Everybody’s got ideas, but what good are those ideas if they can’t be expressed? That’s where SMAC, or The Silverstein Media Arts Collaborative comes in. Media Arts is an afternoon activities program that allows students of the Hill to express their creativity in the form of media. Created by English Department Senior Master Ned Ide and Director of Co-Curricular Activities Seth Eilberg in June of 2018, Media Arts is a haven for artists of all kinds who seek to create something new. Students can participate in a wide array of media projects, including recording podcasts, writing screenplays, directing documentaries, and building websites. 

This year, the group has been granted a budget by Alan Silverstein, the parent of Hill alumnus Josh Silverstein ‘13 who wanted to produce media at Hill, but couldn’t. The donation was used to obtain production equipment for Media Arts. In past years, students couldn’t fully express their ideas with what they were given. Now, they have two cameras and a podcast recording set at their fingertips.

Media Arts is a collaborative. After about an hour of work on projects in the afternoon, Media Arts students  have the option to showcase and receive constructive comments on their projects. This year, many exciting projects are in creation. For example, Rachel Liu ’20, Sabrina Messineo ’20, and Melissa Xu ’20 have been creating a video podcast, or “vodcast,” in which they talk about obscure words that describe indescribable feelings. Additionally, Elaine Geng ’20 is directing a short commercial-documentary for Hobart’s Run, and Alex Christie ’20 is recording a podcast called Christie Car Chats where he discusses cars and the stories they carry.  

Many students were drawn to Media Arts simply because they wanted to try something new. Most, if not all students in Media Arts, had little to no experience working with production equipment and media creation prior to the program. 

“I got the idea from students who wanted to do this type of art, but didn’t have the opportunities,” said Ide. “Like Mr. Silverstein’s kids who didn’t have the opportunity.”

As for the future of Media Arts, Ide sees the group getting more production equipment and its own building as it gains more members. He also envisions an online platform where students can share their finished products for others to enjoy. 

“This is an interesting niche that is narrow and focused and would distinguish people from others,” Ide said. “Who knows, maybe there are people who will be doing this for the rest of their lives.”