QUARTERLY UPDATE: STARTING THE NEW YEAR FROM HOME
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In the past three months, NewTV has re-adjusted to rising COVID-19 cases in Newton and Massachusetts. We have temporarily closed to the public, making the studio and edit suites unavailable for the time being.
We look forward to more and more people in Massachusetts becoming vaccinated and welcoming our members back into the facility. In the meantime, here's some advice about producing at home through Zoom and a look at some new and upcoming content.
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Producers' Advice for Working on Zoom
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Many of our producers are now pros at working on Zoom. Here’s some of the advice they have to offer for anyone looking to get started with Zoom producing.
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Marcia Johnson of The League Presents... speaking with guest David Olson on Zoom. |
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Maureen Reilly Meagher, one of the co-producers for
The League Presents…, offered this advice to stay organized: “I would say that the most important thing I have learned is to make a list of tasks ahead of time and check it on the day of taping. Tap Brian as a second pair of eyes and ears.” Director of Member Services Brian Hebert is available to help you get acquainted with the technical side of Zoom producing, ensuring that you know how to have good quality audio and how to make sure the session records. |
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Jay Sugarman, producer and host of
Museum Open House and
Innovation Showcase, had advice about lighting: “Avoid sitting with your back to a window. Instead face the window and perhaps have a small lamp directly on your face.” That is important to keep in mind as you get ready to appear on Zoom. In your home, you won’t have the exact lighting that you do in the studio. Jay also advised testing your audio quality beforehand and to “remember to have your background neat and orderly with few, if any, distractions behind you.” By checking do a quick check of your sound and what your camera view looks like, you can ensure you’ll have a professional appearance on Zoom.
BJ Krinztman, producer of
That’s the Law!, also advised having guests come on early: “It’s important to have all of your guests appear at least 15 minutes before you want to start recording, so that you can check to see that they are in the frame properly, that they are properly lit, that all of the heads in the Zoom boxes will appear about the same size, and so that you can do sound checks.” Just as it is important for your background to look nice and your sound to work, it is also important for guests. BJ advises confirming with your guests that they are in a space where they won’t be disturbed by outside noises and that they’ve remembered to turn their cell phones off before the show starts.
For more advice about Zoom producing, check out also NewTV’s blog posts about using Zoom, including “On-Camera Interview Tips” and “Best Practices for Video Conferencing.”
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A New Podcast: Cultural Connections from Brian Ives
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A warm welcome to the newest podcast produced at NewTV:
Cultural Connections produced by Brian Ives!
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Cultural Connections is a podcast focused on talking with people of different backgrounds. Each episode focuses on a different person with a “culturally diverse story to share.”
The idea for this podcast was formulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brian describes, “I had wanted to do a podcast for a while, and just couldn't find the topic. Then, I saw all these feel-good podcasts online, and I thought "Cultural Connections" was a great title and also a way for people to come together and learn something new.”
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There are currently three episodes to listen to on the NewTV website, each one focusing on a different guest’s story and background. Brian goes live on social media for each episode, and then edits the podcast afterwards before posting it on the anchor.fm platform as well as on NewTV’s SoundCloud. The anchor.fm platform makes the podcast available on other audio streaming services, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
If you’re interested in starting your own podcast, Brian has the following advice: “If you have an idea for a podcast, just go for it and create it. They are easy to make and fun, and it’s a way to meet people as well.”
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New Content from the Newton Public Schools,
Overdue, and the City of Newton
Our Government and Education Channels have been busy working with the City of Newton, the Newton Free Library, and the Newton Public Schools over the past three months.
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Recently, NewTV has begun airing sports games from Newton North High School on our Education Channel on Friday nights, filmed by Newton North students. We will continue to air new games from Newton North as their semester continues.
Newton North students have also started a new show,
Update from Home, which also aired on our Education Channel on Feb. 26. |
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In February, the Newton Public Schools hosted a discussion led by Dr. Edward Fergus, author of
Solving Disproportionality and Achieving Equity: A Leader's Guide to Using Data to Change Hearts and Minds. The discussion was a part of
Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton, a city-wide read and series of events and conversations on race and racism. The Newton Free Library also held A Conversation with Robert Reich, author of
The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It. NewTV streamed both of these events live, and they are available to watch on our website.
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March 16 Special Election: Candidate Interviews |
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Newton is holding a Special Election on Tuesday, March 16, in order to to fill two vacancies on the City Council: Councilor at Large for Ward 1 and Councilor at Large for Ward 2.
The candidates for Councilor at Large for Ward One are John Oliver and Madeline Ranalli. The candidates for Councilor at Large for Ward Two are Bryan Barash, Tarik Lucas, and David Micley.
Jenn Adams interviewed every candidate individually for
Newton News to learn more about their background and plans if elected. Watch all the interviews here.
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Decision 2021: Special Election Candidate Forums |
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In collaboration with The League of Women Voters of Newton, NewTV has produced two virtual candidate forums for the special election, one for each race.
Watch both candidate forums here. Thank you to the League of Women Voters for working with NewTV and to the candidates for participating! For more information about voting in the special election, visit the City's website.
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NewTV Journal is sponsored by: |
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We have new NewTV at Home lessons for you to review and learn from, including a guide to three-point lighting and a lesson on white balance. These online lessons are designed to help you learn new skills and refresh the old, even while NewTV is closed to the public.
These new lessons were created by NewTV intern, Matthew Paolucci! There will be more lessons released over the next few weeks. Find all of our NewTV at Home lessons, including the ones from last year, in one place here.
Paolucci
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