A documentary on Missouri State University’s Jane A. Meyer Carillon, will premiere on Ozarks Public Television (OPT) July 25, 2024, at 8:30 p.m.

“Legacy of the Bells: Music of the Missouri State University Carillon” marks many firsts for its creators — the Spring 2024 Documentary Film Practicum (MED 512) students and their instructor, Jason Ferber.

Ferber’s very first assignment as a per course instructor at MSU was to teach the 10 students enrolled in MED 512 for the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film (CMJF).

This was also the first time MED 512 students Emily Day and Patrick Conell had ever worked on a documentary.

The class’s efforts resulted in another first.

According to Ferber, although OPT used to air a student-produced program called “Ozarks News Journal,” no student-made documentary had ever been shown on OPT before.

That is, until the MED 512 production.

Bringing work experience into the classroom

Ferber, who doesn’t hesitate to say he’s “proud to be a Bear,” began working at OPT in 2001. But his ties to MSU began much earlier.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1994, back when MSU was still called Southwest Missouri State University. In 2021 he graduated from MSU with an MS in Educational Technology.

Among Ferber’s many tasks working for OPT over the years has been to train students in the basics of broadcasting.

“In my position at the station, I have informally trained hundreds of students and volunteers to operate television production equipment,” he said.

It seemed only natural to Ferber to continue with that instruction in his MED 512 course.

“On the first day of class, I presented to my students the concept of trying to make a program that would air on Ozarks Public Television,” he said.

Students take ownership

OPT features educational and informative local history programs, so Ferber asked the students to suggest possible topics for a documentary project.

He then asked them to vote for their final choice so that they would feel real ownership — the project would be their decision.

The class elected to make a documentary about the Jane A. Meyer Carillon.

“Once the topic was picked, we had a class meeting to assess everyone’s skills and make preliminary role assignments,” Ferber said.

Ferber required all 10 students to work on the project in some manner, including research and recording of B-roll footage.

The project took 15 weeks, nearly the entire semester, he said.

“Simply exceptional” — high praise for student effort

Tom Carter, who recently retired as OPT’s Programming and Production Manager, recognized the program would be “a good match” for the OPT schedule because of its emphasis on local history and preservation.

And when the students pitched their idea to OPT, Carter immediately knew it was a winner.

“This was a bold and significant effort, given the short time, to complete a 30-minute program, beginning to end,” Carter said.

“It was simply exceptional, a strongly engaging and well-produced program, and one that clearly met all technical and broadcast considerations,” he added. “They have much to be proud of.”

Sense of relief on being selected

Day described feeling as if she’d released a long-held breath when she learned the documentary would be aired.

“I was in both awe and disbelief and shocked that it was really, truly happening,” said Day, who graduated in Spring 2024 with both a BS in digital film and television production and a documentary filmmaking certificate. “The opportunity to document a piece of history feels very rewarding.”

“We were told since the start of the semester that the goal was to make an OPT-style documentary with hopes of it being shown, which was a huge motivating factor for me,” Day continued. “As we scrambled to finish the project by the end of the semester, I really felt the pressure to make it the best it could possibly be.”

Conell, a junior digital film and television production major, experienced a similar sense of relief after hearing the documentary had been selected.

“Months of effort went into this, and now I could relax,” he said. “Over the next week, that relief turned into excitement as early copies were circulated among OPT staff, who expressed their delight and support.”

“Positive attitudes” contribute to quality effort

Ferber was impressed by the work ethic and level of talent his MED 512 students displayed.

“I had a core group with a strong work ethic and a willingness to try to create a broadcast-worthy program,” he said. “Their talents and positive attitudes created a wonderful environment.”

Especially gratifying for Ferber was seeing his students rise to the challenge of learning broadcast standards.

“Broadcast standards are very different, so I feel that was beneficial for all of them,” he said. “Most of them are naturally only focused on online distribution, like YouTube.”

Ferber said working with the students on the documentary was a “deeply enriching experience.”

“I loved seeing my students grow as they took on this lofty challenge,” he said.

Résumé-building opportunities

Conell said learning more about broadcast formats was “eye-opening.”

“It required applying skills beyond cinematography, editing and screenwriting — broadcast formats, network styles and expectations, copyrights and lots of paperwork,” he explained.

Both Conell and Day agreed making the documentary expanded their understanding of audience perspectives and needs.

“We had to consider the wants and perspectives of a greater audience, which is difficult for many students to do,” Conell said. “This is real-world stuff, and real-world experience.”

“I can’t think of a better résumé builder than this,” he added.

Overcoming challenges, conquering fears

Day and Conell both agreed that working on the documentary was a valuable learning experience in several ways.

They learned the technical skills of documentary making. But each also learned real-life lessons about time management and organization.

They also learned a little more about their own resiliency.

Embracing leadership roles

When Day transferred to MSU in 2023, her advisor suggested she enroll in MED 512 to earn the documentary certificate. Little did she know that she would find herself leading the entire project.

Day was assigned the role of director for the Carillon documentary.

“I worked closely with the producers and interpreted their vision into assignments for the production team,” she explained. “I was present for most production work days to assist and direct the team in various areas.”

In addition to her director’s duties, Day edited and filmed B-roll footage, piecing together sequences and interviews and filming specific shots to match the documentary’s script.

Day said taking on so many responsibilities was beneficial in several ways.

“Learning how a documentary is built from the ground up has taught me so much about the production process and how to create a valuable piece of media,” she said.

She also gained real-life experience on how to organize and communicate with a team.

“I have a fresh perspective on the value of good communication and how to work with others, and on project management,” Day said.

“Communication and keeping things amiable amongst various conflicts and stressful moods was difficult,” she continued. “The phrase ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ was raised at times, but so was ‘the best employee is the one who shows up,’ whenever it was difficult to stay in contact with the team during a busy semester.”

Confronting scheduling headaches

Like Day, Conell found himself in a leadership role as one of the documentary’s producers. He also worked in a variety of roles.

“I [was] involved in all aspects of production, including directing, writing, editing, researching and filming,” Conell said. “It was rare for something to be happening that I wasn’t there for.”

Conell agreed with Day that staying on schedule while managing multiple people could be demanding.

“In any production, planning, scheduling and dealing with unexpected delays are challenging,” he said. “Schedules rarely lined up, and equipment issues were common.”

Ferber was aware the students would face multiple obstacles, especially with scheduling.

“All the students in the class were full-time, and many also had side jobs,” he said. “They had to go from concept to a finished show from mid-January to mid-May.”

Seven stories high

Conell faced his own set of challenges, including overcoming a fear of heights.

“Filming the bells was terrifying and exhilarating,” he explained. “We were seven stories high, and I have a strong fear of heights. The walls of the bell room are open in all directions for sound. No matter what direction I looked, I could see the ground below me.”

Yet Conell also has an equally powerful curiosity about the inner workings of machines.

“When I see something with strings and levers and moving parts, I have to figure out how it works,” he admitted. “Getting to see the inner workings of the carillon up close was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling for me. How often do you get to be inside a musical instrument?”

This curiosity helped Conell conquer his fear of heights.

“This was not a space designed for comfort,” Conell continued. “I often found myself crawling and climbing to get the right shot. Fortunately, my fear of heights was overridden by just how cool it was to see the internals and how the instrument works.”

A sense of accomplishment

Ferber said he enjoyed his first experience as an instructor and hopes to do it again.

“Since this was my first-semester teaching, I felt that we had mutual growth and learning,” he said.

Conell expressed appreciation for the chance to learn more, whether it was about making documentaries or about music.

“I have never been musically talented, but I love music,” he added. “Being able to bring the music of the carillon to a wider audience brings me a lot of joy.”

For Day, working on the documentary — and having it aired — signals a turning point in her career and her views about her future.

“I am glad I got to finish my certificate and create an actual documentary before graduating,” she said. “With documentary, there are endless possibilities and stories to be told, and I feel ready to tell them.”

“The fact that something I helped make is going to air on local television is truly a life accomplishment and a dream come true for me,” she added.

“I feel more empowered than ever to pursue being a documentarian, because, well, now I am one.”

Learn more about the documentary filmmaking certificate

---

Photos provided by Emily Day.