Going forward Pilgrim High School students may have an upper hand when it comes to production technology.

Thanks to a $95,600 grant from the Champlin Foundations, the old metal shop has been completely transformed into a state-of-the-art, fully functional film and audio studio, Studio 107.

The four teachers involved in applying for the Champlin grant as well as creating and sustaining Studio 107 held an open house Wednesday night to debut the new facility. Rich Denningham, Brian Callahan, both English teachers, Andrea Place, the tech ed teacher, and Chris Pratt, the band director for Pilgrim, said that finishing Studio 107 was like taking on a “part-time job.”

For the open house, students stood with the various pieces of technology explaining the mechanics, the uses and the projects they have used them for already.

The three-room studio has a large open area equipped with a 25-foot green screen, staging and track system, a projector and various other recording devices.

There is an audio booth that can record live sound into a digital format. From this room the audio tracks can be sent to one of the 10 Mac computers with top notch editing software in the editing classroom.

Casey Stillson and Joey Burges, both seniors, said that Studio 107 has opened them up to a brand new style of learning that they haven’t experienced in four years of high school.

Stillson said, “For the first time the technology at school has surpassed what we have at home. Most times kids wouldn’t get to use this equipment until college. Now we can have a head start.”

Three students, Kyle Buonfiglio, 12th grade, Patrick Drake, 12th grade, and Tyler Mathias, 11th grade, said that Studio 107 has changed their perception of music and the industry. Buonfiglio and Drake are both planning to study music after graduation and find the practice they get in Studio 107 essential.

Drake said, “It is a great opportunity to learn with high quality equipment. I’ve learned a lot in just one year. I’m bummed I won’t be here next year.

“We all have our favorite songs and artists,” Buonfiglio said, “but we really don’t know what happens behind the scenes and everything that goes into making just one song. This way we have a way into that world.”

Now Mathias, still a junior, said he didn’t even know he was interested in music until he began working in Studio 107

“You can find your passion in this room,” he said.

Andrea Place said, “We are really looking to keep expanding. We want to stream announcements or even a school news show, or even events on our website. The possibilities are endless. The younger students are so excited, and seniors wish they had more than just a year to play around.”

With their new technology, Pilgrim is looking to begin a new educational program that, over the course of their four years in high school, would have students learn the skills needed for the production world.

Dennigham said, “We are the only school in the district and possibly the only school in the state with this program and the full audio and film studio. We are pretty excited.”

The Pilgrim Academy, as it is currently being called, would incorporate classes such as music or film theory as well as various stages of video and audio production for a technology-specific curriculum.

Denningham said that, as designed, this program would meet all district curriculum requirements and common core standards. He said the program might even better fit common core standards than the current curriculum because it is an interdisciplinary program and gives students various ways to showcase their work.

Callahan pointed out the program is available to all academic levels and the classes will be offered as electives for any students interested.

“With this program,” Dennigham said, “students will have a leg up on technology and production once they graduate.”

Although the four-year program is still being developed, students are already seeing the benefits. This year alone, the equipment in Studio 107 has been used for senior projects and in class projects. Some students have made their own movie commercials while others helped to record the Star Spangled Banner by the All City Band to be played at School Committee meetings.

Principal Marie Cote said, “Technology is changing every day and these kids are developing profitable and marketable skills they can use to transition anywhere, whether that is higher education or even employment. The opportunity this room presents to our students is second to none in the state.”