Clark welcomes a new face to the cinema department

After Clark’s former cinema teacher, Matt Stroup, left at the end of last year, Clark’s cinema department was in need of a new teacher. Joshua Bishop took the opportunity to teach and influence students in cinema. “I see myself as a facilitator,” Bishop said.

His passion to pursue film began in high school, where he took three years of television production. “I had a few friends who were taking it and they got me interested in it,” Bishop said. Prior to entering high school, Bishop was uncertain of the career path he wanted to pursue; however, this class piqued his interests because he could tell his own stories.

Bishop furthered his education by attending Fitchburg State College, now called Fitchburg State University, majoring in Film and Video Production. “They had really good internship opportunities,” he said. Bishop even got an internship after his four years at WCVB, a news station in Boston. Many of his friends also work in the corporate world and on film sets.

Prior to beginning a teaching job, Bishop previously worked for social platforms and created videos that helped attract viewers and build the company’s reputation. He also worked on the television set of Mysteries at the Museum, which is still playing today on the Travel Channel.

Outside of the classroom, Bishop enjoys biking and hiking. Every summer, Bishop joins his friends and family for a camping trip where they hike different mountains and visit different areas. He also enjoys screenwriting. “I find it as a release,” Bishop said. Bishop also loves to spend most of his time outside of the film world with his dog.

His interest in all aspects of film led him to his first teaching job at Clark. At first, Bishop was uncertain whether he wanted to be a teacher. “I realized a few years ago this is probably what I wanted to do so I became certified,” Bishop said. He has many ideas to contribute to the cinema department. Bishop hopes to continue most traditions such as the bulletin reports and the capstone project. He also hopes to create a new entertainment show that contains news aspects to it such as interviews with teachers and topics going on in the world.

Bishop enjoys seeing the different styles each person has and the different goals they want to pursue. Many students already have positive opinions about Bishop. “Mr. Bishop is already such a nice teacher and has already taught us the basics about cinema,” said Edgar Sahakian, a junior in Bishop’s Cinematography 1-2 class.

Bishop wants to influence students and help them accomplish their goals. “I see myself as the person who can help these students reach their potential or help these students decide to follow this career path in college and beyond and I want to be that first stepping stone to get them there,” Bishop said.