In 2005, Erickson Retirement Communities, the manager and developer of Seabrook, created a three-week video journalism program in which world-renowned video journalist Michael Rosenblum and his company, Rosenblum Associates, came to Seabrook as well as the other Erickson campuses and taught residents and members of the public how to create and edit videos. Seabrook now has 15 video cameras available to residents for this purpose.
Once the program ended, a group of residents created a video journalism club, which is now an integral part of the TV station. As a member, Schoening helps to teach his fellow residents about editing.
Schoening then took this experience to the next level and became an integral voluntary member of the Seabrook TV station. He is now the official creator of promos for outside groups and shows appearing at Seabrook. He takes still photos and footage provided by performers and/or content located on websites and creates promos that include his artwork, captions, and fonts, which air prior to the scheduled events. He also asks friends to do voice-overs when they are needed. He uses Windows Movie Maker at home and Mac software at the station to create his shows. By the end of 2006, Schoening created over 50 promos and over 120 “From My Email Box” segments. He also began filling in on the video switchboard and acting as a technical director at the station, when necessary.
“I don’t know what we would do without John,” says Barbara Hirsch, community TV lead coordinator, Seabrook. “He is such a hard worker and his promos and shows are wonderful.”
“I love working at the TV station and do so about 5-6 hours a day,” says Schoening. “It keeps me very busy.”
“Seabrook is like a cocoon that surrounds me with things to do,” says Schoening. “The TV stations that John Erickson, the founder of Erickson Retirement Communities, has put into place at all 18 communities are truly unique. I haven‘t seen them offered at other like communities and I am very grateful to him for having the vision to develop such a wonderful communication tool for Seabrook and the Erickson campuses.”
Aside from his work at the Seabrook TV station, Schoening and a few members of the video journalism club have been asked to work on a documentary about Tinton Falls, New Jersey, for the town’s historical society. It will be shown at Seabrook and used as a promotional tool by the town.
“I lived in Tinton Falls for 42 years and my three children went all the way through the school system, so I am very familiar with the town and its history,” says Schoening.
Prior to his retirement, Schoening worked in upper-level management at Fort Monmouth where he did research and development on electric radar, meteorological equipment, and drones (un-manned aircrafts). He got his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State. (Jackie Schatell)
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