Newington offers a broad range of co-curricular options, giving all students the opportunity to try new things and find their passion. Offerings include Media Production, which enables students to expand and finesse their digital skills while playing a key role in snapshotting and documenting College events. Here, we turn the focus on these essential operators.

Poke your head inside classroom L3 on the Senior campus any given Tuesday lunchtime, and you’ll find a group of approximately 13 students from Years 10 to 12 deep in talk of all things digital.

According to Media Production Captain and Year 12 student Henry R, these weekly co-curricular meetings are an important time to discuss and coordinate all upcoming videography and photography projects at Stanmore.

‘Typically our crew is involved with 15 or more events throughout the year, as well as the weekly assembly,’ Henry explains.

‘Each project requires different skills and tasks, so there are constantly new challenges with each. Highlights videos – such as the sports reels we worked on last year – require weeks of filming plus the work of a chief editor, while a major College event like RockFest necessitates multiple days of set-up beforehand and then all team members on deck.’

Media Production encompasses audio, video, photography, and the editing of footage and images. Although these roles are not defined amongst team members, Henry says as Captain he is vigilant about ensuring everyone gets to refine and expand their media skills.

‘We share everything around as much as possible. We also commonly have our Senior members take on more responsibility for editing and ‘switching’ (organising which cameras are broadcasting at any given moment) while we train up our younger Media Producers,’ he says.

The one event that everyone on the team gets involved with – and the unequivocal highlight of the annual Media Production schedule – is RockFest, Newington’s contemporary music showcase, which takes place in June.

‘The best thing about it is how real it feels,’ says Henry.

‘So much prep goes into our role that night, not just from the Media Production crew but also from ICT’s Mr Vlazny, and the rest of his team, who play a huge part in ensuring all the technology runs smoothly on the night. So there is a real sense of catharsis and ecstasy by the end.’

The crew rotates to each camera during RockFest, giving them different experiences of the same event as they shoot a range of viewpoints. The footage they capture is then broadcast live onto Centenary Hall’s projector.

‘This provides a visualiser effect to boost the rock n’ roll vibe,’ says Henry.

For Henry, participating in Media Production over the past four years has provided him with some transformative experiences, and he encourages other students to get involved.

‘You gain access to professional-quality gear, establish new and useful connections around the College, and develop critical experience in the media space – all while being self-directed and having the freedom to pursue your own projects and interests,’ he says.

Mr Graham Clarkson, a Visual Arts teacher and the Media Production supervisor, says he enjoys watching the team tackle their projects.

‘As a teacher, I can say, I have never worked with a group of students more organised and dedicated to their craft than the current Media Production group. They are a rare bunch of talented students who support each other and consistently deliver professional standard media production because they truly love it,’ he says.

Top photo taken by Oliver Richardson (ON 2024)

Did you know?

• Newington students achieve academic excellence through a rigorous academic, wellbeing and co-curricular education that cares for the whole child and helps produce kind, curious and courageous global citizens. 
• Students can choose from more than 50 sporting and co-curricular activities.
• In 2025 Newington students achieved some of the best results in the HSC and IB in NSW.  
• Three HSC Newington students in 2025 ranked First in State in an HSC subject with a further eight ranking in the Top 10 in State in an HSC subject and nine All-round HSC Achievers and 108 students on the Distinguished Achievers List.  
• Four International Baccalaureate students scored a perfect 45/45 and a further five scored 44/45.

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To find out more about co-curricular options at Newington, click here. This story originally appeared in The NC Autumn 2026 issue. To read this and all past issues, click here.