Flucos Take a Bite of the Big Apple

The tall skyscrapers and busy streets of New York City were the primary destination for the students of FlucoTV on March 20-23. A total of eight students, two FCHS staff members, and one parent chaperone traveled to the Big Apple in order to explore and engage in conversation about television and film production. While in the city, the students watched the Today show live and meet the anchors, and talk with director Jonah Feingold.

This past fall, the TV Production 2 students had a Zoom meeting with Feingold regarding his film Dating and New York. He offered to meet with the students when they traveled to the city after FCHS TV Production teacher David Small got in contact with Feingold through Instagram. They agreed to meet up when the class traveled to Manhattan.

“We got there by train and a subway,” said senior Malcolm Walls. “This was a new experience for me, but it was a fun experience. I loved the different sites and scenery that we passed on the train,” he said of his first visit to New York City.

“When I first heard we were getting on [Amtrak] and riding up I was extremely skeptical. But once I got on the train I realized how spacious it was and the seats were much more comfortable than I had originally thought,” said senior Matthew Crothers. “The ride was long but it went by pretty quickly because I was able to converse with my friends and create new bonds with people I wasn’t necessarily close to,” he added.

The planning involved a lot of work. “This trip planning involves setting up lots of hotel, train, and tour reservations, as well as finding out [about] some good spots to stop for meals.” said TV Production teacher David Small, who helped plan the trip.

While in New York, the students’ discussed with Feingold what led him into film production and he offered lots of wisdom, as well as showing the students where some of the scenes he shot were filmed.

“Meeting Jonah Feingold was very eye-opening, motivating, and insightful. Jonah had amazing advice and he even invited us to go on set with him one day in the summer, which is something I would love to experience,” said Walls.

Small noted that the trip was a great experience for his students in many ways. “Aside from the film experiences, this was many of the students’ first time in the city, so riding subways, eating New York Pizza, and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge were highlights…By the time they returned home to the C’Ville Amtrak station, they had not only experienced something new, but they were ready to rest their feet,” said Small.

At least two of the students on the trip would love to return to the Big Apple someday.

“If I could go back to New York, I think the only thing I would change is that I wouldn’t come home. I now want to live in the city and explore a lot more of New York’s culture and the city itself,” said Walls. He added, “The coolest thing I saw in New York was the whole of Fifth Avenue, which is New York City’s ‘fashion street’. I really enjoyed seeing all of the designer fashion stores, especially because I am very into fashion myself.”

Crothers agreed that he’s looking forward to a return trip. “I had such a good time in New York, but I wish that we could have spent a little more time in Brooklyn. We went there the first night and there were so many beautiful sights that I saw. I took so many pictures of the buildings and really wanted to tour Brooklyn and see some of the major landscapes and notable places.”