WHEN the new academic year begins next month, students Abouna Jones and Najee Hibbert will enter Campion College in Kingston with knowledge of the school’s history and available facilities, thanks to orientation CDs created by Tommy Ricketts and his team from Ricketts Productions.

From all indications, however, Jones and Hibbert will not be alone as the production company has created similar CDs for several other high schools across the island to give new students comprehensive and easy to access information about their institutions.

“We have done CDs for Hampton High School, Wolmer’s Girls School, Campion College, Ardenne High, Titchfield High, St Georges’ College and Clarendon College,” Ricketts, who is owner and creative director of Ricketts Productions, told the Sunday Observer.

“We have also done CDs for a few tertiary institutions, for example, Northern Caribbean University and the Caribbean Maritime Institute,” he added.

The production company came up with the idea for orientation CDs as its members sought a new niche market and found that there were no other companies in the business.

The first set of CDs were done between 2001 and 2002, on the Immaculate Conception High School.

“We approached Sister Mary Catherine, principal at the time, with our idea and she agreed,” Ricketts said.

He added that not only did Sister Mary Catherine like the final product, but also the students. Later, other schools got wind of the creation and wanted it as well.

The CDs, meanwhile, are interactive, taking viewers on an adventure of the institutions. Complete with background music, viewers can sit and enjoy the contents of the CDs, which include:

. a virtual tour of the school campus;

. photo albums, clubs and societies;

. the school’s history; and

. the school’s facilities and messages.

Ricketts, in the interim, told the Sunday Observer that a great deal of research goes into the production of the CDs and they generally take a little under a year to be completed.

“In addition to research, we have to write, take photos and also do some amount of recording. Schools have events throughout the year so we would be present at those events to get footage for the CDs,” he added.

The company currently employs about 25 people, including a media acquisition team (persons who gather the information), research personnel, photographers, videographers and graphic artists.

“Sometimes we have to bring in freelance writers, and additional photographers and videographers when schools have simultaneous calender events,” Ricketts said.

The number of CDs made depends on the number of new students entering each school and as such, varies from school to school. While Ricketts would not quote a price for the production of the CDs, he said that they were being produced at a reduced price for the schools.

In addition to orientation CDs for schools, the company also produces graduation and ball CDs and has done CDs for the National Dance Theatre Company.

“We are also now in the process of developing a new product, which is a yearbook,” he said.

Even sixth form students see the CDs as a good tool for the new students to have.

“It will prove to be very useful to the incoming students. When they enter the school, they’ll know where the offices, bathrooms, canteen and classrooms are. I was at school for quite a while before I knew where the bathroom was, so it’s a welcomed change,” said one sixth form student at Kingston College.

Najee agreed.

“The CD is good. It shows you the places so that when you get there for the first time, you won’t get lost. And it’s easy to use. All you have to do is put it in the computer and it starts loading. You can even click on whatever you want to see,” he said.

Abouna expressed similar sentiments, adding that, “it looks like they put a lot of work into it. It’s also informative for first formers as it tells about the alumni, the school’s past, and its founders.”