company. Digital Media One is a half year half credit survey course where Mr. Riello looks for candidates to bring into Digital Media Three. Students learn a little bit about storytelling and the processes for entertainment, not news.

In Digital Media Three/Hawk Productions students participate in contests and get more depth of film and entertainment. All students who are in Digital Media Three are also in the company. Students in this program work together to write, film, and produce entertainment. In Digital Media One there are about 15 kids per class and in Digital Media Three there are about ten.

Digital Media is a place where students can use their creativity to make films they love. Some students gravitate more towards serious pieces while others love making funny ones. Hawk Productions has participated and won dozens of film competitions. One that is in the works now is the “DMV Travelers Teen Safe Driving Contest”. Their proudest wins were from the ‘84 Hour Film Challenge’. They have also participated in other challenges made by ‘Skills 21’ over the years and have brought home an abundance of awards.

If you are interested in film or are a creative person looking for something new, join Digital Media for great opportunities or stop by Mr. Riello’s room to learn more. You may find yourself loving the environment.

“Entertainment is about engaging people’s minds in order to get them out of real life,” said Riello, “and to immerse themselves into a different world.”