All Things Access 310 November 2008

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Find out more about the Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, learn how to make a simple DVD using iDVD, learn what makes Mahi P. tick, and see how Ed Sanders helps It's A Woman's World polish their show.

Law and Video

November 17th at 6:30PM at the SPNN studios. $20 members, $30 non members, $10 student, limited income, and senior members.

Gain some legal insight into Fair Use, Release Forms, Music Clearance, and Copyright Issues.

Please RSVP by calling 651-298-8908.

SPNN member Andrist wins Award

SPNN member Angela Andrist particpated in the MN History Center's Moving Pictures Film Project. Her project was called "Soap Box Derby Champion: Boy Makes Good". She won an award for Best Emerging Filmmaker. The film tells the story of Joe Garelick, the 1938 St. Paul Soap Box Derby Champion who went on to fight as a gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber during WWII and returned home with five air medals. Following the war, Garelick invented a boat ladder and launched a successful manufacturing company.

You can view the film on SPNN's channel 15 or here View the film.

Find out more about the project and view the entries here http://www.mnhs.org/people/mngg/film/index.htm.

Voice Over Workshop

Our Voiceover Workshop will be Tuesday Oct. 28 at 6:30PM. Cost is $20 for members, $30 for non members and $10 for students, limited income, and senior members.

Learn how to produce voiceovers for your own programs and others. Taught by experienced actor, director, casting agent, and talent instructor, Don Cosgrove of the Talent Center.

Call 651-298-8908 to reserve your spot.

Democracy Now Election Coverage

I'm sure everyone has been inundated with election coverage, but we thougt we'd throw ourselves in the mix. Democracy Now will be carrying live election coverage on November 4th. We hope to carry at least part of the night on Channel 15. More details will follow as we work out the details. Democracy Now will also have a special two hour program November 5th that will air live 7AM-9AM and will rebroadcast from 3PM-5PM.

ATA October Show

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We interviewed Nurse Hatchet from the Wabash Street Caves, worked with BiCities on polishing their show, found out more about Anthony Mason of The Twin Cities Show, and learned what accessories SPNN has to offer.

Oh woeist Mac

We just bought two brand new Apple computers. They came with the new iMovie 8 and iLife 08. Having heard lots of complaints about the new iMovie, we decided to down convert to iMovie 6. Now the fact that Apple expects and has a link for this download should say something. Feeling all secure after I tested the import process and editing, making sure to note that the deck was recognized, I let our members start using it. It became apparent soon after that we had export issues. The program exported to tape, but only audio was recorded over black. I tried some troubleshooting to no avail called a couple of techs and didn't get far. I then walked step by step through the preferences. I found that if one had "play video through camera" selected, it exported audio but no video. If on the other hand you deselected this option, it exported fine. After another call to the Apple tech, I found out that evidently the new iMovie and the new Final Cut Express for that matter have a thing called Muxing. This separates the video and audio tracks. This is the reason the audio would record but no video. Imagine my surprise at his lack of surprise. Evidently when building the new software Apple thought printing to tape was archaic. That is why in the new FCE and iMovie 8 printing to tape isn't an option. If you upgrade your existing software it holds the original codec and will continue to support printing to tape. Lesson learned. Two actually. Mac is NOT as plug and play as they claim and upgrade rather than outright buy the new program. I guess with the popularity of tapeless camcorders and the shift to web based publishing, tape's days are numbered.

Polish My Show

The SPNN Access department is starting a new segment for All Things Access called Polish My Show. This segment will work with a member on their show. We will evaluate the program, sit down with the producer to find out what they want out of the show, and suggest things that will help improve the quality of the program. We then will implament the changes to see the difference. The entire process will be video taped and then broadcast during All Things Access. If a SPNN producer is interested in having their show polished, they should contact the access department at 651-298-8908 or email us at access at spnn.org.

Say Hello to the World

If you are interested in bringing your voice to an even wider and more global audience by broadcasting it over the internet, you need to check out this workshop. Anthony Williams of VM Direct will be joining us in the studio to talk about what is possible these days in terms of getting your show seen through the internet. Anthony has already helped a couple of SPNN members broadcast their show live from SPNN's Studio One. So the technology exists, now come and learn about it.

Tuesday, July 29th at 6:30PM in the SPNN Lounge. Reserve a spot today by calling 651-298-8908. $30 non members, $20 members, $10 limited income, seniors, and students.

Art(ists) on the Verge

The Jerome Foundation and Northern Lights, with fiscal sponsor Forecast Public Art, announce Art(ists) on the Verge, a new Minnesota grants program that supports emerging artists who create and present new work at the intersection of experimental artistic practice and technology. This program concentrates on art practices that are social, collaborative and/or participatory. See the attached press release and call for artists for more details.Northern Lights, a new Twin Cities-based arts agency under the leadership of Steve Dietz, with the support of the Jerome Foundation, will implement a two-track fellowship and mentoring program for Minnesota-based, emerging artists working experimentally at the intersection of art, media, technology, and social practice. Informational sessions for interested artists will be July 21, 2008 at 6:00 pm at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis and August 15, at 12:00 pm at the Jerome Foundation, 400 Sibley Street, Suite 125, St. Paul. Applications are due Monday, September 8, 2008.For more information, please contact Eleanor Savage, Program Officer, Jerome Foundation 651.224.9431 esavage@jeromefdn.org or Steve Dietz, Director, Northern Lights 952.994.4118 AOV@northern.lights.mn.

U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled.

This morning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit turned down a petition by the Alliance for Community Media, Alliance for Communications Democracy, NATOA, National League of Cities, National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and by other PEG organizations, local governments and cable operators seeking to overturn regulations adopted by the FCC in March 2007 designed to ease the ability of telephone companies to get cable franchise.

The decision represents a loss for the public interest served by PEG and local franchising. While the decision affirms the FCC’s finding that capital costs required by a franchise to be paid for PEG access facilities are exempted from the definition of franchise fees (as to which a maximum 5% of gross revenues can permissibly be charged), the court makes clear that such capital costs are not limited to the construction of facilities but may also include equipment. The court’s decision also makes clear that nothing in the FCC’s order prevents local franchise authorities from increasing PEG obligations upon renewal of incumbent franchises.

Here is a link to the court’s decision: http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/08a0230p-06.pdf.

Minnesota Minute

My Minnesota Minute
Online Video Contest

Minnesota Minute
The State of Minnesota’s 150th birthday celebration gets star treatment with "The Minnesota Minute," a series of 60-second TV spots commemorating Minnesota’s natural history. The 13-part series, written, directed and produced for the state's sesquicentennial by the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History Emmy-award TV winning TV production unit, Bell Museum Productions, is scheduled to air in prime time slots on Minnesota television stations and
Twin Cities Public Television beginning May 11 through the sesquicentennial's finale August 30.

The series hosts a companion web site with video blog for amateur and professional filmmakers throughout the state to share their own environmental-related videos and stories.

Hey, Minnesotans, are you feeling inspired by the environment that surrounds you? Have
you created your Minnesota Minute yet? Be sure to upload your video soon! The random
drawing for prizes start in early May.

Join us as we celebrate 150 years of Minnesota history by taking a look at Minnesota’s natural places and asking how we can protect and restore these special places for the next 150 years. This contest accompanies The Bell Museum of Natural History’s Minnesota Minute television campaign which can be seen on TV beginning in May or at the Minnesota Minute website. These one minute videos tell the story of Minnesotans helping to preserve and restore Minnesota’s natural places.

Now it’s your turn!

Perhaps you know of a special place that needs help? Maybe you have a solution to share? Is there something you do as an individual or a community that makes a difference for the future of
Minnesota’s natural places and resources? Tell us what changes you think the next 150 years will bring to Minnesota’s environment. Grab a camera and start shooting!

HOW?
1) Go to www.minnesotaminute.org to see examples of Minnesota Minutes and to learn more about Minnesota’s environment.
2) Pick up a digital camera.
3) Create your own Minnesota Minute video.
4) Keep it short! (under five minutes)
5) Upload your finished video to YouTube.
6) Add the tag: MyMinnesotaMinute

LINKS
The Official Websitewww.minnesotaminute.orgThe Bell Museum of Natural Historywww.bellmuseum.orgThe Bell Museum’s YouTube profilewww.youtube.com/user/BellMuseumMinnesota Sesquicentennialwww.mn150years.org/

The contest is open to everyone. All who submit will be entered in a drawing to win a Sanyo Xacti digital video camera and other prizes. Submit videos any time now throughout the Summer (2008).

SPNN Closing @ 8PM July 11th

SPNN will be closing early on Friday July 11th. We will be closing at 8PM. Please plan accordingly.

SPNN closed 4th of July

SPNN will be closed for Independence Day on July 4th. We will re-open on Saturday July 5th at 9:30 AM.

Pre-production Planning

Learn more about pre-production planning, everything from scouting a location to money and food.

Interview with Habitat for Humanity

Stuart Sawyer interviewed Sharon Rolenc of the Twin Cities Habiat for Humanity.

June Member of the Month

Find out more about Eric Angell, the producer of Our World in Depth.

Mikenastics makes the Rake

There is an article on the front page of the magazine the Rake. He has been submitting his show to SPNN. Read more about him at http://www.rakemag.com/reporting/rakish-angle/mikenastics-50-years-and-tumbling

The Unconvention

The Twin Cities will get its fair share of media attention this September as the RNC rolls into downtown St. Paul and people across the globe are fascinated with the outcome of this year’s election, but what do you have to say?

Folks from the UpTake.org, a citizen journalist led initiative, will teach you the basics of interviewing getting great results as you ask the tough political questions. Then team up with the experts at SPNN to create your own message that expresses your feelings about the wonderful world of democracy. Upload it to Youtube just in time for the convention. Selected videos will be screened at the Walker as part of the Unconvention project http://www.theunconvention.com/

This workshop will be held in two parts. Saturday, June 14th will be led by the UpTake and will focus on interviewing styles and techniques as well as creating a production plan for your project. Part 2 on June 21st will be taught by SPNN’s own Ed Sanders. He will make sure you are camera and i-movie proficient and ready to check out SPNN’s cameras and use their editing suites.

The Walker Art Center is providing a free SPNN membership for those who choose to make an I Approve This Message video, but participants must pay for the workshops. You will be eligible to check out SPNN cameras and editing suites only for the production of an I Approve this Message video and only until September 4th.

Screening

A showing for the stonecutter documentary will be held on Friday, June13th at 7:30 p.m. Twin Cities Public TV has accepted the programand it will probably be broadcast on Labor Day. Here's a chance to seeit in advance. There will be an open-ended discussion after the screening, not only about the documentary, but about the subjects ittouches on: Italy, past and present immigration, personal identity,sculpture, unions, etc. The screening will be at the Mounds Theatre, 1029 Hudson Road, a streetfronting on I-94 on the East Side of St. Paul,1/2 block west of Earl St. It's about 1/2 mile north of Indian MoundsPark, in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood just east of downtown.

Maps and directions from five different highways and locations can befound at ww.moundstheatre.org Click on Maps.

Driving from the west on eastbound I-94: 1. Take the Mounds Blvd./Metro State University Exit (Exit 243). NOTE: This is a left side exit. 2. Go straight ahead one block on 6th St. 3. Turn right onto Maria Ave. 4. Follow Maria Ave. It will curve and turn into Hudson Road. 5. The Mounds Theater is on the left at 1029 Hudson Road (between Cypress St. and Earl St.)

There is ample free street parking along Hudson Road.