By Miles Jung-Kilbreath

Record-Courier staff writer

STREETSBORO -- Travelers along the Ohio Turnpike in Portage County looking to make an extra stop on their journey will now be courted to visit Streetsboro after high school senior Ben Claussen created a 30-second television ad that will play at service plazas during the next year.

"This is the best project that has ever come out of (the TV production class). This is an example of a real-life application to the classes we teach here," said high school tv production teacher Tom Fesemyer at a Board of Education meeting Thursday.

Claussen edited the video over two days to the spot sponsored by the Streetsboro Visitors and Convention Bureau that will run at three rest stops in the county at the Portage, Vermilion and Great Lakes plazas.

Fesemyer said VCB Director Lisa Wild approached students at the tv production class, which manages Channel 16 on Time Warner Cable in the city, about two months ago to create the commercial.

"I've seen the commercial and I think that he did a fabulous job on it," Wild said.

Claussen said he first started editing video as part of a project for his freshman drama class, which he did without any prior experience. He then entered the TV production class in his sophomore year creating computer intros for the school's TV club that he still thinks look "sweet" a few years later.

Claussen said he made two cuts of the commerical, remaking the final one when the class received new computers and a new professional editing program, which Fesemyer said was paid for through fund gained in the passage of the November five-year, 5.1-mill combined levy. Fesemyer said Claussen was able to recreate the commercial over a weekend outside of class time.

"We've had this class since 1998 and technology has changed dramatically since then," Fesemyer said. "This is the first time I have a budget to deal with since thanks to the (November) levy passing."

Claussen said the script for the commercial, which focuses on the hotels, restaurants and shopping centers in the city, was provided by Wild with WSTB general manager Bob Long providing narration for the spot.

At Channel 16, Claussen said he works on both live events, where he directs which camera the live feed should cut too for broadcast, along with editing pre-taped programs for air, like band and choir concerts.

Claussen said the video will need a little re-editing after some images are go against a "no-compete clause" in the turnpike contract for advertising businesses that compete with turnpike rest stops.

"Since its the winter and we just had all this snow, I had to work with the pictures I was given," Claussen said. "We couldn't go and take new pictures in the winter."

Claussen said he will be attending the University of Akron in the fall and will either be majoring in video production or computer networking and plans to minor in the other field.

"I'm going to miss him when he's not here next year," said Fesemyer. "Many people here are going to miss him."

The Board of Education recognized Claussen's commerical at Thursday's meeting with a certificate of recognition with each Board member shaking his hand.