| Next MCA Meeting... |
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY MEETING
March 11 at 6:30
I.T. Enterprises
St. Louis, MO
|
| 2009
Board of Directors |
PRESIDENT
PAST PRESIDENT
Michael Ketcher
michael_ketcher@yahoo.com
|
| In Sync! Editor |
| Please submit all articles, Production Notes, and Members in the Spotlight paragraphs by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month's issue. Text should be embedded in the body of your email and pictures should be emailed as J-peg attachments.
See you in the next issue!
Emilie Barta
Newsletter Editor
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY MEETING
How Can You -- and the MO Film Industry -- Survive & Prosper In This Topsy-Turvy World?
Your future livelihood -- and the future of our industry -- is on the line this year. A new film tax credit proposal has been introduced, and the legislature will vote on it in the next few months.
There's a tremendous opportunity for our industry this year.
The excitement from the George Clooney movie, the flood of money coming into the state from the stimulus package, and the support from the Governor's office for the film industry all bode well.
But there are also dangers on the horizon for us.
Our industry becoming more competitive that ever. California recently passed its first film tax incentive, as a desperation attempt to stop films from coming to states like Missouri. Iowa took one film away from Missouri last year -- and has a much more generous tax credit to offer film producers. Illinois' new tax credit is on a par with Missour's. In short, the competition is getting hotter, and Missouri will have to step it up to survive. A failure to get a substantial tax incentive passed this year -- when conditions for passage are so favorable -- could have devastating repercussions for years to come.
At our next MCA meeting, we're pulling out all the stops, bringing local industry and civic leaders together, and forging a plan for survival. Both personally, as well as politically, there are vital steps you can take to survive and prosper.
Besides examining the politics of the current economic crisis, we'll also being exploring the personal steps you can take to survive and prosper. There are lots of new avenues out there for promoting yourself and your business.
No matter what you do in the business -- whether you work behind the camera or in front of it, whether you're still in school or a seasoned pro, you'll find this meeting enormously valuable, with specific steps that you can take to improve the industry and improve your situation.
Missouri Film Commissioner Jerry Jones will be there. So will Cinematheque impressario Walter Gunn. We're inviting representatives from MOMMA, all the unions, and key leaders from across-the-spectrum of the film and video community.
But the meeting won't be a success without you. We can no longer expect others to take responsibility for building this industry. It will take a massive, concerted effort on the part of all of us. We need newbies and old hands, creative types and technicians. This includes those of you in Illinois, too. Our industry is a regional industry, and we'll all either die or thrive together.
This important industry event will be held at a new venue for us: IT Enterprises, the new high tech and life sciences business incubator, which is part of the UMSL campus, albeit about two miles west of the main campus. Much thanks to local filmmaker Jack Snyder, who teaches at UMSL and has an office in the building, for getting this for us.
DATE: Wednesday, March 11
TIME: Networking at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:00pm
COST:
MCA members = free
non-members = $10
students = $5
Can't wait to see you there !! |
|
Correct Location & Directions to March 11 MCA Meeting
Unfortunately, incorrect directions were sent to you in the March 11 Meeting Announcement published February 25. Please note the correct ones below...
Location:
I.T. ENTERPRISES
4633 World Parkway Circle
St. Louis, MO 63134
Directions from I-70:
Take I-170 South, Exit #238B
From I-170 South, Exit Natural Bridge Road, Exit #6
(Note: There are 2 left turn lanes to go west when exiting onto Natural Bridge Road from I-170 South...please get into the one of the right)
Exit the right, left turn lane in order to make a quick right turn from Natural Bridge onto Koenig Circle.
Turn Left onto Natural Bridge Road going west.
Turn Right onto Koenig Circle (Your first right directly after the Berkley Fire Station on your right).
Turn Right onto World Parkway Circle.
Arrive at IT enterprises, 4633 World Parkway Circle, St. Louis, MO 63134
Please park in the IT Enterprises designated parking lot directly across the street from the building. |
|
Letter from the President
Knowledge is power. We've all heard it before. When a new technology comes out, we want to know what it does and how to do it. When new opportunities arise, we want to know how to participate. As new technologies supplant old ones, we need to transition. When the political issues related to developing Missouri's film industry arise, we need to know how to address them effectively.
While I lament the passing of actual film in the production and distribution of movies, I also know that digital technology has given more people the opportunity to make films and that digital distribution makes the industry greener, but the projection of film on a screen is still more beautiful, at least to me. Digital, however, opens up new possibilities which we must all embrace. Of course, we need to be ready to participate in the opportunities presented by the marriage of digital media and the web, and the board of directors of the MCA-i, St. Louis Chapter is keeping this in mind as we plans for the meetings this year.
With the new opportunities for distribution presented by the internet, digital media is becoming the medium in which every business will be participating. Obviously, learning the new technologies and having a pool of people to hire who have training in this area is important to local film and media businesses. Therefore, in keeping with the MCA-International's recent suggestion to forge greater connection with educators, the board of the MCA-i, St. Louis Chapter is looking for ways to work more closely with the local film and media educators. We would like to feature the programs that local colleges and universities offer and assist their in students in finding internships. Creating a better connection between the film and media educators and professionals will help St. Louis in its bid to become the vibrant production center of the midwest because it will provide a pool of trained and knowledgeable professionals, who even if they leave St. Louis, will always have a connection to, and hopefully a love of, the city, the industry, and the professionals here.
On a lighter note, the internet also provides the local industry with unique opportunities to connect. MCA just launched its Facebook page in February. Of course, Facebook immediately decided that everything posted on their site belongs to them, which I cannot help but wonder if the two events were connected. Thankfully, Facebook has decided to back down after a hue and cry from many, and rightly so. (Does anyone else feel nervous about Facebook since they have obviously tipped their hand as to their true agenda?) I took the plunge anyway and signed up for a Facebook page so that I could register for as an MCA Facebook Friend. All of you are invited to do the same. All you have to do is go to http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=53818961710. Then sign up for a Facebook Account or Login. On the right, under the logo, look for the "Join This Group" and click it. MCA-i, St. Louis Chapter's Facebook page "is an open group" which "anyone can join."
Another means of connecting via the internet is mediawire, which replaced filmwire some time back. Jay A Kelley, owner of DreamWelder Productions, announced that he would like to double mediawire's membership by December of this year. The current membership is "about 450" and "99% of them are confirmed and active." Here is the web address to get started: http://groups.google.com/group/stlmediawire?hl=en. If you are having problems with this Google Group, Jay has said he will be glad to help you.
Another opportunity which we should all think seriously about is participating in the political processes that effects the film industry of Missouri and the St. Louis region. On Tuesday, March 31st, film industry professionals are needed in Jeff City to show lawmakers how important decisions about important issues, such as tax incentives, are to us, our livelihoods, our creativity, and our state. Although it is a day when most of us lucky enough to have them are at our day jobs, please consider heading to Jeff City that day. Nothing would be more impressive than to see a large crowd of media and film professionals making their presence known by their sheer number.
Real power comes from the sharing of knowledge, ideas, and opportunities, and that is what we should be thinking about as we prepare our questions for the State of the Industry meeting on March 11th. St. Louis and Missouri have made some great strides in encouraging film production in the state, and we need to maintain those, continue to make progress, and still support ourselves. Optimism is important in difficult economic times, and so is staying focused on the larger goals that create opportunities for everyone.
Sandra Olmsted, President
MCA-i, St. Louis Chapter |
February Meeting in Review
It was standing room only at the February meeting at Horton-Watkins High School in Ladue, where the evening's topic attracted educators, students, and professionals alike. We were treated to an in-depth look at balancing the needs and strengths of webcasting with those of traditional broadcasts, from a educational perspective.
Our host, Don Goble, Broadcast Technology Instructor at Horton-Watkins High School, gave a power packed presentation of his television production curriculum and how it's delivered for public viewing. Students at Ladue engage in writing, directing, and editing programs up to 15 minutes using state-of-the-art technology. Marketing Executive and Co-Founder Andrew Arizpe then demonstrated SchoolTube, the recognized national source for moderated internet media sharing for teachers and students. We were fascinated to learn about SchoolTube and it's work with schools to approve all content before posting. It was also a revelation for many to find out SchoolTube is based right here in St. Louis.
The discussion continued with Helen Headrick, Utilization Coordinator (Cable TEC) from HEC-TV, the Higher Education Channel. She showed examples from iTunes U, where many academic programs are available for free. Tony Mueller, Media Specialist, from City of St. Louis' STL-TV spoke about seeing more interest from the community in streaming media on their website. Currently STL-TV is streaming the channel live on their internet website.
Internships were a common theme throughout the presentations. Some covered how they got their start in the business through internships, others described the internship opportunities at their prospective facilities. The College and high school students who were present got an opportunity network with industry professional afterwards.
Rounding out the evening, tours were given of the school's gorgeous production facilities, including a multi-camera studio, full master control, and Final Cut Pro post-production lab. Special thanks to Don Goble and Marteana Davidson of Horton-Watkins High School for hosting the MCA.
Please visit the website of the presenters and check out their web programs!
| |
|
Members in the Spotlight
 Emilie Barta was selected as a Spokesperson for Intel at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. She was repsonsible for the "Netbook vs. Notebook Challenge" game, educated attendees on the differences between the two product categories, and spoke to the correct usage of each. Another one of her responisbilities was interacting with the media at CES... check out her interview by Marcelo Lewin of The ExpoZed Show on Pixel Heads Network.
Mike Ketcher worked as talent in an industrial for the Center for Disease Control. He also worked on crew for the Fox Reality Channel, in a promotional event for their popular show, "Solitary v3.0." Mike is now on Facebook, by the way, if anyone wishes to befriend him. | |
|
|
|
