MATV Fall 2001 News Bulletin
Fall doesn’t technically
begin until September 22nd but, for most
people, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer; no other New England
season comes with such a defined deadline.
These early weeks of September kick off the new season and we know that
the famously brilliant colors of a New England autumn are just around the
corner. Fall 2001 promises to be a very
active and exciting time at MATV. Many
events, programs, and activities are swinging into full gear. This MATV News
Bulletin will report the highlights of our summer activities and give you the
fall updates-in-brief.
First, some disappointing
news. MATV has had to delay the
installation of new carpeting throughout most of the facility and new flooring
in the kitchen/conference room. This
postponement is due to the fact that our roof leakage and flooding problems,
which we thought finally were solved, actually were not. The heavy rains at the end of the summer
caused both floods and leaks. MATV shares its roof and the back parking lot
(source of the drainage problems) with neighbor businesses as part of a condo
association and getting these problems addressed is a rather expensive and
complex process. We are working very hard
to solve these problems permanently and expediently, however, and our
long-awaited plans to replace our 13-year old carpet will be realized soon.
In the meantime, we’ve
done our usual clean-up and fix-up to the facility. Thanks to all who did a great job cleaning out the basement and
organizing the set & prop areas: Siv Tang, Kevin Duffy, Ted Copeland,
Greg Osgood, Jean Falaise, and Kyle Stadelhofer as well as staff
members Dee Jaye Tobin and Terlonzo Amos. Also, one “surprise” upgrade was made to the
facility- see if you can spot it the next time you visit…hint: turn right at
the copy machine…
And more good news…Kastriot
Qirici (brother of staff member Liri Qirici) is in the process of
making some much-needed renovations to Studio B – with the help of Terlonzo
Amos and some critical volunteer assistance from George Manfra. The improvements will include better wiring,
new ceiling and lighting, and a few artistic touches to the studio and control
room.
MATV Annual Meeting -
September 18th
Election to be Held
MATV will hold its Annual
Meeting & Potluck Supper on Tuesday, September 18th. The event
will kick off at 7pm with a social hour and buffet dinner. The meeting begins at 8pm where we will
introduce the current members of the MATV Board of Directors, honor outgoing
Board members and welcome newly appointed members. Staff and Board representatives will summarize MATV
accomplishments for the past year and future goals. There will be an Awards
Recognition followed by an election. All
members in good standing can cast a vote to elect a new person to the open
Membership seat on the Board of Directors.
After the election…dessert and more socializing! Everyone is welcome to come, eat, learn, and
meet old & new friends.
If you are interested in
running for the open membership seat, write your name on the Candidate sheet
posted on the MATV hallway bulletin board or announce your candidacy by sending
an e-mail to access@matv.org. All candidates must be current members of
MATV. Candidates will be given an
opportunity to make a short speech before the election at the Annual Meeting.
A lot of up-to-date
information about MATV crew needs, activities, workshops, and events is
distributed on e-mail. If you have not
been receiving these e-mails, we probably do not have you on our e-mail
list. Please send your e-mail address
to anne@matv.org so that you can stay
better informed about MATV activities and opportunities.
Please
note: MATV has EXPANDED its Saturday hours of operation!
Mondays 10
am - 9 pm
Tuesdays 10
am - 9 pm
Wednesdays 10 am - 9 pm
Thursdays 10
am - 9 pm
Fridays 10
am - 6 pm
Saturdays 10
am - 5 pm
Celebrate Malden! Saturday,
September 22
MATV will be taking part
in this festive community celebration that will bring together businesses, city
institutions, community groups, and non-profit organizations. The event will be held on Saturday,
September 22nd from 10 am - 3 pm and celebrates Malden’s cultural
diversity through food, music, storytelling, a fashion show, art exhibit, youth
activities, and much more. We are
looking for volunteers to help videotape the event with both studio and portable
cameras. MATV member Olga Lattarulo
will be producing and coordinating crew.
Please let her know if you can help.
She can be reached at olgayanayaco@hotmail.com. You can also let one of the MATV staff
members know if you are interested and what times you are available.
Celebrate MATV’s
Window!
These days at 145
Pleasant Street, you’ll see a multilingual collage that invites you to the Celebrate
Malden! event on Saturday, Sept. 22nd in
Malden Square. Volunteers Kyle Stadelhofer, Kha Huynh, Anthony
Rothwell, Mary Kate Walsh, Nikke Falaise and Jean Falaise
joined staffers Susan Lawrence and Dee Jaye Tobin in splashing up
the colorful messages in Arabic, Vietnamese, English, French, Haitian Creole,
Korean, Irish and Albanian.
ACM Northeast Region
Fall Conference
in Malden on Saturday,
October 13
The Northeast Region of
the Alliance for Community Media holds two conferences each year. This fall, MATV will be hosting the
conference right here in Malden to which all MATV members are welcome to
attend. Scheduled for Saturday, October
13th, the conference will feature speakers, workshops,
demonstrations and the screening of winners from the Northeast Region Video
Festival. The emphasis will be on
Educational Access and will showcase the new digital studio at the Salemwood
School. Telecom City will also be
highlighted, as well as the new Cyber Café @ Malden Square. A Youth Media workshop track is planned so
many young people will be in attendance and at least 150 participants from all
over New England are expected. It is
rare for such an opportunity to meet our members right at their doorstep, so
please plan to attend; there will be something for everyone to see, do, and
learn.
MATV is looking for
volunteers to help with the planning and hosting of this event. More details to follow through e-mail
messages. If you are able and willing
to help, please contact Anne by phone or at anne@matv.org.
Summer Scenes a Frightening Success
This summer, 16 young
people from Malden took part in Summer Scenes, an intensive video
production camp sponsored by MATV in collaboration with the Community Schools
Program and taught by instructor John Hiett with assistance from Siv
Tang, Dhara Manek, and Steven Lyon.
Based at the Salemwood School, Summer Scenes participants learned
how to plan and produce their own original stories for video. Susan Lawrence and Anne
D’Urso-Rose visited the camp during the final week and were alarmed by the
shrieking and screaming that could be heard down the long hallways! No, the campers were not being tortured by
their instructors. In fact, they were
having the time of their lives. Their
two video productions, entitled Thirteenth Ave. and Possessed in the
Elevator will be shown this fall on Channel 15.
Teen, Inc.
Malden High School
sophomores Joshua Cheung and Dhara Manek were busy this summer
launching a brand new, all-teen news magazine show, Teen, Inc. The
crew includes more than a dozen MHS students. Look for the first edition
of the Teen, Inc. series on Channel 15 in October.
Rapping Against Tobacco
The YWCA Girls in Action T-Girls
under the direction of supervisor Bernadette Smith and Alberto
Roblest created a one-minute PSA to discourage teen smoking. The girls
wrote and choreographed a rap that shows-and-tells the message, for a
video they taped and edited at MATV.
Watch for it in between regular programs on Channels 3, 15, and 16.
MATV has on order new
digital equipment for the facility. We
will soon be getting a Casablanca Avio editing system for public use. This is a self-contained digital system that
is easy to use and features a full range of transitions and effects. You can import video from any source and the
unit will convert it to a digital format for editing. The final edit can be exported to any format for storage and
playback. We also have on order a G4
(Macintosh) computer that will be running the digital editing software known as
Final Cut Pro. This edit system will be
opened up for MATV member use after our staff has been fully trained. We also have ordered two portable digital
cameras, which use a format called Mini DV tape, as well as a DV deck. The new equipment will require additional
training for members who wish to use it.
As soon as the equipment is installed, we will publicize training
opportunities. Once again, please make
sure you are on our e-mail database, so that you can receive current
information about our migration to the digital format.
The Cyber Café @ Malden
Square is clearly meeting a need in Malden.
Only seven weeks after its opening on May 17, 2001 the Café welcomed its
300th member. It
is now rapidly approaching 400 members.
MATV is part of the seven-member Community Technology Access Coalition
(CTAC) that helped form the non-profit computer café providing the community
with free computer use, training, and Internet access. Average daily attendance
has gone from 18-25 people in the first week to 35-40 people a week, with the
highest daily attendance at 62! CTAC is
now forming an Advisory Committee. Any
community member interested in serving on this committee should immediately
contact Loretta Kemp at Tri-CAP at 781-322-4125 or e-mail Lkemp@tri-cap.org. MATV Volunteer Coordinator Dee Jaye Tobin also coordinates
volunteers for staffing the Cyber Café.
If you are interested in volunteering as front desk receptionist or
technical assistant, please contact Dee Jaye at 781-321-6400 or at deejaye@matv.org. People can also help out by donating office supplies,
furnishings, packaged baked goods, and paper supplies. To make donations, please contact Loretta
Kemp.
Movie Night To Premiere
at MATV
Still in its developing
stage, MATV is hoping to premiere An MATV Night At The Movies, a monthly
event where a feature film will be screened by a video projector system,
possibly in the MATV studio or at another location. The event would be open to all community members at no charge and
will offer an opportunity for film critique and analysis. The idea is to have knowledgeable presenters
comment about the film before screening and then lead a discussion following
the film. Discussion can focus on all aspects of the movie’s technical and
creative elements. Attendees need not have any background in film analysis,
just share an enjoyment in watching movies, similar to the idea of a Book Club.
We are looking for both
feedback to this idea and volunteers interested in helping with this
program. If you are an avid film buff
and would like to be an occasional discussion leader, please let us know! We would also need people to help with
planning, promoting, and setting up the event each time. If you are interested in helping out in any
way, please contact Anne D’Urso-Rose at anne@matv.org.
Malden Square on MATV
Hosted and produced by
local resident and writer Susan Reingold, Malden Square is MATV’s
newest program series highlighting people and issues in Malden. With guests like Nathan Mass, Richard
Cheng, and Barbara Khan, you never know who you will see on Malden
Square. If you are interested in
becoming part of the crew, e-mail MaldenSquare@matv.org. Malden Square is shown Mondays at 6:30 pm,
Wednesdays at 9 pm and Saturdays at 7 pm on Channel 3.
Malden School Hour
The show that delves
inside Malden’s schools will be back on the air with a new edition in
mid-September. Host/producer Susan Lawrence is looking for TEEN
HOSTS to do on-air interviewing and bring their own ideas for Malden School
Hour stories. Malden School Hour is also a great place to
learn and practice your TV production skills by crewing on our studio shoots,
covering stories and events on location, and editing roll-in segments. Please call or e-mail Susan at schoolhour@matv.org if you are interested.
Volunteer Openings
Currently, volunteers are
needed in the following areas:
Receptionist for MATV
front desk
Mondays 6 - 9 pm
Saturdays 10 am - 2 pm or 1-5 pm
Receptionist for Cyber
Café @ Malden Square
Tuesdays 1 - 5 pm
Experience answering
phones and greeting the public preferred.
Computer experience is a plus!
To be considered for any
of these openings, please stop by MATV and fill out a Task Volunteer Form. Forms can also be mailed to MATV, Attention:
Dee Jaye Tobin. All forms will be
promptly reviewed. Dee Jaye’s hours are
Mondays & Tuesdays, 11 am - 4 pm.
Messages by e-mail can be sent to deejaye@matv.org.
Use The Prop Area But
Keep It Clean!
A lot of time and effort
was spent this month to re-organize the downstairs set and prop area. The far back room now is divided into
sections for regularly-produced studio shows with their own sets and
props. THESE ARE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE:
YOU MUST HAVE PERMISSION FROM THE INDIVIDUAL PRODUCER TO USE THESE ITEMS. However, in the first area of the basement
there is a large selection of backdrops, props, and other set materials that
are available to anyone who wishes to use them. If you do use them, make sure they are put back in a neat and
orderly fashion, so that this area remains useful and accessible. We ask that everyone please respect the
downstairs area and help in maintaining its clean and organized
environment. Thank you in advance for
your cooperation.
Advanced Training
Workshops at MATV
The Workshop Schedule
enclosed in this newsletter lists the basic training workshops that are offered
on a regular basis. Several advanced
training workshops are still in the planning/scheduling stage and will be publicized
by mid-September. There will be a Creativity in Video 2 course for those
folks who loved Alberto Roblest’s first Creativity in Video
course. We will also offer training
workshops on the digital equipment later in the fall. Training Director Anne D’Urso-Rose is looking for feedback
from our members as to which other advanced courses people are most interested
in taking. Advanced courses will have a
fee and are taught by experienced media professionals with a strong teaching
background. Courses that have been
offered in the past include Low Cost Set Design, Narrative Style Video
Production, Documentary Production, History of Documentary, Shooting Styles
& Techniques, Editing Styles & Techniques, Advanced Lighting, Be A
Better Director, Sound Recording, and Screenwriting. Please e-mail anne@matv.org and let her know what interests you most. It is also helpful to let her know when you
are most available to take classes, as this information can be taken into
account when scheduling courses.