A Christmas skit performed with a neighbour has had unexpected consequences for ACG Parnell College’s Eden Oshri.
“My neighbour happens to be a producer at Kea Kids News,” explains the drama-loving Year 7 student. “She was so impressed with my presenting skills that she asked me to audition for the role of presenter in one of Kea Kids’ upcoming episodes.”
Since then, Eden has conducted three interviews for the show funded by NZ On Air to bring news and current affairs to seven to 11-year-olds.
“I’ve been extremely lucky, normally kids only get to present one story, but I’ve been chosen for three. My first one was about a superette in Onehunga that kept getting robbed. My second interview was about a highly talented nine-year-old DJ from Dubai, and my most recent interview was about the farmers’ response to the ute tax.”
Fortunately, at ACG Parnell College, there’s plenty of time for students to enjoy fun and exciting opportunities outside of school hours. Yes, the school has a strong academic focus, but pupils are also encouraged to follow their passions and embrace new challenges. For Eden, the Kea Kids News experience has provided an insight into life in front of the camera – and he has loved every minute of it.
“I enjoy learning how films are made, working with the crew, and implementing my ideas. For me, my first report was the most memorable because I was just learning about the processes and procedures. I didn’t know that it wasn’t filmed chronologically or that it would take so long to record.”
A clip that airs in under ten minutes takes two to three hours to record and a week to edit. In fact, Eden says in some cases, the process can take upwards of two weeks. But he believes that it’s time well spent.
“The hard part is waiting for the episode to come out!”
And while he doesn’t currently have any Kea Kids broadcasts in the pipeline, Eden has several other exciting projects keeping him busy, both inside and outside of ACG Parnell College.
“At the moment, I am involved in a show [re-scheduled due to Covid-19] with the National Youth Theatre. They are doing Oliver! – and I would highly recommend watching it in February!”
In the meantime, though, you can watch Eden in action with his Kea Kids News reports below:
