Man Buys School - Turns it into His Home! Feature Story - THE CURRENT, 2019 - ID# 459

South Elgin

News Package

Entry Description

Meet Josh Holbrook, a man in Malta, IL that bought a 39,000 sq foot former elementary school... and made it his home. Complete with themed "classrooms" including: a theater, a pop culture room, a zen room and MORE-- also has his own gymnasium and concert space and has turned the old cafeteria into what else?-- his own Pizza restaurant appropriately name, "Old School Pizza"... It's "House on the Rock" modernized by Holbrook himself, complete with the most eclectic collection of "stuff" folks will ever see. It's a roadside attraction in the making!

Copyright Info

music used in video was recorded from a player piano that was on location in the school.

Recent Teacher Comments

• 4/23 6:49 pm - I like that you chose a unique topic to your community to highlight. I second the comments below and do not want to be redundant. This was one of my favorite pieces. Here is a way you can improve. Bring and use a light. There are some shots that are dark and it is already a strange thing to buy a school to convert to a home, but you want it to communicate a warm home not a creepy fun house. I think the light would bring it a soft quality. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this piece. If you are an underclassman, keep making pieces. If you are a senior, I wish you the best in your future and congratulations!
• 3/16 8:20 pm - I love your creative writing in your introduction about the mascot/home. It was short simple and to the point. Nice job. Your music selection for the background was perfect. I thought your delivery and timing with your narration was also done well. You didn’t talk to fast, you paused when you should have, and you gave your audience a chance to digest what they were all taking in (and it is a lot to take in). concept is fascinating so I loved seeing school spaces converted to personal spaces So some shots was craving to see a bedroom in a classroom, and family room in the classroom, what does the kitchen look like, and I would have loved an exterior shot that had this school looking like a home (mailbox if they had one). I also would have loved more of an exterior just to see how big this place is, and this is his house? 39,000 square feet is bigger than your average mansion. I thought you covered the aspects of this story well, and I never lost interest however I could not help but come up with a few questions that I never got the answers too, like how did he afford to buy it, how does he afford the electric bill, and how does he take care of such a big place all by himself (and still hold down a full time job). Not that it is my business to know, but these are questions I could not help but have, and a news story is supposed to answer questions not create them. The ending came a little abrupt, I am never a fan of the reporter talking until the last second because it never gives your audience a chance to come up with their own thoughts as the final shots drift off (because the way you have it the next thing in the broadcast is the news anchors talking about the story). I also was a little surprised that you ended it the way you did, you covered so much ground and thought your writing was so good, I was expecting a more creative conclusion, and all you said was when the pizza part of it would be opening. Overall, I really enjoyed your story, great writing, great visuals, great sound, and great job finding a topic that is off the beaten path and turning it into something amazing.

Judge 1

Positives: - I think this piece is put together nicely. The soundbite from him to start your track is fantastic -- and it had me interested from the start. - You did a great job of making the viewer feel like they're there. Nice work showcasing the different rooms, the restaurant and such.

Improvements: - This story could have used some improvement on shot composition. You have too much movement in the form of pans and tilts. You didn't have enough steady shots. Try to sequence some of these shots together. For example, show a wide shot of one room to set the scene, then close ups on individual pieces of it. - Something to think about that will take your storytelling to the next level is using your interview backdrop to your advantage. I couldn't tell where exactly that was. When you have something as massive as an elementary school being converted into someone's home and business, use that as part of the story! An example: starting on a wide shot of him in the gymnasium, then zooming in for different, more personal questions.

Judge 2

Positives: Cool topic, lots of great sound and broll

Improvements: Be mindful of signs in the background. While the word "crap" is acceptable, there were probably plenty more places to do that interview. When you have so much sound in a pkg, it's okay to cover a lot of it with broll. You didn't need to see him every time he talked. Your stand up location was a bit confusing. I can the phrase high school on the building. Maybe stand under that or at least closer, so I know it's a school That quirky music is really distracting. Either make it louder or ditch it

Judge 3

Positives: -what a unique story! Great use of video to narrate what we are seeing. -Loved the background music, it added character to the piece.

Improvements: -It would've been great to see the characters of the story interacting in the home. When the reporter mentioned Josh's name, we should see him. -Try to use more natural sound to drive the story (perhaps see josh walking around house giving reporter a tour or hearing his kids playing in between tracks)

Judge 4

Positives:

Improvements: