By Tim Leeds
GREAT FALLS While you may not see his face, you may soon see the work of a Havre High graduate on the local news.
Gary Osborne, who graduated from Havre High School last month, is in Great Falls Monday to begin training as a cameraman for KRTV-Channel 3. Osborne said he was initially hired to film the evening news for the CBS-affiliate. He is the son of Les and Ellen Osborne.
Osborne said he spent time at KFBB-Channel 5 in Great Falls on Nov. 18 as part of the School to Career job shadow program at Havre High. He spent the next day at KRTV as part of the program.
When his mother was dropping off thank yous at the stations, KRTV representatives asked that he send in a job application and demo tapes, Osborne said.
He said he recently received notification on his e-mail.
"They said they liked my demo tape and If you want it, you've got a job,'" Osborne said.
He went in Monday to find out what he will be doing at the station, Osborne said. He said he officially starts on Feb. 23.
Osborne said he has received training in Vicki Proctor's media program at Havre High, but has never used top-end equipment except at the job shadowing in Great Falls last November.
He said he became interested in a career as a cameraman when he started in Proctor's media program about two years ago. He said the Havre teacher has helped him investigate the career.
"She's sort of been my mentor, in a way," Osborne said.
He said once Havre High Vice Principal Howard Hahn found out his interest in media, he suggested Osborne contact School to Career Counselor Tamara Johnson to set up a job shadow for further information.
Osborne said that once he was at the TV stations he asked the staff questions about the equipment, procedures and what education would help in that career. He said he also used some of the equipment, including studio cameras at KFBB and the live van at KRTV.
Osborne said the job shadowing was exactly what he needed to find out about the job.
"I really didn't see any other way to get into the media without using that tool," he said.
