By
Doug Cain
ACCESS '95 HIGHLIGHTS - Coming up on the end of 1995 and your public access staff is looking back on another year of multiple projects, successes, and improvements. We have typically featured producers in this space of the Monitor but this time we wil l look at the equipment available in our facility we call MTN. Without working equipment there would be no local programming and no producers to feature. New equipment additions over the past year have raised our level of service to the community. Fir st off, the Venus edit suite - upgraded last spring with two new S-VHS decks featuring slow motion/ dynamic tracking - has added production value to many programs and become one of our most booked systems. This feature allows for high speed or slow motio n action transfer without the distraction of frame lines. Venus also has on screen menu edit settings including TBC - time base correction - allowing color and lighting adjustments and VITC - vertical interval time code - for frame accurate edit points.< p> Other popular additions are the new checkout cameras. Both models we added this past year automatically record VITC time code. At the beginning certification level we have the Panasonic 455 and at the advanced level the brand new "three chip" Panasonic SuperCam camcorder. The 455 has digital effects including an extreme zoom, strobe and tracer, high gain, and wipes. The lens and image recorded are very sharp. One aspect that is troublesome are the changes in audio features. Instead of two separate 1 /4" inputs, like the 460 has, the 455 has only one mini (or 1/8") input. Also no headphone jack is provided. We are looking into adaptations on those features and some remedies are available.
The SuperCam arrival was highly anticipated. Many access users have taken the $25 upgrade certification and the cameras are regularly booked solid over the weekends since they came in last March. This camera has a label on it which says "For Professiona l Use Only". Don't let this scare you away from the quality available now at MTN. This camera features a relatively complicated settings menu - to fine tune your recorded video signal - which can be activated but is not necessary. For special low light ing situations it has an extreme high gain. With an exceptional lens and a full range of control adjustments this camera can make your program look much better than the commonly held idea of low quality access productions. One other notable happening wi th cameras involves our ongoing fight to keep them serviced despite their high use. We recently had our oldest camera - the 450 - returned with an engaged motor. After repeated efforts to examine and disengage it, the motor started to smoke. We assumed the cost of repair or replacement would not be worth it and were preparing to say goodbye to our 450. However, our valued engineer Jim Derks examined it and returned the 450 fully repaired. Just one more small miracle here in Access allowing us to cont inue non-stop community access to equipment and technology.
Another upgrade which happened this year involves our advanced edit systems. Due to discontinuation of U-Matic 3/4" deck production we decided to eliminate some of our 3/4" systems. So now both the Super Nova A-B roll and Jupiter straight cut systems ha ve converted to S-VHS with new dynamic tracking VITC decks. For 3/4" editing we haveonly the Terra straight cut and Mercury - with the Toaster upstairs. All of our advanced edit systems are now run by AmiLink - the computer keyboard and hard drive edit controller. This is a major advance for access as well since it is standard in professional editing to have a computer controlled interface. As you edit, an EDL - edit list is created which stores your in and out points as VITC information. Exact trim modifications are easier to perform and if you need to redo your edit master the system can repeat your edit process as long as you feed the correct tapes into the decks. Any forward thinking editors would do well to train on the AmiLink system as prepar ation for the on-coming computerized future of video editing.
Over the course of 1995 we're projecting over 12,000 hrs. of access to the edit suites for the second year in a row, accounting for thousands of hours of programming. This represents an even pace with last year ('94) after an 8% increase from the year be fore ('93). You may also have seen our van out in the parks this fall after an intensive schedule of community events. Don't forget you can take part as a volunteer on van shoots and it is available to rent for producers who have training. It is a full y equipped four camera mobile studio.
In summary, MTN is doing its best to keep abreast of the changes in the industry and provide access to the technologies available - video as well as computer technology in the internet realm. It remains up to you, our community producers, to what exten t you utilize these options and what programming comes forth from it. Keep your eyes on our public access channels - 32, 33, & 58 for the new directions which cable access is leading. And now, perhaps you'll notice the role equipment, technology and sta ff support play in the majority of MTN programming coming to you through the cable into your house.
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