[UCIMC-Tech] Re: [Imc-production] Production Meeting Tonight @ 7pm

Wed Mar 11 19:32:16 CDT 2009

Danielle,

Thanks for sending your thoughts - they closely follow discussions we've
been having.  Tech and Production are going to make sure that there is
alternative office space so the Production Room can be dedicated to media
use - and more computers, so there are not conflicts between media uses and
office uses.  This was an anticipated move that hasn't happened yet for a
variety of reasons, foremost being that the small group of individuals
usually tasked with these kinds of projects have had other, bigger, projects
for months, and no one has had money to buy/fix computers.  But we're
finally getting there - beyond overcoming inertia, it's actually really
simple, and has been discussed at great length, so I don't think it needs to
be any more complicated beyond the task of creating office space somewhere
other than the Production Room.  As a Media Trainer, I expect and do not
mind that I will still need to do a great deal of my work in the room,
training, primarily but also providing some organization and security to a
room that so quickly can lose that type of quality control.  It's just what
happens to spaces in the building where no one is present every day (i.e.
the downstairs computer lab, and the Production Room one year ago).

I agree that ROSA should be freed for editing and training, and I have
helped make sure that it does get used for those purposes, but feel bad that
it is also used as an office computer, primarily by me.  I can also, say,
however, that very few people other than I have used it for editing -
including at times when I am not using it - and I have always stated that
people can sign up to use a computer for a specific time if they have a
project.  This list has only received one sign-up to use the room, beyond
those checking out cameras and such.  That's partly why there is such a
backlog of media that hasn't been processed.  This is one element of media
training that we should emphasize more than we do: try not to shoot/record
more than you intend to use or have time to edit.

It is excellent that we are now faced with the situation of having more
interest in media production, and I want us to be even more ready than we
have been.

The vault is not really a good place for an editing computer.  For one, it
is concrete and reverberant, and we've had no luck emptying it or moving
towards building acoustic isolation.  Plus, there is not currently a good
way to get cables and power into the room.  Also, the computer would create
noise in the room.  It would be great as an isolation room, and perhaps some
group workdays in the future will create this.

Soon the WRFU Automation machine will be relocated, as will Nicole's office
PC and another Windows media station that crashed, freeing up space in the
room itself for more production computers.  We also have some archived media
that can be stored in the vault (even after if eventually becomes a
recording room), with no loss to sound quality or isolation, and making way
for workstations, cabinets, or a mixer/patch bay.

I agree that networked media/data storage is essential; do we currently have
the capability for it?

-Stephen

On Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 6:05 PM, Danielle Chynoweth <chyn at ojctech.com>wrote:

> There may be data storage space on the computers in the gallery upstairs -
> tech would know.  In the past, we kept media on a network so that you didn't
> have to sit on the same machine you were on before to edit.
>
> As for physical space, I don't think we can have 3 full time support
> personnel and the production room sharing the same space.  I think this is
> great problem to have - to have too many personnel and growing interest in
> production.  And we hope to have more staff in the fall, so this will be a
> growing issue.
>
> At the same time, staff need security and privacy, and production needs
> security and some sound control.
>
> I would like us to discuss this further with our VISTAs and interns.  It
> seems like the production room has been too much public exposure for them,
> and we have already started to discuss more private environments for their
> work.
>
> But that is a longer discussion.  In the meantime ...
>
> I think the video editing station, which is very souped up, needs to be for
> video editing exclusively, and not other work.
>
> Let's put another production machine in the vault - maybe make that the
> audio recording station and have another audio editing station outside the
> vault.
>
> I will be at the meeting next week and can contribute more to the
> discussion then.
>
> - Danielle
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 5:22 PM, Stephen Fonzo <fonzo.stephen at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> There will be a Production Group meeting tonight at the IMC to discuss the
>> following:
>>
>> 1.) Don Moyers Boys & Girls Club Media Training Program - a collaboration
>> with the IMC
>> - develop a curriculum that fits the club's new tech improvements
>> following their grant from Comcast
>> - offer training materials to the children on web-based media: a)
>> podcasting; and b) blogging
>>
>> 2.) READY School Video Training Series
>>    -- basic orientation to equipment and process (digital camcorders and
>> field audio recorders)
>>    -- class project, interviewing students (something they can shoot in a
>> day)
>>    -- editing video for "finished result"
>>
>> 3.) IMC Video News Editing
>> - Asking members to express what they need to learn to be able to edit and
>> produce video; we have a backlog (and full hard drive) of yet-to-be edited
>> footage that should get a fair viewing online and on TV.  If you know
>> specifically what you need to ask, please do so; if not, don't worry - we'll
>> get a general idea of everyone's experience level to make sure that everyone
>> improves their skills.
>> - Draft a checklist so we each know who is working on which video(s)
>>
>> Footage that can be made into worthwhile local films (of varying lengths):
>>
>> Dave Lippman LIVE at the IMC, Jan 24, 2009
>> Roy Zimmerman LIVE at the IMC, Feb 25, 2009
>> OddMusic Convergence, Jan 11, 2009
>> MLK Student Essay Project, Jan-Feb 2009
>> "Portrait of a Townie"/Iron Post Footage, Jan-Mar, 2009
>> IMC Film Festival 2009
>> UCIMC Trip to Obama Inauguration in DC, Jan 17-21, 2009 [I'm finishing
>> this one]
>> WRFU What Matters Benefit Show @ Cowboy Monkey, Dec 6, 2008
>> African-American Male Task Force @ UIUC, September 30, 2008
>> Chris Evans' Unofficial St. Patrick's Day film project
>> IMC Fest, November 2007
>> Other footage by: Tommy Griscom, Chris Evans, and Carly Nix
>>
>> 4.) Data Storage - as noted above, we are running out of hard disk space,
>> so we will discuss backup and extra storage options.
>>
>> *Given all of the above, and that VISTAs still have their offices in
>> Production, it is imperative that we a) help Tech and Librarians setup more
>> computer workstations (some for media) and b) that everyone schedule time in
>> the Production Room in advance to make sure it does not conflict with other
>> uses.*
>>
>> That's all we'll have time to cover this evening.  Next week we'll discuss
>> bringing back IMC Radio News production for Free Speech Radio News (FSRN)<http://www.fsrn.org/>.
>> Brainstorm your thoughts, ideas, and questions about what you'll need to
>> learn to be able to help produce syndicated news from the IMC.
>>
>> --
>> Stephen Fonzo
>> Media Training Advisor
>> AmeriCorps CTC VISTA
>> Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Imc-production mailing list
>> Imc-production at lists.chambana.net
>> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-production
>>
>>
>

-- 
Stephen Fonzo
Media Training Advisor
AmeriCorps CTC VISTA
Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
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