By
Doug Cain
At the end of the year - as the snow piles up and the Falls of St. Anthonysteam - production moves indoors. Still more fine quality programs nearcompletion through the efforts of our certified Access producers. Kudos goout to Viva & Jerry Beck who continue their series "V.& J's CountryMusic Videos" with guest spots by Spider John Koerner and The Four Shadows in February. The host couple have been seen on the Comedy Central channel two times in the last three months along with the recent local premiere of a Jerry Beck music video, "Point & Send Me Home" produced by Art Roy.
Our studios are busy producing programming also. Warner Jackson has modified his long running "FunDay" into "Night Jam" and is taping twice a month - once in Studio A at MTN and another time at Northwest Cable. His large technical crew and cast of actors are showing a lot of commitment through the rigorous schedule. Mark Engebretson also continues to be involved in two programs - "We, The People" and "The PrimaDonns". "The PrimaDonns", like "Night Jam", demands a large crew and features a rotating cast of regulars and many guests including Mpls. City Council member, Jim Niland, in a supporting role. Check out the show's website at http://members.aol.com/primadonns. Other standout studio productions necessitating large crews - worthy of praise for their consistent high production values - are "TC Musique" and "The Hemp Channel". Going Live from our Studio A weekly on Thursday nights @ 8:30 PM, TC Musique host Lloyd Jordan and behind the scenes assistants crank out shows highlighting local bands with special effects and graphics. " The Hemp Channel" is a grass roots effort going live Tuesday nights @ 7:30pm with national and international news updates and information on legalization of medical marijuana providing much fuel, insight and light into this controversial topic and finding much support from callers. Check out this new show which contains a lot of passion and drive. These are but four of MTN's series which wouldn't be possible without the large gifts of time provided by their producers and crews. It also goes to illustrate the kind of public support MTN enjoys alongside the opportunity provided for the community.
MTN played a role in the Walker Art Center's recent World AIDS Day event - "Remembrance" - in collaboration with visiting CA. artist Wendy Clarke. Clarke set up a camera for recording testimonial messages from visitors to the exhibit who were offered the opportunity to "interact" with the installation and speak privately into a camera about what they thought and felt. The short collected segments of close-up shots were compiled at MTN each day to be shown at the gallery the next. The highlight tape, currently running on our channels, features a lot of strong personal expression. Watch for it - or call our program manager, Paul Molina for the next scheduled showing.
If you missed it - MTN's mobile Van Two went out for two Live cablecast Events last December. One - affectionately called "The MTN Bash" sent a signal out from "The Roadhouse" bar & grill on Washington Ave. So. Read the article by Mustafa Tell - the producer and father of the event - on page 2 of this issue. The other Live Event was programmed from Main St. on New Year's Eve, and included the Family Fireworks - conveniently scheduled early for the young folks. Upcoming - February 9, 1997 is the annual Live collaboration with KFAI-FM radio simulcasting the Black History Day program put on by Ernestine Gates - Watch for it on Channel 6 and Channel 33 - between the hours of 3 - 7 p.m. Thanks to all who donate their time and talents for these productions. Van Two also made some news last October, when it covered the MN. News Council's hearing of Northwest Airlines' news dispute with WCCO television. The CBS network broadcast program "Sixty Minutes" sent Mike Wallace (with former MTN instructor - David Voigt) - the Event garnered national attention.
Herb Ellis, out of New Orleans, LA., has been dedicating many hours to a program which is an outgrowth of his day job as 6th grade teacher at Bethune Elem. in North Mpls. The 26 students from Herb's class (Rm. 206) have the special opportunity to write, tape, and act in their own on-going half-hour television series, "Student T.V. Affecting Reality (STAR)". Involving all topics (Math, Science, Social Studies, English etc.), the "crew" - who interviewed each other in order to staff the required positions - tackle issues of concern from the international economics of import/export trade to alternatives to community violence and drugs. The program, which mostly comes together in the studio on Saturdays, utilizes pre-produced roll-in segments and demands a bit of editing in post before it airs on Ch. 33 Friday nights @ 7:30 pm. as well as the next Tuesday evening on the public school channel 35 after the Mpls. School Board meeting.
A recent graduate of the Beginning Video Production class, David Morrison, has a project involving music and dance from Java. David works with The Schubert Club in St. Paul which owns an Indonesian Gamelan orchestra. Morrison has begun videotaping the gamelan dance group's rehearsal process culminating in a spring performance. Also, the group just finished a residency with nearby Marcy Open School. This is an exciting resource for the Twin Cities and classes are offered through St. Catherine's College in St. Paul. You'll be able to find out more about the long history and warm sounds of this percussion ensemble later this year through MTN.
Page One: MTN ... Moving Ahead