Inside This Issue:

Artist of the Month .............Page 2 By-Law Amendments .........Page 3 Technical Corner .................Page 6 DSLR Filmmaking ...............Page 7

The Producer
Public Educational Government

Winter 2012 Issue

430 Boston Road Billerica, MA 01821

BATV Guest Speaker Series

Jason Bazinet
BATV would like to let you know about a new and exciting guest speaker series for our members. BATV is searching high and low for speakers to give presentations in areas we think would be interesting to you, the BATV membership. To kick off the BATV Guest Speaker Series, let me introduce you to our first speaker, Martie Cook, presenting on Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 at 7PM. She will be speaking about her experiences as a writer for television as well as give tips on writing and developing concepts for storytelling. Martie Cook has more than twenty-five years of experience as a respected writer and producer of television and film. She has worked for ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS as well as Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures and Universal Studios. A member of the Writers Guild of America West, Cook has written for hit television shows such as the top-ten Nielsen rated Full House, the cult classic, Charles in Charge, the nontraditional family comedy, Joes Life and Rysher Entertainments crime drama, One West Waikiki. Cook has served as a writer/producer for Entertainment Tonight, Americas Most Wanted, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, Better Homes and Gardens and the PBS Emmy-award winning childrens show Zoom. She is author of the critically acclaimed book, Write To TV: Out of Your Head and Onto the Screen (Focal Press/Elsevier) used by professional writers, in college classrooms and by budding writers alike. Continued on page 2 The Producer 1

BATV closings and limited hours:

Monday, February 20th, 2012 Closed for Presidents Day Thursday, March 15th, 2012 Closed at 4pm for BATV Annual Meeting of the Membership Monday, April 16th, 2012 Closed for Patriots Day

The next regularly scheduled BATV Board of Directors meeting is Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, 6:30 p.m. at BATV. You are welcome to attend!

BATV Hours of Operation

Mon. Thurs. . 10:00 am - 9:30 pm Friday .............. 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday .......... 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Sunday..................................Closed

Board of Directors
President ............................... David Fournier Vice President .................... Barbara Flaherty Secretary ......................................John Coyne Treasurer ..................................Jim Woodside Asst. Treasurer ....................Pamela Anastasi Board Member ............................... Jen Casco Board Member .........................Ronald Fusco Board Member .............................Gerry Goss Board Member ................... William Haddad Board Member ................... Anthony LaRosa Board Member ......................... Greg McClay Board Member .....................James McFeeley Board Member .............................Paul Overy Board Member .......................Donna Popkin Board Member .......................... Helen Potter

Guest Speaker contd from page 1

Her first screenplay, Zacharys Truth was a finalist in the prestigious Chesterfield Writers Film Program and in the Massachusetts Screenwriting Competition, before being optioned by Universal Studios. Her second screenplay, Hit & Run was optioned by Alan Barnette Productions at Universal Studios. Cook has served as a writing mentor to members of the New England Chapter of Women In Film and Video, students at the Perkins School for the Blind and soldiers in Afghanistan.

BATV Tidbits

Recently, Cook sold a sitcom to Warner Brothers and is in the early stages of development. We are excited to have Martie Cook speak at BATV and encourage you to attend this event. More details will follow, so keep an eye on the BATV web site, e-mail and postings around the BATV studio. If you have any questions or know of a speaker that would like to present as part of the BATV Guest Speaker Series, please contact Jason at 978-663-2284. (Biography courtesy of Emerson.edu)

The Producer 2012

Billerica Access TV 430 Boston Road Billerica, MA 01821 Phone: 978-663-2284 Fax: 978-667-4969 batv.batvinc@comcast.net www.batvinc.org Editor & Layout Jason Bazinet Contributing Writers: Paul Abrego Nancy Albertson Jason Bazinet Sam Schauerman Karen Sennott Alex Shure

UPCOMING ARTISTS
February - Alex Shure (Underwater Photography) March - Denise Warren April - Claudia Giessmann and Helen Potter May - Theresa Walker
Visit the BATV Studio any time during regular business hours to view the artists work

BATV Staff:

Technical Coordinator .............................................Paul Abrego Youth Coordinator ...........................................Nancy Albertson Access Coordinator .................................................Jason Bazinet Production/Staff Assistant........................Matthew Macomber Executive Director ............................................Sam Schauerman Marketing & Outreach Coordinator ................ Karen Sennott Programming Coordinator ........................................ Alex Shure Board of Director Clerk .................................... Madeline Stone Production/Staff Assistant........................................ Tom Violet
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By-Law Amendments Voted by Board of Directors

On January 4, 2012, the Secretary of BATV received a proposal to amend BATVs By-Laws. The proposal suggested amending the age for voting rights at regular or special meetings of the members and also allowing for Board Members to elect one individual annually to serve on the Board of Directors. On January 6, as per the BATV By-Laws, the proposed amendments were posted internally and on BATVs website. A notice was also posted on the Community Bulletin Board announcing receipt of the proposal and directing members to BATVs website for additional information. On Tuesday, January 24, the BATV Board of Directors held an open hearing on the proposed amendments. Since this was a Special Board Meeting, 4/5ths of the Board of Directors needed to be present to constitute a quorum and of those Board Members present, a 2/3rds vote would be needed to amend the By-Laws. Following a brief discussion, the Board of Directors voted on the proposal. Secretary Coyne officially delivered the outcome; the proposal was approved and became effective immediately. The following are the amended By-Laws: ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP Section 2. VOTING RIGHTS At every regular or special meeting of the members, each member age eighteen (18) and above authorized to vote shall be entitled to one (1) vote on each matter submitted to vote of the members. ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Section 2. NUMBER AND ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT TO OFFICE The number of Directors shall not be less than eleven (11) and not greater than fifteen (15). A maximum of eleven members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the membership. Four (4) Directors shall be appointed as stated herein. One Director each shall be appointed by each of the following: The Billerica Town Administrator, The Billerica Public School Superintendent, The Shawsheen Public School Superintendent, and The Billerica Community Alliance, Inc. Executive Director. There will be up to eight (8) members elected to the Board of Directors by vote of the membership. There will be up to three (3) members elected to the Board of Directors by vote of the Board of Directors. Within the limits prescribed by these By-Laws, the number of Directors shall be such as may be fixed from time to time. A Director need not be a member of the Corporation prior to his or her election or appointment to the Board of Directors. Questions concerning eligibility shall be determined by the Board of Directors holding office prior to the election or appointment concerned. Each Director shall continue in office until the expiration of the term for which he or she is elected or appointed, or until his or her successor shall have been elected or appointed and qualified, or until his or her death, resignation or removal. ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Section 3. TERM OF OFFICE The initial Directors shall be persons named in the Articles of Organization as appointed by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Billerica. The first full Board of Directors shall serve for a three (3) year term. Thereafter, at the Annual Meeting, up to four (4) Directors shall be elected for a three (3) year term as follows: up to three (3) Directors shall be elected by the membership and up to one (1) Director shall be elected by the Board of Directors. Every third (3rd) election thereafter, up to three (3) Directors shall be elected for a three (3) year term as follows: up to two (2) Directors shall be elected by the membership and up to one (1) Director shall be elected by the Board of Directors. Remaining Continued on page 4 members (if any) for each term hereunder shall be appointed by the Appointing Entities. The Producer 3

By-Law Amendments continued from page 3

Consistent with Article IV, Section 2 above, four (4) Directors shall be appointed for one (1) three (3) year term by the following Appointing Entities The Billerica Town Administrator The Billerica Public School Superintendent The Shawsheen Tech School Superintendent; and The Billerica Community Alliance, Inc. Executive Director Any appointed Directors thereafter may be appointed again following a one (1) year absence from the Board of Directors.

BATV Movie Nights

Members: Come to BATV to enjoy a free movie, refreshments (including fresh popcorn of course), entertainment and a chance for discussion and/or shared laughter, it all depends on the current Movie Nights feature. Past films have included two very different documentaries, a foreign romance, the worlds finest comedy, and a Halloween horror double feature. Some gatherings were cozy, others required pulling in a few extra chairs, all were enjoyed by everyone who attended. Movies are projected in the main studio on our twelve foot screen with BATVs HD projector. Most movie nights are on Tuesday evenings and none require an RSVP or reservation. Just keep your eye on your email or check the postings when you visit the studio to see which film is playing next. We have comfy padded chairs and you are free to bring your own bag or beach chair if thats what youd like. So come join us, for your entertainment dollars you just cant beat a price of $0.00. BATV Movie Night Past Features: Cinema Paradiso The Mean World Syndrome Pee Wees Big Adventure Frankenstein and Poltergeist (Halloween Double Feature) The Endless Summer Next Movie Night: Tuesday, April 3rd. Watch your email for details* *Not on our email list? Contact Jason at jbazinet.batv@comcast.net or go to www.batvinc.org and sign up on the left side bar.

The Producer 4

WORDS FROM YOUR YOUTH COORDINATOR Nancy Albertson

Crossword Prize Giveaway! Open to BATV Youth Members! Complete the following crossword puzzle and submit it to Nancy Albertson by March 23rd to be entered into a prize drawing! Whats the prize? Enter the contest and find out!

No.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Question

A tiny microphone clipped to a tie or shirt of an individual. The year twenty-____________ is the twenty fifth anniversary of Billerica Access Television. Useful accessory that allows you to monitor sound. Day of the week that 7th-9th Grade Video Club members meet. A sequence of drawings, typically with some directions and dialogue, representing the shots planned for a movie or television production. The set up and placement of subject matter with in a video picture. A shot that includes your subject from hips (belly button) to head. Another name for a _________ shot is a long shot. A __________ -up is commonly used to show emotion when focused on the subjects face.

10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Keeps the camera balanced and stable. Day of the week that 9th-12th Grade Video Club members meet. Thomas Violet is allergic to __________. There is a picture of this with a side of home fries and eggs on Nancys computer desktop. Be sure to Like the BATV Youth Programs on _________. Space between the subjects head and the top of the frame. The type of stuffed animal sitting on Nancys desk. Camcorder function that allows you to get a closer shot of subjects without physically getting closer. Unidirectional microphone that picks up six to twelve feet. Images such as titles, sketches, or pictures either hand drawn or created on computer, used in video programs. Day of the week that 5th-6th Grade Video Club members meet.

BATV Video Enrichment Program: Im pleased to announce that two elementary schools have been selected to participate in BATV Afterschool Enrichment activities. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons students from the Parker and Ditson Elementary schools take over BATV studios to learn about media literacy and video production. Both programs run for sixteen weeks and wrap up with a video premiere in late-April or early May. Im truly impressed and excited about the work created by these students so far and expect great things to come. For more information about BATV Youth Programs visit www.batvinc.org/youth or contact Nancy Albertson at nancy.batv@comcast.net. Like BATV Youth Programs on Facebook and receive status updates, event invites, and view the latest photos and videos posted from youth activities. The Producer 5

Technical Corner
By Paul Abrego
Hello to all members and Happy New Year. As we enter 2012, we at BATV are looking forward to the coming months as we provide our membership with new equipment and facility upgrades to stay on the cutting edge of the ever-changing world of media technology. In the main studio control room we are currently looking to upgrade our video production switcher and production monitors. For the switcher, we are looking for a hybrid SD/HD switcher, allowing us to use our current cameras until next year when we plan to upgrade to High Definition (HD) cameras. The entire look of the control room will change but rest assured as we begin to implement these upgrades, classes will be offered to all current studio producers and their crews to familiarize them with the new equipment. This will be a long and tedious process but one that will enable BATV to one day broadcast in HD. In another monumental move, BATVs studio lighting will get a dramatic makeover. We will be creating a fixed fluorescent and LED lighting scheme that will create soft, full lighting without the need for members to climb ladders and make adjustments. Well also be adding Color Force dynamic background LED lighting. This amazing light system enables for dramatic color lighting backgrounds and the ability to program them to change on the fly. Basically, if you can think of a color scheme youd want your sets background to be we can make it happen. The setup can even be multiple colored or even Chroma key green. Once again, these lights will be set and will never need to be physically moved but

only programmed via the lighting board to the desired color(s) and then programmed to change, if needed. Those curious should have a look at the Color Force demo: http://www.chroma-q.com/products/colorforce/ demo.asp -It truly is amazing. Theres also more fun to be had getting out and about in the Billerica community as we are adding some new field production equipment to the BATV reserves. Ikan is a great new company that I personally have been impressed with by their forward thinking and budget minded video production products. Last year we added a pair of their hotshoe camera monitors and this year well be adding a few more of their fine products to our equipment room shelves. These include: camera hotshoe LED kits; portable remote controlled LED lighting kits and event lighting kits. In addition, we are planning on adding rugged Go Pro HD cameras that members can take on serious adventures. Check out some of their amazing demos here: http://gopro.com/ Once we get those on board, Ill be waiting for the inevitable Billerica Extreme show to take flight! Or maybe someone can just use one to shoot some of the more spirited government meetings All in all, 2012 looks to be a great year of dynamic change. With the continued striving by the BATV staff to provide our membership with the best new equipment and updated facilities we can find, its also looking to be a great year to learn something new in 2012 too. As always please feel free to contact me with any questions at pabrego.batvinc@comcast.net I hope to see you soon!

BATV Annual Meeting of the Membership

Mark your calendars; its that time of year again. BATVs Annual Meeting of the Membership is scheduled for Thursday, March 15, 2012 at the Courtyard by Marriot. The event begins at 6:30 pm with a cash bar and hors doeuvres. The Annual Meeting will be called to order promptly at 7 pm. Along with BATV officer reports, the membership will be given the opportunity to elect individuals to serve on the Board of Directors. Also announced, will be the name of the individual appointed by the Town Manager to serve on the Board of Directors. Please plan to attend the BATV Annual Meeting of the Membership on Thursday, March 15. Take an active role in access television, socialize with the Billerica community and enjoy food and drink. We hope to see you at BATVs Annual Meeting of the Membership. Invitations will follow soon. The Producer 6

DSLR Filmmaking: Pros and Cons, Part 1

Alex Shure, Programming Coordinator
In the wake of rapidly changing technologies and feuding companies, the consumer is often left behind or put between a rock and a hard place, so to speak. However, sometimes this situation proves advantageous to the consumer/media producer. DSLR Cameras have gained much popularity over the past couple of years, not only for their ability to create high quality still images but for their ability to shoot video as well. First, let me back up What the heck is a DSLR Camera anyway? Most digital single-lens reflex cameras (digital SLR or DSLR) are digital cameras that use a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on the back of the cameraThe term DSLR generally refers to cameras that resemble 35 mm format cameras, although some medium format cameras are technically DSLRs. --Thanks Wikipedia! There are some clear advantages to shooting video on DSLR Cameras. First, and foremost, they have the potential of shooting very high quality video. In fact, some would argue that they shoot better video than most camcorders. The large image sensor in these cameras is comparable to traditional film cameras. Ill stay away from the technical aspect of this, but suffice it to say, size matters; at least in respect to the size of a cameras image sensor. The resulting image quality is impressive to say the least. Secondly, with DSLRs, you are dealing with a relatively compact sized camera overall. We are talking about cameras that generally weigh 2-5 pounds depending on the lens and accessories. Anyone who has ever held a 10-pound camera for longer than 10 minutes can really appreciate a less hefty setup. I will add, that the cameras are still heavy enough to do decent handheld shots without the shakycam look. I find that many consumer camcorders are in fact, too light, and the video quality suffers for this if you shoot without a tripod. Next, I present three words: Full Manual Control. You can manually adjust almost every aspect of a DSLR camera including, aperture, ISO (sensitivity to light), shutter speed, etc. Its all about how much of what light do you expose your camera to and for how long. Now, I know that plenty of people dont even remotely want to be concerned with this, as it is the exact opposite of point and shoot. That being said, I realize this aspect of DSLRs can be disadvantageous for some. I will also add that higher end camcorders (like the Z5Us at BATV) have manual settings as well, but my point is, on camcorders, you dont necessarily need to use these manual settings, but on DSLRs, the camera isnt going to do all the thinking for you. Its all in the glass: DSLRs biggest selling points are that there is a vast array of swappable lenses available for them. Ive been shooting on my Canon DSLR for a while and have three different lenses, and as a camera nerd, my mouth waters thinking of all the shooting possibilities when you have multiple lenses to work with. I rounded out my kit with a wide, a telephoto and a macro lens. At a moments notice I can shoot something an inch in front of the lens, 50 yards away, and most things in-between. This versatility isnt necessarily available in camcorders. While most have very well rounded lenses, many are not interchangeable. There are downsides to DSLR lenses though. Many are very expensive, in fact, more expensive than the camera body itself. Also, even well engineered lenses are fragile, self-contained pieces- on and off of a camera. It can be a hazardous situation (for the lens and camera) swapping lenses in an unstable environment. Dust, dirt, moisture, chemicals, etc. are all enemies to sensitive camera hardware. For this reason, many professional photographers will carry multiple cameras so they dont have to change lenses in the field. Seeing as Im totally out of room, I will continue my article on DSLRs in the next BATV newsletter. I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more, or chat in further detail about the subject to give me a shout. I personally work with DSLR equipment and have become a fan of the technology, while also accepting its faults As always, Im happy to chat or answer questions if this is something that you would like to explore for yourself. See you in the springtime! The Producer 7

Billerica Access Television, Inc. 430 Boston Road Billerica, MA 01821 (978)663-2284

The Producer

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 134 No. Billerica, MA

In This Issue:
Annual Meeting Guest Speaker Series Youth Member Crossword And much more...

Become a BATV Community Partner Today at a 50% Offer

Do you own a business? Are you looking to increase your customer base? Are you looking for alternative methods to disseminate information about your business? BATV now offers opportunities for businesses to connect with Billerica citizens thru its newly adapted Community Partner Program. Simply put, the Program is a business / corporate sponsorship program designed to build partnerships with local businesses, provide awareness of local businesses and support BATVs mission. Why become a BATV Community Partner? o Its easy and affordable. o It creates awareness of your business. o It supports BATV as Billericas First Amendment Forum. o Its an investment in your business. o Its an investment in your community. o Its an investment in your future. o For a limited time, become a partner and receive 50% off the listed cost. BATV has been connecting the Billerica Community for twenty five years; let BATV help you get connected. Become a BATV Community Partner today. For more information, please visit www.batvinc.org or contact Sam Schauerman at 978-663-2284. The Producer 8