The Open Media Foundation
August News from the Open Media Foundation

August 2011
In this Issue
Upcoming Classes/Events
New Classes Now Available at OMF
First Friday at DOM
Executive Director Report
Graphic Design Intern Needed
Spotlight of the Month: OMF Teacher, Chris Haugen
Youth Production Group
Project Spotlight: Project FreshKicks

Project Fresh Kicks is pairing up non-profits who need a new website with web professionals who want to give back. And to make it interesting, these small teams of web professionals will build sustainable, fully-functioning websites all in one dayOne

Consider supporting all the volunteers with an online donation!

 
Upcoming Classes/Events
Critical Studies of Independent Media
August 2 & 3, Weds & Thurs
7p-9p
 
Your Voice. Your Media 
August 3, Wednesday, 5:30-6:30p 

Field Production Workshop
August 3 & 4, Weds & Thurs, 6p-9p
 
3-D Animation w Blender
8-class series begins Aug 4, 7pm-9pm 

Pre-Production Basics
August 6, Saturday, 1p-4pm

New CiviCRM User Group
August 9, Tuesday, 6:30pm

GarageBand
August 10, Wednesday, 6-9p

Intro to Google Docs
August 17, Wednesday,
6pm-9pm

Your Voice. Your Media
August 17, Wednesday,
5:30pm-6:30pm

Final Cut Pro Workshop
August 17 & 18, Wednesday & Thursday, 6pm-9pm

Narrative Scriptwriting
5-class series begins Aug 18, 7pm-9pm

Shooting Video w DSLR Cameras
August 20, Saturday, 1-4

Summer Scream at Lakeside
August 25, Lakeside Amusement Park
New Classes Now Available in OMF Learning Lab

 

Last month, OMF opened the doors to our long-anticipated 20-seat iMac Learning Lab!  The launch of this lab, along with the significant expansion in our Education Department, has been part of our strategic vision for years, and we are incredibly excited to be at this point in our organization's history.

 

In deciding what new classes to offer, we turned to you, our community members and producers, who over the years have shared your ideas with us for new classes.  We're so proud to see those ideas turn into reality, including new classes in shooting video on DSLR cameras, editing in iMovie, digital photography, narrative scriptwriting , 3-D Animation, and more! 

 

 

If you have an idea for a new class, or have an interest in teaching in Open Media Foundation's Education program, please contact lynne@openmediafoundation.org

 

First Friday at Denver Open Media

 

On the first Friday of most months, DOM hosts a free community event that spotlights local performance groups, musical acts, and nonprofit organizations. These events are broadcast live on Comcast channel 57 and re-broadcast on channels 56, 57 and 219. They are also available online.   


Next event: Friday, August 5th  

Event starts at 6:00pm

 

Come learn more in a couple of hours than you have all year! On Friday, August 5thKinda Collective is collaborating with the Open Media Foundation to host 'Here Is How'. You've heard of a Flash Mob, well this is a DIY Mob. This event will manifest itself as a block party, public forum, art exhibit, and live television broadcast. Artists, spaces, groups, organizations, NGOs, performers, creative workers, activists, educators, and other local initiatives will descend upon 7th Avenue to offer you the opportunity to learn new skills/new ideas and to create your own (free) "How-To" booklet. Collaborative block party will run from 6-10pm and a live television broadcast from 8-10pm, inside the Denver Open Media studios. This event is free and open to the public; see you there!
 

 

Executive Director Report

Monthly Update by Tony Shawcross    

 

This Friday, we're partnering with the Kinda Collective (link http://kindacollective.org/) to celebrate the launch of OMF's new education programs and our 20-seat iMac learning lab. As our capacity to provide video (link: http://www.openmediafoundation.org/services/video-production) and web services (link: http://www.openmediafoundation.org/services/web-design-and-tech-services) has expanded, and the resources we've been able to provide our community boomed with the launch of Denver Open Media 5 years ago, our Education programs (link: http://www.openmediafoundation.org/education) have not grown as quickly. The board and staff of OMF have identified our education programs as our primary focus for growth in the next 3-5 years, and this Friday's festivities are a major step in that direction. Please join us as we block off 7th Ave and invite the entire community to celebrate lifelong learning.

 

 

Graphic Designers Welcome

Graphic Design Interns Needed at the Open Media Foundation

 

OMF seeks a Graphic Design Intern, and would be a great fit for someone with knowledge in print, web design and TV graphics. Interested individuals will share our passion and commitment towards building sustainable websites, print materials and effective logo design for small businesses and non-profits working for positive social change, as well as the ability to commit to a 12 hour/week, 200-hour total internship schedule. This internship would be a great fit for someone who would like to build their portfolio, while at the same time gaining access to the incredible internship benefits OMF has to offer, such as access to free classes and a free membership upon completion of internship.

If you are interested in this opportunity or any other internship opportunities at the Open Media Foundation, please visit our internship page for more information.
Spotlight of the Month: OMF teacher, Chris Haugen

 

For this month's Spotlight of the Month, we talked to Chris Haugen, who is one of our instructors and will be teaching classes in OMF's new Learning Lab.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself/background.

 

I've been shooting still images commercially for almost 10 years and have been shooting video for the past 3 years. I believe honesty is the best policy, humor is the best medicine, and cliches are to be used and made fun of, simultaneously if possible. Being human, I have a vested interest in the human condition and do my best to balance my economic needs with my ability to influence and be a part of making positive changes in the world I live in.

 

 

How did you become interested in media?

 

Media of any kind has always interested me, mainly because of it's power to influence and convey information. There is a quality to a well produced, well thought out piece of media - whether it's a tv commercial, radio interview, photograph, or any other type of media - that engages and can stimulate people to action, both outward and inward, and this action is what enriches the world around us. Media, when done well, has the power to influence vast majorities of people to take action, whether that action is buying new shoes, voting in an upcoming election, or pursuing a dream that one had thought was out of reach.

  

Tell us why you enjoy teaching for OMF?

 

Open Media Foundation strives to allow everyone to have access to the equipment, training, and knowledge to produce content that is compelling and representative of their unique perspective. There is a community environment that is difficult to find in a world where most activities revolve around the self. While there isn't anything inherently wrong with being active in pursuing your personal interests, being a part of a community offers many benefits that simply don't exist when one is not part of a group. Social background, race, and economic status shouldn't dictate someone's ability to make their voice heard. Unfortunately, that is generally the case and OMF has the resources and people to put this vital communication skill (in whatever medium people choose) where it belongs - in the hands of everyday people, like you and me.

 

Why are community media centers important?

 

Digital and multimedia have become the premier tools for getting your voice heard and your message shared. Community media centers have the unique capability to bring different community members together through shared interests and classes. This offers a unique learning experience that emphasizes working with others and hands-on instruction methods. Furthermore, community education centers enable individuals to make new connections and collaborate with others who have the same interests or passions. As media has become more commercialized and conglomerated, the need for a venue for individual voices and under-represented communities only increases. Community media centers enable the public to freely express their own perspectives and stories, that otherwise would not be possible.

 

Why is it important to be a lifelong learner?

  

Learning stimulates your mind, and that's never a bad thing. As we get older, we all tend to fall into the routines that dictate our daily schedule, and ultimately our lives. Learning, at any point in your life, keeps you stimulated by exposing you to new possibilities, expanding both your personal perspective as well as providing you with the new skills you'll need to pursue your current interests. You're never too old to learn something new, and the more and more often you do it, the easier it can become. Lifelong learning not only teaches you something new, but also furthers your personal development and can potentially improve your quality of life. In short, there's nothing bad about lifelong learning.

 

Tell us about the classes you'll be teaching in OMF's new Learning Lab?

 

I'll be teaching Introduction to Digital Photography, which will give students the ability to confidently navigate the menus and options available to them with whatever digital camera they have access to. In addition, the class will teach students how to leverage the basic principles of digital photography to create the highest quality images they can. I'll also be teaching Shooting Video with DSLR, this class will introduce students to the possibilities of shooting video with DSLR cameras, covering it's benefits as well as the challenges, and preparing students to use most DSLRs to capture video. A relatively new feature on these still cameras that has, with the ability to change lenses, expanded the creative possibilities over traditional video cameras.  In addition, I'll be teaching DVD Studio Pro, which will cover how to use Adobe's DVD authoring software to create both basic and advanced playable DVD's.  
 

Denver Open Media's Youth Production Group: Open Media Generation

Do you know a student who dreams of being on TV?  How about working behind the scenes?  If so, they should join Denver Open Media's FREE Youth Production Group!

The Open Media Generation Youth Group meets weekly!  Anyone between the ages of 12-19 c
an stop by any Wednesday from 3:30-6pm to join the fun...and did we mention it is free?

Participants will learn field, studio and editing techniques.  Students will learn how to produce youth-related content and will help solicit new youth-related programs.  Please check out our website for more information or email ann@openmediafoundation.org

Also, we are always looking for food donations to help keep our youth fed and alert during trainings/productions.  Please let us know if you have
suggestions or information about youth group sponsorships.

Open Media Generation