THE CHANNEL 15 WEBPAGE IS EVOLVING INTO AN INFORMATIVE TOOL!

You can now see the upcoming Channel 15 programming schedule under the "Schedule Tab" on the Channel 15 website!

While visiting the new webpage, check out the other tabs! Lots of new things have been added.

REACHING FOR THE NEW CEILING

I visited the Princess this week to check on progress and, man, there definitely has been a lot of changes!

New scaffolding reached for the ceiling, including up from the stage and balcony.  The new ceiling looks impressively strong and there is a lot of action going on inside the auditorium from these raised work areas.

The photos (click on them to enlarge them) are self-explanatory, so I'll just let you enjoy them.  Note the changes to the stage and the entrances and exits to it.  It is going to be so great to see live stage productions of music and plays here!  I can hardly wait! 

This last one, for those of you that have never been inside the Princess, is of the upstairs lounge.  

Soon, we'll all be milling around this area, and the lobby, talking to each other about how wonderful everything looks, sounds, and feels!

CHANNEL 15 TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF RSCC'S MASS COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM

Viewers can now watch the new Channel 15 television station online at www.roanestate.edu/channel15.

The government and education channel, created by Roane State and the City of Harriman, has been on the air since December 2010. Programming includes local announcements, public service videos, weather and a number of other programs.

Comcast cable customers in all of Roane County and parts of Morgan County could view Channel 15. With the online service, viewers anywhere in the area, and around the world, can tune in.

“The technological capabilities of the new Channel 15 television station are amazing, and being able to have the channel stream online is just another example,” said Bill Radice, a consultant for the TV station.

The station is located adjacent to the Princess Theater in downtown Harriman and features all digital equipment. Although a separate entity from the Princess Theater, the station is part of the planned “Princess Performing Arts, Education and Conference Center.”

The station will also be an integral part of Roane State’s mass communications program, which is under development. Proposed courses include:

• American Media and Social Institutions: This course examines the development of various media and their impact on society.

• Introduction to Electronic Media: The course is an introduction to the history, special aspects, organization, structure and function of electronic media.

• Introduction to Media Writing: This course is an introduction to print and broadcast journalism with an emphasis on newsgathering methods and the writing of news for print and electronic media.

• Special Topics in Editing: The course is an introduction to various software applications utilized for editing film/images.

• Special Topics in Camera Production: This course emphasizes the operation and use of standard cameras for the television/film industry.

• Television Studio Production I: This course will introduce video production techniques as well as the elements needed to produce television broadcasts.

• Television Studio Production II: The course is a continuation of Television Studio Production I.

For more information about Roane State’s proposed mass communications program, contact the college’s Humanities Division at (865) 354-3000 ext. 4709.

To watch Channel 15 online, visit www.roanestate.edu/channel15.

GREAT NEWS - CHANNEL 15 IS ON THE INTERNET!

Finally, you can view Channel 15 in Harriman from anywhere!  Just click on this link http://www.roanestate.edu/?7439-Channel-15 and bookmark it for future reference.

We're rolling on!

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR US - TAKE 2!

Bill Landry stopped in at the East Tennessee PBS, home of Channel 2 & 202 (Comcast) and 15 (Direct TV), studios in Knoxville last week to visit old friend Marshal Andy (Smalls).  Marshal Andy was taping his next “Marshal Andy and The Riders of the Silver Screen” show, which will feature some of the Ciderville boys and Rhonda Whiting of the "Sisters of the Silver Sage".

Marshal Andy, now well into his 80's, has been a friend and advocate of the Princess Theater for over 12 years, which is about when "the dream" began, and he is very excited about the current restoration project and what it will mean to the area.  He's looking forward to coming to see everyone from the new stage!

Rhonda Whiting is also looking forward to bringing her sisters to the Princess stage frequently. The three, Donna, Rhonda, and Janet love to sing the songs of the Old West. A few years ago they started a musical journey that has resulted in a unique Western sound that is reminiscent of the Sons of the Pioneers. From their 2-steppin' western swing to the mournful minor key ballads, we'll all get to enjoy a great easy-listening experience!

The Sisters were featured in "Appalachian Dreams", a show produced by Princess Productions at Roane State in 2009.
 

The new stage and auditorium, with its new lighting, sound system, seating, and connectivity to Comcast will pump out performances to many homes in the area.  The 700+ audience capacity will draw in major acts, and those in attendance will get to see firsthand mainstream talent, as well as talented local acts from our East Tennessee area, some on stage, for the first time.

ENTERTAINMENT LIKE THIS IS WHAT'S IN STORE FOR US AT THE "NEW" PRINCESS!

Some of you will remember seeing the Sisters of the Silver Sage in "Appalachian Dreams" back in '09 at Roane State. They have expressed interest in playing at the new Princess, and I sure hope that happens on a regular basis...they are good!

The "Appalachian Dreams" DVD will be soon on Channel 15 soon.

Here's their new video:

To see the new stage, at the new Princess Theatre, will almost be overwhelming for me, and I can't wait to see "the dream" come alive!

ROANE STATE WANTS TO PARTNER WITH AREA HIGH SCHOOLS IN ARTS EDUCATION

Dr. Myra Peavyhouse and other members of the Roane State Community College staff visited the Princess Complex this past Thursday.  The purpose of the visit was to see first hand the progress being made on the Princess Theatre, and to see the wonderful things Bill Radice is doing with the all digital equipment in the Channel 15 studio next door.

Pictured above (from left) are Owen Driskill, news coordinator; Pat Pate, assistant librarian for audiovisual services/associate professor; Myra Peavyhouse, dean of the college's Humanities Division; and Malinda Yager, secretary III,  Humanities Division.

They, like other recent visitors, were amazed at the capabilities Bill has built into the electronic equipment he has assembled.  Bill was recently told by a Comcast executive that Channel 15 has one of the most elaborate equipment setups in the state, already surpassing Murfreesboro's local station that was once the benchmark station on the Comcast network in Tennessee.

Dr. Peavyhouse pointed out that the college welcomes opportunities to partner with area high schools. High schools are welcome to contact Myra Peavyhouse at (peavyhousem @ roanestate.edu) or (865) 354-3000 ext. 4317.

Harriman High School is already looking forward to creating media classes and joining in this partnership with Roane State next school year.  The classes would utilize the Princess Theatre and the Channel 15 studio.  Dr. Peavyhouse is hoping other schools will follow in this same direction.

CHANNEL 15 MAKES FIRST IN-STUDIO PRODUCTION TEST OF EQUIPMENT

Last evening, I was privileged to be on hand as Bill Radice, Channel 15's station manager, with the assistance of Jimbo Duncan, passed another milestone in the station's progress toward full studio presentations.  Bill Landry and Mayor Chris Mason were on hand to interview Dr. Eric Littleton who grew up and went to school in Roane County.  This interview was part of the first "real" test of the station's capabilities, and the interview will be broadcast on Channel 15 soon.

Dr. Littleton, who now lives and has a family practice in Sevierville, emphasized that part of his success in school and life was in large part because of his experience in arts education.  He further explained that, due to the economy, arts education is funded in the schools leaving a lot of “untapped talent” that goes unnoticed.  That is one of the reasons he is so excited about the “Princess Performing Arts, Education, and Conference Center" project here in Harriman.  The television and future radio stations, plus the Princess stage will give many young people a chance to take a very different path than they normally would have.

Dr. Littleton is an accomplished pianist, and he owes his love of music for helping him through school, his current practice, and his life.  Click on this LINK to hear him play...wonderful! 

Some of you will no doubt remember his winning touch down catch in the 1984 football win over Kingston!  What can't this guy do?!

I'll let you know when this interview will be aired here on the blog and on our Facebook page.  

Channel 15 plans to air a series of inspiring interviews with people  from our community that "did good"!  Under the collective title of "Appalachian Dreams", these stories will showcase Roane County citizens (and former citizens) that went from "rags to riches", or who have lifted themselves up to be an inspiration to others.  The series is bound to very popular locally! 

Also taped, which today is a misnomer because everything is saved electronically these days, was Mayor Mason's monthly update of progress in Harriman.  The Mayor mentioned that all the street lights in Harriman will soon be replaced by easier to see LED lights, making driving through Harriman against that evening sun much safer!

One of the most exciting announcements to me was the possibility of Harriman purchasing the old paper mill property and turning everything from the current Riverfront Park almost around to the high school into a great recreational area full of ball fields and walking paths!  That would be great if that comes about, but there is a liability issue for Harriman for accepting the property, and that must be considered first.

This "update" will also be broadcast on Channel 15 soon.

As a matter of fact, the City of Harriman is extending an invitation to all City Mayors to utilize Channel 15 to air their own city updates, if they would like to do so.  However, it must be cautioned that the station cannot be used to "campaign" for any elected office.  All broadcast, whether live or pre-recorded must be pre-approved by the Channel 15 approval board.

So, for me, it was a very enjoyable evening.  Dr. Littleton's interview was very inspiring...watch for it!

THE PRINCESS FACADE HAS BEEN PAINTED!

The Princess has put on her new makeup and is awaiting the application of her lipstick; the marquee!

She looks beautiful as you pass her on Roane Street...so white and clean, with her purple and blue accents.  I can hardly wait for the new marquee to show up!

BILL RADICE DISCUSSES THE JOBS NORMALLY FOUND AT A TV STATION

Bill Radice, who is currently operating the Channel 15 Television Station in Harriman, is a guest blog poster this week.  In this post, Bill describes the Typical Job Titles normally found within the organization of a traditional television studio.  These are the type jobs that students from our area will be filling in the coming months.

1.     Technical director:   Usually called the “TD”. This is the person who runs the control panel that switches all the cameras, playback devices, and graphics titles that make up what the viewer sees. If the program is being recorded, as is often the case, the TD serves the same function except the video will be edited later on by the “Editor” who is sometimes, but not often, the TD himself. The process of working on the assembly of the final production is referred to as “post production”. The TD will always take his orders from the “Director”….if there is one. The TD has one of the most difficult jobs in a TV environment because they must take orders and execute them quickly and perfectly, especially if a program is “live”. This is why very few programs are done live-to-air. Live sporting events are the pinnacle of achievement for a TD. The complexity of a show is measured by counting the number of events on screen in one minute. In a sporting event, this can be as many as 20. Multiply that by a two hour event and the TD is exhausted; but surely one of the most important jobs in the studio!   

2.     Director:  This is the person who actually makes the decision as to what is shown on the screen. The director selects the camera, the graphics, and every element that goes into the production.

The director calls all the shots in a TV studio, and works very closely with the TD. Ultimately the director is responsible for the entire “look” of what the viewer sees. Once again a live sports event is the most demanding job that a director can do.

3.     Graphics:  This person constructs all the “extras” that are put on the screen. This includes the title boxes you see on the bottom of the screen, the moving things, the scrawling text, and almost everything besides the actual camera shot itself. The Director will call for the graphics person to have the item ready for his use, or often the graphics are loaded into the system in advance, once again following the script, if there is one. Only the best graphics people can actually compose these items “on-the-fly”.  The graphics are almost always composed in advance of the show, and then stored in the system for instant recall later during the show.

4.     Sound Engineer:  Sometimes in a small production, the sound can be handled by the TD himself, but if there are several microphones and sound sources it can be very important to have a separate person to handle this. The sound engineer, if he’s a good one, will control the sound in a way that makes everything clear and professional sounding. This involves constantly controlling the microphones that are fed to the program, as well as mixing the sounds to compliment whatever is on the screen. Typically in outdoor shots, the sound is not recorded live but added later. The sound of a passing car will be added from a stock recording, and the actors will record everything they say outdoors, separately, in a quiet studio. By doing this there is much more control over unwanted sounds. This makes the sound engineer’s job very complicated.  The next time you hear a truck passing by in a production; it may be the same one you heard in another video!

5.     Camera Operator:  A camera operator actually moves the camera, either on a tripod, or hand holding a camera or camcorder. Camcorders are used only in the field and the recording is captured on tape, or memory card to later be edited into a production. Remote controlled studio cameras are the norm these days. A single operator can operate many cameras simultaneously with all shots “memorized” into a controller that can often run 10 cameras, each with 50 shots memorized for the particular production, in a procedure called “blocking the shots”. Modern digital cameras do not require the constant adjustment needed in the past. In a live video production the director will communicate via earphones to all the camera operators simultaneously, telling them, by camera number, what to shoot. Then he will announce in their earphones when he has “taken” their camera. This is so the operator will know he has a “live” camera and not to move his shot.

6.     Producer:  This is the person who puts the entire production together. He picks the story, the talent, the studio, all the people involved in the project work for the producer during the production. Often he finances everything.

7.     Editor: Most television productions are not done live. The program is shot in many segments, often out of sequence to the story. Assembling all the pieces into a coherent final product is the job of the video editor. The editor will work very closely with the director, and the producer, to piece together both the picture and sound. Often the job will be done over and over until everyone is satisfied. The editor is a true “artist” and is able to change the entire look, and pace of the production. 

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I don’t know about you, but these positions sound very exciting!  If I were a younger person, I’d be down there right now begging someone to let me learn how things work!

Hopefully, in the coming weeks I’ll have other “guest posters” describing other exciting things about the Princess Complex Project.  Stay tuned!