As you may know - if you have ever tried to assemble one - major video productions take an awful lot of time to complete - and complete well. Programs most of us take for granted can take up years of our lives. Many of the projects I will be highlighting this issue have taken many moons to complete. Even after they are completed, many moons may remain before finding an audience and showings for your piece. The first two programs began here at MTN and now - as success stories have it - have found other venues to be shown through.

The first story is one I've written about before. Pat Hennessey's feature length piece, "The Homeless Home Movie" has found an air spot on KTCA's Channel 2. After a successful premiere last spring at the Mpls.-St. Paul International Film Festival, this provocative documentary was shown numerous times on MTN eliciting a lot of praise. The piece warrants broader viewing and deeper as well as repeated discussion. Kudos to Pat in his efforts to broaden his audience and provide insights into homelessness - an indicator of social distress. As part of his exhibition on Ch. 2, Pat has been working on an update of his subjects. The scheduled showing is in early September but viewer calls do work in arranging additional broadcast times.

Many media artists, as well as community people utilize the training and facilities of cable access - Minneapolis - MTN. Another member, Jim Ockuly, spent a large portion of two years editing a conceptual piece on Media called "RadiOasis". As an artist of the interactive media group at the Mpls. Institute of Art, Jim is a collaborator and contributor to the MIA Web site. (http://www.artsmia. org/jim) Experimenting with the ways media interacts with an audience - "RadiOasis"- recently shown at the MIA auditorium - imparts a magical quality to the medium of radio - one capable of time and space travel. His video camera traveled to the Badlands of Dakota and the urban wilderness of Berlin, Germany following the course of his vision. All in the line of duty, I guess. "RadiOasis", a 25 min. piece, will be running as a part of "Video Mailbox" soon.

Another long term project - just completed last month - is a collaboration of Kris Akse & Ryan Beckers. The title, "More Than You Know" would apply equally to the scope of the production as to its intended topic - a collegiate athletic team. The feature length documentary captures the energy, emotional spectrum, personalities, and logistics of a Carleton College basketball season (shades of "Hoop Dreams" - MTN style). Ryan & Kris have been evening and Saturday fixtures around MTN for over a year now. You won't be seeing much of them around for a while - at least until the next project rekindles their passion to produce. Watch for "More Than You Know" this fall on MTN.

Last May - a performance at the Southern Theater by the Jawaahir Dance Company, called "Raks Al-Jamal" (or, Beauty Of Dance), caught the eye of Tracy Walton-Rogers. A veteran media artist from MTN's previous location - Ms. Walton-Rogers thoroughly documented the weekend's performances. The concerts featured a well known instrumentalist from Egypt, Simon Shaheen, on Oud (an Arabian lute) and violin. Tracy has put in countless hours editing different versions of the event together. For instance - one is an entire evening's presentation, another will include Mr. Shaheen's solos (taksims, or improvisations) as- sembled into one program, and the final one will be the instrumental ensemble alone. These are a rare treat - to be seen by MTN's viewers in the near future - and Tracy's commitment has been unswerving in her drive to complete these for us.

I too have finished a program that has gone on past hopeful deadlines through the post-production phase. It too is a collaboration - which can add time. Over a year & a half ago, an old friend of mine, Jeff Butler, approached me with hours of footage from a camp he co-directed in N.W. Wisconsin. After viewing the tapes I told him what was lacking was an explanation of the vision which makes the youth camp unique - and what drives its mission. We spoke with tribal elder, Chief Archie Mosay, as well as his daughter and grandson, to illustrate the Anishinabe tradition of wisdom passed through the generations. The resulting video, "The St. Croix Youth Camp -1994" finds its structure in the three topics which highlighted daily activities; Environment, Health, & Culture. The piece also serves as a tribute to the much revered Archie Mosay, or Nebageshig - who just passed away this summer - and goes on with his journey after 94 years of this life. Miigwitch.

Also a project I mentioned in the last MONITOR - "Land Robbers" by Elizabeth Garden has been completed and will be featured as a part of "Video Mailbox" five times between the evenings of Sept. 30 - Oct. 6 on MTN 32.

Regular readers may remember Elizabeth's project was taped in Brasil and explores issues around the movement for rights of the landless in rural Brasil. Jane Shuttleworth is just finishing an exciting tape she recorded in northern Vermont - covering an east coast institution, The Bread & Puppet Theater. Their annual "Domestic Resurrection Circus" is held one weekend in mid-August. In "record time" she has assembled highlights of the lively and imaginative brand of social commentary - and pure fun - for which thousands of attendees each day gather. Watch for it soon on MTN.

In this Issue:
Page One: MTN celebrates the Minneapolis Community
Page Two: PEG Update
Page Three: MTN Profile
Page Four: Programming Notes
Page Five: Ask The Engineer, Behind the Scene
Page Six: More MTN News
Page Seven: More Notes, Thank you Donors
Page Eight: Thank you Members