The Media Center Blog is syndicated here for your convenience. To see the entire blog, where you can leave comments and subscribe by email to the latest blog entries and comments, visit our Blogger page.
You can also subscribe the blog via RSS/Atom by using the RSS icon at the top of this page to add to your feed reader.
If you see a guy in the equipment room and he doesn't have red hair, it might be Devon Dykwel. He recently completed the ZOOM IN workshop and guess what? Devon's an equipment enthusiast. So he is now assisting Jeff McGinnis in the Equipment Room. We are pleased to be able to roll out Monday-Friday service! Hours are still 5-7 pm, but the set up is different:
Equipment Returns - 5-6 pm
Equipment Check-Out - 6-7 pm
Equipment rental duration will be for one day and Friday rentals will carry over through the weekend.
SONY TRV900 - Weekday $10, Friday-Monday $15
PANASONIC AG-HMC40 Hi Def - Weekday $15, Friday-Monday $20
Come by and check out our new HD cameras! And meet Devon!
Got questions: Call 494-8686 ext. 13 or email jeff@midpenmedia.org.
An ironic twist to all this, is that if you've got the Blues yourself, you might want to watch "American Blues Man" to lift your spirits. Kenny has weathered life's vicissitudes with grace and hope and charity. His story is an inspiration. We are proud that the Media Center is able to showcase the life and music of this internationally respected and beloved blue artist.
We had a full house with our DQ instructors, Matt Harnack and Ana Simoes, assistant instructors, Camille Smura and Wes Rapaport, intern, Haelin Cho, and approximately 35 guests. Annie Folger was also there showing her support!
Thank you to everyone who made this possible! Keep your eye out for our YOUTH VIDEO WEEK on Channel 28, from Sept 3rd to Sept 12th, where Digiquest productions and youth intern and Youth Advisory productions will be featured! Check our website for the full program schedule!
Published 2010-08-24T11:04:00.000-07:00 by Becca F
On Tuesday, August 24, 2010, the Media Center kicks off the Fall season of Live School Broadcasts with the debut of KNOL News from Oak Knoll in Menlo Park. KNOL is the daily school announcement and news broadcast that the students produce to keep the school staff and students abreast of important events. KNOL of Oak Knoll is scheduled to run on CHANNEL 27 from 8:15 am-8:25 am Monday through Friday, except for holidays, of course. (And this time may change, so always check our schedule pages for the latest info.) The broadcast news programs of other schools including Hillview, Encinal, JLS, Jordan, Gunn, PALY, et al will be coming into your living room soon on either Channel 27 or Channel 28. You can check our schedules pages by searching for YBC or enter the individual name of the school you want to follow. Congratulations to Oak Knoll School for going live the first day of school.
(YBC is brought to you over the I-NET by hardworking teachers and kids, and by Media Center staff: IT Specialist Chris Pearce and Master Control Technician Brian Jones.)
Tonight, the Media Center is sending the kids off to school with an open mic night before school starts on Tuesday. We have headliner band Hero's Last Mission playing after a bunch of our local kids perform a variety of acts.
An exciting thing about tonight is that we will be attempting (all tests have succeeded thus far) to stream it live over our FACEBOOK page and that's both of them. We have a friend page (Palo Altomediacenter) and a Fan page (Media Center). When you hit either page click on the "ustream" tab near the top and you should be able to see it going down. It doesn't start until 7:30 pm but if you tune in sooner you may be able to see us setting up! Wow, how fun is that!
Anyway, if you can't make it down to this free event be sure to tune in via our Facebook page.
MAKE THE CALL was featured in today's New York Times. Make the Call is a co-production of the Media Center and the East Palo Alto Police department. Former judge Ladoris Cordell interviews families whose lives have been shattered by the murder of a loved one. Make the Call is aimed at combatting the gang rule against snitching and urges citizens to take control of their community by being the witness that solves the crime. In our most recent episode, activist and social worker David Lewis made a guest appearance. The tragic irony is that David himself was murdered in June. His contribution to our community was incalculable. Here's a link to the article online. And you can watch Make the Call and see community hero David Lewis at these times.
It's time, Folks! The Alliance for Community Media, Western Region is calling for entries for the 2010 WAVE Awards. Winners receive recognition at the upcoming conference in Spark, Nevada, October 15-16, plus an engraved plaque. The theme this year is Ignite the Voice of Community Media.
Plus the Free Speech TV Community Activism Award returns this year, for programming that encourages people to get involved in positive social change. The winner will receive a national broadcast on Free Speech TV, reaching over 30 million U.S. households, and a special award from FSTV.
This year the WAVE entry form moves online! Check out www.west.alliancecm.org/2010WAVES for the online entry form and instructions! Because we are ACM members, if you enter through the Media Center, the rate is $25. If you are not a member of ACM your rate will be $40. So get your entry to us by 6 pm, Monday, August 16, 2010, in order to participate in the group discount. Make all checks out to THE MEDIA CENTER. So if you enter 3 videos, please write a check for $75 payable to the Media Center.
Also, check out the Brian Wilson Mentorship Award for commendable PEG Access Board, staff and volunteers! Submit their names and honor them, as they deserve. Check out www.acmwest.org for more information and the nomination form. We're surrounded by hard working, passionate people. Maybe one of them deserves your special notice.
The 4th episode of MAKE THE CALL debuts tonight on Channel 27 at 9 pm. Make the Call is a joint production of the East Palo Alto Police Department and the Media Center. The show will profile two unsolved homicide cases and will feature interviews with friends and families of the victims. The show is hosted by LaDoris Cordell, retired Santa Clara Superior Court Judge. By meeting the family and friends of the victims, by seeing the faces of those whose lives have been changed forever by the murder of their loved ones, witnesses will realize how important it is to come forward and make that call.
If you can not catch Make the Call tonight, watch the show at these other times.
There will be some contentious local measures on November ballots in Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, and Palo Alto, along with city council races in Atherton, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. The Media Center is gearing up for election programming to provide voters with a good look at candidates and issues before the November elections. We are continuing a long partnership with the League of Women Voter branches in Palo Alto and South San Mateo County to organize candidate forums. Candidates for school board and various county boards will be featured in video candidate statements, so that voters can get a more comprehensive look at candidates and issues than what is afforded by all the glossy mailers that will stuff our mailboxes. About 300 viewers recently watched the Media Center's video-on-demand of the candidates for Superior Court judge in June's election. It's one of the few ways to actually see and hear the style of the folks who will have a big impact on our community.
The Media Center also plans to organize debates on at least two of November's state ballot measures - such as whether to delay some environmental laws until the economy is in better shape, and whether to legalize marijuana.
All the videos we create become available to voters on demand and are linked on the League of Women Voters' "SmartVoter.org" web site.
Published 2010-07-13T09:20:00.000-07:00 by Community Media 2.0
The Merry Wives of Windsor episode of the THEATRE FACTORY won the coveted 2010 Hometown Video Award in the Informational Talk Show/Community Producer Category. Congratulations go out to the show's producers Patty Page and Patricia Neme. In addition to producing Theatre Factory in our studio, Patty serves as a dedicated volunteer at the Media Center. The very dynamic Patricia Neme is part-time staff plus an energetic and outspoken supporter of the Media Center, bringing in new students and producers to our facility and crewing as a volunteer in every position possible to hone her skills.
I had the good fortune to be on hand in Pittsburgh last Friday night at the Ceremony when Patty and Patricia received their Hometown Video Award. The photograph herein features Patty and Patricia flanked by Juan Serna, CreaTV San Jose's Access Facilitator and yours truly.
The winning episode featured many of the Media Center's most experienced crew. Karen Adams was the Production Manager; Scott Van Duyne was the Director and Switcher; Stan Ng ran Graphics; and Bill Lindemann ran the Audio board. The camera operators were Terry Verhaar, Wes Rapaport and Francisco del Rosario. Producer Patty Page was the Floor Director. And producer Patricia Neme was, as usual, the host. The show featured interviews with and performances by members of the Festival Theatre Ensemble's production of the Merry Wives of Windsor during June of last year.
We are extremely proud of Patty and Patricia and wish them continued success in their producing partnership.
You can watch this winning episode of Theatre Factory on Channel 27, Tuesday, July 27, 5pm; Wednesday, July 28, 10 pm and Friday, July 30 at 2 pm. Remember we simulcast from our website. Look for additional playback times by checking the schedule page on our website.
On a final note, consider a visit to your regional or national conference. You LEARN so much and you MEET so many passionate people. The conference is very inspiring, and gets you thinking about the various and important roles an access center can play in the community. Visit the Alliance for Community Media's website and consider becoming an individual member. I just did. I'll write more on the ACM in an upcoming blog. Stay tuned!
The super nice guy and great musician and former guest on the Media Center's American Songwriter Show just received over $1 million in goods and services for the non-prof he founded and operates in Visitacion Valley to provide after school activities to school children. If you missed the big event, you can watch it on the Today Show's website. Even though Curt got this award, he still needs volunteers and support over there, so if you like working with kids, visits R.O.C.K.'s website.Published 2010-06-21T14:18:00.000-07:00 by Becky
900 San Antonio Rd. • Palo Alto,
CA 94303-4917 • 650-494-8686 • info@midpenmedia.org