Taking a Class

At Akakū: Maui Community Television, we are committed to empowering YOUR access to media, and with a few classes you will be empowered. One of the best ways to become a proficient content producer is to learn from the best, and at Akakū, we are proud to have some of Mauiʻs finest as part of our growing Education Program.

The goal of the Education Department is to certify community producers that will go on to create meaningful, local content for our viewing community. Our highly qualified, friendly instructors are also available outside of the classroom for mentoring and extra help.

How To Get Certified

The first step is to take the Akakū Orientation/Intro to TV Production class. Once this class is completed, you are free to take any other classes on our roster and become certified in the area(s) of your choice.

At the moment, we offer three areas of certification:

• Field Camera Certification - which enables you to reserve and check out camera equipment free of charge for the purposes of making content for your public access channels.*

• Final Cut Pro X Certification - which enables you to utilize our editing facilities free of charge for the purposes of making content for your public access channels.*

• Studio Production Certification - which enables you to reserve and utilize our  production studio free of charge for the purposes of making content for your public access channels.*

Akakū Production Associate Fee

The annual Akakū Production Associate (APA) fee is $35.00.  Payment is required of all certified producers prior to reserving and checking out equipment, utilizing editing facilities, reserving and utilizing the production studio, and running and voting in elections to fill Producer Representative seats on the Akakū Board of Directors.

Producers can pay the fee by calling Akakū at 808-871-5554 or by visiting the front desk.  Volunteer opportunities are available for those unable to afford the APA fee.

Class Descriptions

Akakū Orientation/Intro to TV Production:

This class is required before taking any other classes, and in the case of students taking equivalency exams as well. Students will be given a full tour of the facility, and will be introduced to the community resources and common procedures at Akakū: Maui Community Television. This class will also include a brief overview of the production process, from pre-production to delivery and an introduction to television production. This class is 3 hours long and is taught by a member of the Akakū staff. $20

Introduction to Field Camera:

Students will work under the guidance of an Akaku-appointed instructor to become comfortable in the usage of our digital video camera packages. With a focus on proper field production methods, students will get familiar with the manual controls on the camera, basic framing, lighting, and sound techniques. This class is intended for individuals who either already have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of video production or who have never even touched a camera before! Upon completion of this class, students become “Student Certified”, and must complete their first Akakū project under the guidance of an Akakū Education Mentor. Upon successful completion of their first projects, members become Akakū Certified, and are able to use the advanced digital video cameras, lighting and audio equipment available through Akakū free of charge to make their own shows and films for our channels. This class is 20 hours long, usually held over 3 or 4 days, and includes a field trip to a community event, which will be filmed by the student producers. Maximum number of students per class is six.  $150 - Prerequisite for checking out equipment is the Akaku orientation class.

Introduction to Final Cut Pro X:

This class will cover basic editing skills and Final Cut Pro X systems available at Akakū. With a maximum of 8 students to every instructor and one student per editing system, students will receive intimate hands-on training. Focus will be on learning the interface, basic tools, file management and editing tips. Students are encouraged to come to the Akakū Media Lab to practice their skills soon after completing the class to supplement their training. One edited student project must be submitted before a student becomes Akakū Certified. Basic computer literacy skills are a prerequisite. Upon completion of the class, students will be certified to use Akakūʻs Final Cut Pro X edit suites free of charge.* The class is 12 hours long, usually held over 3 consecutive days. $150

Intro to Studio Production:

This class introduces you to the world of studio production – which take place in a creative environment that offers; controlled lighting, sound mixing, and video mixing. This class is designed to teach the student the operation and care of studio. Studio productions are a team effort and require many different people in different positions, all working together to produce the video. Students will be instructed in each area of the studio and will also fulfill the duties of each position in an actual studio production. After successful completion of the class, students are then required to volunteer on four studio productions before applying for their own non-live studio show.*  Minimum number of students per class is 4, and the class is 16 hours long,  held over 3 consecutive days. $150

*For non-commercial productions only. Only non-commercial, public access projects qualify for the free use of Akakū equipment and the use of studio, after certification is complete. If producers want to produce commercial content, they will not be able to use the community equipment for commercial projects.