When you stop in to complain … we first determine if you know anything about us. If you do not pass the quick assessment of knowing us, then you will be given some basic information but not much valuable, unpaid time of volunteers.
Why? Because we know you are not a regular viewer or follower of WPAA-TV. It is easy to determine if you accidentally came across the content that offended you. Our viewers are most often pull viewers. They tune in to see something in particular or think that we are a potentially informing, or maybe even an entertaining alternative, when nothing else is appealing on TV at the moment.
Another thing we know. You are assuming your local tax dollars are paying for what we do. Not so.
Adult Content can be Profane
Adult Content. Yes: After 10:00 PM and before 5:00 AM program content MAY USE adult language. It is legal. We are cable. We are free speech. Content is not censored. You just may not SELL stuff here.
For more information on what can be cablecast on a public access channel read this FCC documentation entitled Obscene, Indecent and Profane Broadcasts.
Citizen Media is not Public Affairs Programming, although it can be done in the interest of the public. Citizen Media can be raw or highly produced. It is often a blend of authentic and quirky. Within its content, you might notice opinions, ideas, and even aspirations. It can be coverage of an event, one or more people talking, commentary on, or presentation of, local news; the perspective of the producer will always influence what you see and hear. Under the Community Media umbrella, this is the Public Access component.
Public Access and Public Affairs are different. Public Affairs can also be coverage of events. Typically, it is recording a speaker or gavel-to-gavel meetings. It may also be conversation but the people involved are more likely to be following a script and be presenting the perspective of an agency as interpreted by current leadership rather than their own point of view. Within Community TV, this is traditionally Government Access and sometimes Education Access.
In Wallingford, the public library recently expanded its services and invited the media and the public to the opening of its #Collaboratory. Two community media videos were produced from this opening. Each production exemplifies how the same community experience can tell a similar but not identical story exemplifying the intrinsic differences between these two forms of community media.
Free Speech: Symbolic protest against injustice and name-calling of those that protest injustice. All lawful.
If you want to be heard or make-a-difference you choose your platform and symbols and take action with the courage because there will be haters that will try to take you down, obliterate your message and derail your purpose. Free Speech with purpose is no easy road. It is however easy to hurl insults, denigrate and be dismissive. Choose your voice. Because collectively all voices being heard are the promise of America.
Lawful Speech is Constitutionally protected in America
Take note of what is NOT protected by the constitution: Written or spoken words, pictures, signs, or other forms of communication
that tend to defame, discredit, criticize, impugn, embarrass, challenge or question ‘the government’, its policies, or its officials; speech that advocates the ‘overthrow of the government’ by force or violence or that incites people to change the government by unlawful means.
Whether the alleged use is a ‘political statement’ or not, whether it is a ‘parody’, or not: the decision for someone to express themselves—whether quoting a news article, an opponent or the lyrics of a Pokemon song, we must remember it is the speech of the person who chooses to make it AND considerations of free speech and the First Amendment need to be taken into account. This needs to happen any time someone proposes a legal restriction on speech, whether through the laws of defamation, obscenity, rights of publicity, trademark, or copyright.
Just because copyright law is relevant in a particular instance doesn’t mean that we disregard free speech. We can’t make the mistake of thinking that copyright law provides us with a First Amendment-free zone, or that the basic ideals underpinning our laws are conditional, pro forma, or mere buzzwords.
Very little is original, much of life is a remix: Creating and transforming in the speech space is a desirable outcome with challenges to discern originality, ownership and purpose. Do not let the challenges stop you. #PowerfulWildFree4Art
Does every idea need to be nurtured? Does every cause need brick & mortar? Does every suffering need a solution without regard for duration of effect? Can outcomes be made better even within compromise? Is engagement of diverse voices beneficial? How do you define diversity?
Individuals brought together to steward a cause or govern an organization must answer these questions often.
Every offered idea needs a listen. If offered, it is part of the bigger picture; however, ideas that are nurtured should be well connected to a vision and strategy. More importantly it must be embraced by those responsible for its execution and be viable within risks levels reviewed collectively. Here is where emotion meets reason.
Place: Big decisions like occupying or buying a space have substantial cost impacts and commitments of time. Here the benefits of ready access to a space must be counter weighted by the energy and resources the space itself requires. This goes beyond rent or mortgage payments and includes the mundane essentials like housekeeping, other essentials such as utilities and security and then the furnishings. Donors can rally around the visibility of B&M but leaping from an all hands on deck volunteer organization funded event by event to a month to month operation is big. Is the cause big enough? Is there community space that can be your home?
Reaching Horizon Goals: The decision about the place.
It is the goal of many great causes — to someday not be needed. If your cause should have a horizon then investing in the programs and processes to ensure your closing is optimal. Let reason guide your desire to become a legacy so that your legacy may live on.
The voices of many can be a cacophonous vacuum, a rallying cry for change or a community coming together where they can. You never find out what you share without letting the voices of others be shared.
It is our humanity and connection that shall govern the better in all compromise.
The term ‘media organization’ means “a person or entity engaged in disseminating information to the general public through a newspaper, magazine, other publication, radio, television, cable television, or other media of mass communication.” (2 USCS § 1602). Media institutions can also be seen as being involved in the production, exchange and reproduction of meaning.
Therefore, the nonprofit Wallingford Public Access Association, Inc. is a media organization. As a media organization, we are influenced differently by affluence, consumption patterns and social class. Although our primary distribution medium is TV, we are not classified as ‘mass media’ for several reasons, predominantly because citizens control the content and distribution is physically limited to hyper-local territories by cable providers. Citizens, unlike journalists, are autonomous. Media professionals in a media organization are constrained by profitability. All producers are to an extent vulnerable to commercial pressures. The codes of practice are designed to prevent unacceptable standards of production or irresponsible behavior.
The Court held that while communities were not free to arbitrarily restrict communication of ideas or information, no such protection was afforded to
“commercial advertising.”
We had a goal to make this TV station more inclusive, timely and relevant while still being whatever walks in the door. 2015 was all of that and more. If you have yet to watch here is some of what you might find, locally produced.
Emotion … flows freely when it comes from a real place, real experiences.
This summer we attempted to focus on making Documentaries; in particular, the story of Community Access in Wallingford. There was some 30 years, a few conflicts, some literal community building and questions about archival content ownership.
My expectations:
The discussion would be specifically about Guerrillafilm-making as a form of independent film-making characterized by low budgets, skeleton crews, and simple props using whatever is available. The panel’s focus, however, was documentaries. Some insights apply to both.
Finding the Story: You never know what story you are going to get so choose a topic that has meaning to you (and a potential group of viewers with similar interests). The story evolves (let it, and ‘serendipity’ work, for you).
Story Stages: The Plan. The Shoot. The Edit (Take out what does not move the story forward. Avoid “Lather, Rinse, REPEAT”). The Yellow Pad Screening (1st cut showing; feedback). The Documentary.
Your subjects will give you what they got (authentic voice); if they feel respected, have time to become familiar with the camera, experience an interview which is more like a conversation and understand you will not let them look bad (unless badness is what the story is about.) The same insights we share #WPAA-TV about Citizen Media Making.
Style: Consider a hybrid format: apply narrative techniques to frame the story and do not chain yourself to ‘Fair & Balanced’ unless authenticity, integrity and reliability are part of your purpose.
The Production: Schedule, Budget, Crew The schedule needs to be known by everyone and have realistic timelines. If you can not pay the crew, budget & schedule for feeding them. Anticipate some hiccups and diversions but reinforce the arrival time of all crew members. Know the crew and if everyone is new to each other be sure that introductions include some reference to skills but clearly establishes project roles. Encourage everyone to pitch in. Remember: it is best to invest time to “get it right” during the shoot unless the fix is simple in post (trust camera guy with edit experience when deciding) and audio is the least fixable/might as well be impossible element to fix. Embrace natural light.
Production Admin: Mitigate risks & leverage for marketing Subject Releases: These should be simple and captured both in writing and on film; such that subjects identify themselves and acknowledge they are being filmed for the specific project. Contracts: Plain Language. Insurance: Errors and Omissions (big risks, then budget this) Fair Use: Any copyrighted content sampled without permission Must be to “Illustrate a Point” To be clear: Music for the soundtrack in not illustrative. Funding through crowd-sourcing (30 days max):
Fund in stages
Your supporters need to give thru crowd-funding to get momentum going. You need more than these supporters which is why you promote.
Heavily promote engagement the 1st 14 hours.
Never start crowd-funding on a weekend. Always a Tuesday or mid week launch. This process is to the minute (plan to be awake and engaged in the last few hours).
Be sure supporter perks and donation levels cover the cost to you for the perk AND help finance the project.
Video promotion: Keep quality high. It creates expectation for the film.
Expect content to be pirated so safeguard your story; carefully share before the Trailer is released.
You want the Trailer Shared so make that easy to do.
Remember: Crowd-sourcing has costs: Build them into your budget. It is 1099 taxable income.
Distribution:If more than an act of love or a student project.
YouTube and Vimeo are last resort distributions.
Know what your distribution goals are in the planning and budget stages.
Consider your local Community TV Station for your Yellow Pad or Final Release. Some stations like ours do not require 1st play for films with festival submission plans. If you make such a plan you can use Community TV equipment for free: Here we loan with a credit card release DSLRs, light kits, Gopros, Movi 5, Zoom H5N and more.
NHdocs came together in 2014 when four filmmakers from New Haven gathered together for the first time . . . in Missoula, Montana. This is year three. Same locations and timelines in process for year four.
