TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Students at Tanque Verde High School had a unique opportunity to partner with the Lisa Frank brand to help film a promotional video for their latest Halloween line, “Lisa Freak.”
The promo was shot on location at the school, offering students valuable hands-on experience in a professional production setting.
Ryan Riffle, the school’s TV and film teacher, explained that the project was a great opportunity for his students.
"My class recently got to partner with Lisa Frank," said Riffle. "They were there for 2-3 hours helping set up. They were standing in place of where the actor would be when she got there so they could test everything."
Three students from Riffle’s class were selected to assist the Lisa Frank crew on the shoot, including senior Dustin Folkerts and junior Sierra Staab.
"It was a learning experience for me because it showed me an example of what I thought it would be compared to what it actually was, which was nice to see," Folkerts shared.
Staab added that much of what she had learned in the classroom prepared her for the experience.
"We used some of the stuff from here in the classroom—setting up the lights, moving everything, carrying the wires around," Stabbs said. "We do that a lot in here because we have to set up our own equipment."
For both students, the experience was a glimpse into how production works outside the classroom.
"It was a really good experience to go through and see the trials and errors of everything," Folkerts said.
Staab was also excited about the products themselves.
"I thought the clothes were awesome," she said. "They were so cool. It was all Halloween but colorful. It’s super cute."
Lisa Frank, a company that has been around since 1979 with its central headquarters on Tucson’s south side, continues to make its comeback, and the students were thrilled to be a part of it.
"I had Lisa Frank stuff growing up, so seeing this was actually really cool like ‘whoa, hey, this is still a thing,’" Staab added.
As for future opportunities, Riffle remains hopeful.
"They are going to reach out for other things they might need in the future, so I think they are willing to do more stuff," the teacher said. "We just don’t know what that is yet."
The students at Tanque Verde High School are eagerly awaiting their next big break in the world of TV and film production.
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Heidi Alagha is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. Heidi spent 5 years as the morning anchor in Waco where she was named the best anchor team by the Texas Associated Press. Share your story ideas and important issues with Heidi by emailing heidi.alagha@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.