By Matthew Rocco
Aspiring sports media professionals will get their chance to go in front of the camera at the Central Jersey Sportscasting Camp this summer at Holmdel High School.
The camp, which is in its first year, will expose high school students to the world of sports broadcasting and TV news. It’s the brainchild of Bryan DeNovellis, a former News 12 New Jersey sports anchor who has taught TV production at Holmdel since 2012. DeNovellis will team up with Kurt Siegelin, an Emmy-winning morning news anchor at News 12 New Jersey, to lead the week-long camp. Together, they have nearly 50 years of broadcasting experience.
“This is an opportunity to learn from two professionals who have been there. We’ve covered every major sporting event in New Jersey and across the nation: Super Bowls, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, [NJSIAA] Group finals and right down to Little League,” DeNovellis said.
DeNovellis added that with teenagers thinking early on about possible careers, the sportscasting camp will allow high school students to “learn what it’s like and find out if this is truly something they want to aspire to.”
DeNovellis was an on-air host for Time Warner Cable before a 13-year stint as an anchor and sports director with News 12 New Jersey, where he continues to work on a freelance basis. In addition to teaching production classes, he oversees Holmdel’s TV and Film Society. He said Holmdel students have become more interested in TV courses, and a record number of students tried out to host a bi-monthly news show, the “Hornet Report.” Siegelin has experience in the classroom, too. He teaches TV news reporting and production at William Paterson University and Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The sportscasting camp wouldn’t be possible without the TV production facilities at Holmdel, DeNovellis said. The school has three high-definition studio cameras, teleprompters, a control room, dozens of computers and Adobe editing software — the type of equipment a professional broadcaster would expect to use. DeNovellis believes the camp will be a valuable experience for high schoolers who want to study a form of broadcasting or communications.
“The goal is to introduce them to the world of sportscasting and news reporting in general, including the importance of writing, what important stories are and how to be comfortable in front of the camera,” he said.
DeNovellis and Siegelin will also cover interview techniques and offer a look inside the industry based on their experiences. By the end of the week, students will put together a sportscast of their own.
The Central Jersey Sportscasting Camp will be held July 25-29 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Students and parents can call 732-556-8842 or email bryandenovellis@gmail.com for signup information.
