Media Center Interns - Yeah, we rock.

Breaking News - Bus Fire Outside Media Center Offices

2011-01-12T20:15:00.001-08:00

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A bus carrying Japanese tourists catches fire on San Antonio Road just off Highway 101, yards away from the offices of the Media Center

thrid post (please title suggestions and tips)

2010-11-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

NEVER BREAK YOUR FINGER WHEN YOUR A TECH INTERN, it makes life hard. Typing becomes a chore and life slows down. On brighter news professional pages are up done by yours truly :). They are temperamental but wont be up for long until a professional site is done.
Tchuss for now

Second Post by the Web Intern

2010-10-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

A second post, after editing videos(whose links i shall find and post) and using dreamweaver to create an FAQ page and to edit some pages, i will be getting a serious project soon. The nature is unknown and the suspense is intense (for me at least) but i dont have long to wait.
:P

Video links will be updated into this post soon...

Human Centipede II, coming soon to a theater near you.

2010-10-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

The video below this comment represents my summer in a nutshell. Good friends, good times, good memories. On one of our last few days together, the interns decided to have a sleepover in the studio in order to watch the movie Human Centipede. To fill you in, I watched that movie at the beginning of summer and made references to it constantly, to the point where everyone else wanted to watch it out of sheer curiosity. Except for Wes Rapaport, who, as you all know, is a huge dweeb.
I was disappointed to discover that Human Centipede was only available on Comcast; it has yet to come out on DVD. So we played Pictionary and Wii. We also held a three-hour Apples-to-Apples marathon. (Helen Keller is such a gem, she works for every adjective.) At 3 a.m., we finally decided to watch a movie. Our options were limited, so we went with "Stay Alive." We were on the look-out for Frankie Muniz the whole time. Most people fell asleep instantly. So I made a human centipede out of them. It was all I could do in a matter of crisis.
This video is the Blair Witch Project of the Media Center. It was a great ending to a great summer. Becca, you will be greatly missed. Good luck with your future endeavors and make sure to visit! I would also like to thank the Media Center Interns for another amazing summer. Make sure to stay tuned for Human Centipede, the sequel. It's scheduled to come out in 2011.

LOCAL FOCUS: Summer intern sleepover!

2010-10-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

The new intern, who writes unimaginative blogs or just needs some practice

2010-09-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Mark, i am the new web intern. I decided to be a web intern so i could learn more about technology, in particular the internet.

My first day was on a monday, and despite the day i thought it was a great start. It started out by me learning what i would do and i got a the proto-checklist, then i readjusted video embed sizes (Blip get user friendly or else google and youtube shall win)for a while, expect more detailed and longer posts

PS the magic numbers are width=426 height=340

The world-wide Media Center

2010-09-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Vivid news, intense documentaries, discussions about recent events or fiction videos exposing an individual view on a relevant concern: The Midpen Media Center keeps all of you guys up with everything that recently matters in Atherton, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Stanford. A television station that is closely connected to its community members as opposed to the usual rather unconcerned and passive TV consumption. Here every one of you can even become a producer yourself in the name of the Bay Area. The MC is a true local facility, one could say.

THEN WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE ?!

I am the Media Center's latest intern ... German intern. From the other side of the world. Time shift: 9 hours ahead. My name is Sarah-Marie (actually Sarah-Maria but as there are far too many syllables, I abolished the a), I am 23 years old and study at the Frankfurt Goethe-University. Even though this here is not in the least my community, I am glowingly delighted about every blink of my eyes that I can spend at the Midpen MC. For sure it is due to the huge variety of things I get to learn. As a student of 'Theater-, Film- and Media Studies' and 'History of Art' (and 'Economics', by the way; a lot, I know, sometimes I think it's even too much of a lot) moving pictures are a engaging and esteemed field to me, yet in a merely theoretical and philosophical way. So my hands have been tickling for some time to get onto something, on a physical project so to speak. But there is far more to my amazement concerning the life as an intern.

When I accidentally got the opportunity to be accommodated by some people in Palo Alto, foreigners at that time (their openness still leaves me stunned yet feeling like home), I began searching for some volunteer opportunities in the Bay Area. Googling I came across the MC website that instantly raised my curiosity. Still, I never would have dared hoping to learn such ambitious techniques and achieving such skilled training without bringing any foreknowledge with me. So although video production turns out to be a mainly digital process (in relation to my prior used 'physical' image), this is exactly what I wanted. I had planned on doing a 20 to 25 hours/week internship but have ended up staying all day at the MC during the last three weeks, mainly spending time with my precious Final Cut Pro (Plug! ... ? no, love.). And when I, beyond that, could shoot the footage myself (in HD!), a rather marvelous feeling emerges. What one can conjure with moving images and sound! I supremely appreciate being able to follow just these personal interests and urges, while steadily receiving support - not only by Becca (!!) but by all the other members, volunteers and employees that provide their time and thoughts, and what is more their open-minded interest in letting me take part in their MC life. And here we have the other fact I am so lucky about:

Back in Germany one of my biggest worries was to remain a tourist in the Californian Bay Area, in this faraway place that I however was so eager to get to know. Now I can honestly state that I don't find myself in a touristy spot at all. Besides the just mentioned steady support this is due to some people I have never even met face-to-face: the MC's youth. One of the first things I intensely encountered were the works of former MC interns and members of the YAC when editing their 2010 Youth Highlight Reel. It is quite a bond to be formed in the editing process towards the respective footage. Their documentaries, shows, visual essays and fictions offered me versatile and sensitive insights into the Bay Area as well as a slight idea of the young videographers' mindsets and thoughts. Some touched me personally or left me stunned of the work's visional beauty.

To be honest, I envy all you volunteers for the opportunity to stay involved in this fun work. But you are a great lot and besides feeling deeply grateful I am just happy that this medium is so vivid that thanks to the internet I will be able to keep in touch and anticipate in your pictures and your minds, even 5500 Miles across the ocean.

Tatatataaaa: The first German/Bay Area Production!

If you are interested in my very own first work apart from the Highlight Reel, watch this. I'd like to remark that I am still concerned with aesthetics in the main, perhaps because of the 'early experience and try-out'-state I am in, perhaps because of my personal art-theoretical background and interest. So guys don't expect too much content. But ... goodness knows, you might find some.

"Long Shoot"

Here I just tried something with Garage Band, but it's not at all fully worked out. I guess I find the impression and expression of the film better in silence. You might try both.

"First Shots"

Concerning audio, I worked with the background noises here.

Also...

2009-12-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

Jose, a middle school intern from the Spark program, created this cute video celebrating the Media Center and how awesome it is! Featuring noted MC staff, such as Annie Folger!!

Interns have been BUSY!!!!

2009-12-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

Check out this awesome Local Focus piece featuring the Me to We event put on by Free the Children in Palo Alto!

Filmed by Wes Rapaport and Edoardo De Armas and edited by Paula Jung and Hamilton Yu.

Tech in the Bay

2009-08-29T14:33:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

http://www.midpenmedia.org

This is the 3rd and final show that the summer interns produced. Hosted by Edoardo De Armas and Wes Rapaport. Features Lutz Henckels, CEO of SyntheSys, Bob Schneeveis, Inventor, and members of the Palo Alto High School Robotics team.

Media Center Tape Library PSA

2009-08-27T21:55:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

http://www.midpenmedia.org

http://mcmcinternship.blogspot.com

PSA about the re-organization of the Media Center's Tape Library. Produced by Wes Rapaport

Local Senior Shines at Olympics: 6 Golds for Daniela

2009-08-22T10:19:00.001-07:00

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http://www.midpenmedia.org

64 year old Daniela Barnea competed in her first Senior Olympics in August 2009. The Midpeninsula Community Media Center Interns. The Media Center presents a series called Local Focus. This feature is the first of a sequence of segments from the 2009 Summer National Senior Games held at Stanford University.

Dominoes

2009-08-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

They aren't kidding when they say one bad thing leads to another like dominoes...

I came in to the media center to finish my PSA about global warming and I filmed with my friend, Hannah. She was really good, except when I went into edit, it wouldn't log and capture. I went and got Edo to help me [again] but after 30 minutes of fiddling, he told me that I should use a camera. I tried but that didn't work either so I went and asked him again. He told me after another 10 minutes that I should just come to the classroom. I went and edited from the classroom. It went okay, until I realized that I had to convert after effects to final cut pro which took forever. The graphics also came out kinda fuzzy and I was kinda disappointed that it looked so fuzzy. :/ but I edited everything... After that I went to my music lesson and came back to finish adding the music then noticed that it my whole PSA was offline now. And I tried to get it online, but it wouldn't go no matter what I did. Ugh, so I just added the music and told myself that someone else could put it online later... Now I'm going to try putting it back online...

On the bright side, at least I finished my PSA on global warming. It's kinda weird; it features a girl who notices the lights are flickering and then what happens is that she runs out and looks out the window. A bunch of global warming pictures flicker by and then the sun glares down upon the camera. She runs down the steps and then the screen changes to smoke and it says "Please Save Our Planet."

I hope that this will work :D because I really care about the topic of global warming. So that's all for now cause - :'( school is starting which means less time here!

The Games

2009-08-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

So while I was in DC, Edoardo, Camille, and Eleanor went to the Senior Games with Karen, and did some amazing work. Today, we found a video that the Senior Games people put up on Youtube. Take a look at the first shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSuwnPdkWgA

It's Edoardo! EPIC!

Anyway, I'm working Digiquest Summer Camp, and that's fun, working with the kids.

For now,

Wes

2009-08-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

Okay - a continuation from the last post.
I got Edoardo to get me another fire wire. Public Access 4 is apparently the one Danielle always told us needed another type of fire wire. So then it finally worked and I found my project with a bunch of mini clips about cues and tools and other things. I managed to salvage all of the use-able footage - which took forever because my friend had fooled around so much before. I had to cut all of that out. It took a while, but I finally got a good how-to video that I could finally save and put away.
How-to videos aren't easy. They take time and work and editing and pre-planning.
The next time you see one of those cheesy how to bake cookies segments, don't laugh. That should have taken a lot of work and a lot of preparing. I know - I've tried it myself now.
But I had fun filming and editing it.
So until next time!

2009-08-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

I guess I have several things to say after being at camp for three weeks with only 1 day to come and work at the media center.
The first change I have to deal with is the fact that Danielle will no longer be here at the media center. The first time I came to the media center from class, I met Danielle and she really made my stay here enjoyable so I signed up for the internship here and I got to know her. It seems as if just when I got to know her well and really enjoyed my summer here - she's leaving. It's really sad; I loved seeing her here and she made making mistakes okay and doing well even better. So I just wanted to thank her for helping me so much and tell her to have a great time at NY. I know she'll do GREAT there. :D
The next thing I have to deal with is the fact that it's my first day back in a while (not really) I had Danielle's goodbye party and the work day on August 4th where I filmed my how-to video. However, it feels like it and it also feels as if nothing is going right. I walked into the media center and tried to access Public Access Drive Number 4 and it wouldn't work. So I got Joel to try fixing it - and so he plugged it in and restarted the computer. That didn't work. So my whole how-to video is gone down the drain with the hard drive... I better go get someone to try to access this for me, because all of my work is on it.
I'll tell you how it goes after wards. I hope just better than this!

Bye Danielle!

2009-08-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

Since Edo was so kind and decided not to interview me, I figured I should have a chance to say goodbye too.

So instead of writing my weekly blog as it was intended, I'm dedicating it to you. Doesn't that make you... happy?

Okay, well first, I just want to thank you for an amazing summer; I had a lot of fun at the MC - a lot more than I thought I would. In fairness, I expected you to be like some old lady who was super grouchy and just wanted me to make copies and file stuff.

I'm glad it wasn't like that.

Anywho, I hope you have a great time in New York. And it's true, you are incredibly nice. I hope the city doesn't ruin that. It would suck if you got back and were like, this totally mean, "cool" person.

And don't get too cold there. As a person who starts shivering when the thermometer hits sixty, I must say that I admire your courage. It's hard to transition from California "winters" to New York ice storms.

Okay, that picture isn't actually from New York, but it could be! Maybe Buffalo... Whatever, it's still infinitely colder than it's ever gotten here.

So yeah. Thanks for being here. I really had a blast (and I'm not being sarcastic for once).

Good luck and we'll miss you!

-Eleanor Greely

2009 Summer National Senior Games: August 7th-10th

2009-08-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Midpeninsula Community Media Center interns have been covering the 2009 Summer National Senior Games happening at Stanford University, CA. Approximately 10,000 seniors, aged 50 to 100 years old, participated in soccer, swimming, basketball, tennis, and many more events. The two-week-long celebration of life and health has changed many peoples' views on the elderly and sports. Some of the more inspiring stories tell of 90-plus-year-old people destroying stereotypes such as 94 year old track and field competitor Lillian Webb. She and others help to prove that keeping in shape is a vital part of living into your hundreds.

A tennis player takes a shot at the 2009 Summer National Senior Games in Stanford, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Wes Rapaport, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

The Euflexxa Entertainment Stage at the 2009 Senior Games in Stanford, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Wes Rapaport, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

A couple dances at the sock hop at the Euflexxa Entertainment Stage in Stanford, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Wes Rapaport, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

"Sunny," the mascot for the 2009 Senior Games dancing in Stanford, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Wes Rapaport, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

The Dancin' Divas, performing at Stanford, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Wes Rapaport, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

Couples dance at the 2009 Senior Games in Stanford, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Wes Rapaport, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

Athletes representing North Carolina, in Maples Pavillion at Stanford University, CA, during the 2009 Senior Games.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Eleanor Greely, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

Golds medals of John L. Neumann (left) and Roger Gentilhomme from the 2009 Senior Games.

ntern Photo, Ari Kaye, Eleanor Greely, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

Raj Mathai of NBC speaks at the 2009 Senior Games Celebration of Athletes at Stanford, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Eleanor Greely, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

John and Beth Guislin, both 59, presented the torch at the Celebration of Athletes in the 2009 Senior Games at Stanford University, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Eleanor Greely, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir performs at the 209 Senior Games Celebration of Athletes.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Eleanor Greely, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

Another performer gets interviewed by the Media Center at the 2009 Senior Games Celebration of Athletes.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Eleanor Greely, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

Track runners race at the 2009 Senior Games at Stanford University, CA.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

An athlete competing in the long jump leaps into the sand at the 2009 Senior Games.

Intern Photo, Ari Kaye, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

A biker competes at the 2009 Senior Games.

Intern Photo, Eleanor Greely, Ari Kaye, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

A cyclist crosses the finish line at the 2009 Senior Games.

Intern Photo, Eleanor Greely, Ari Kaye, Edoardo De Armas, Camille Smura/Midpeninsula Community Media Center/© August, 2009

To whom it concerns

2009-08-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

The time I spent at the Media Center this summer is coming to 200 hours, all of which flew by unnoticed. The friendships I've made, experience I have acquired, and knowledge that has been taught to me have made this internship the best I will have in my life. I began as a shy intern, coming when they told me to and staying only for mandatory hours. As I met Dave, Karen, Annie, Becky, Stan, Anna, Elliot, and hundreds of volunteers and producers, I felt that the Media Center was not just a workplace, it became a home away from home. I spent more time at the Media Center and became more comfortable and strengthened bonds with my co-interns (we even went to the movies for a bonding session). We went to Stanford to film the Senior Games, to Taco Bell to eat, and spent millions of unforgettable hours in the classroom, playing Michael Jackson, gossiping, and editing once in awhile.
One of the most memorable things I will take out of the internship, is Danielle. She was an outstanding role model, leader, and collaborator for me, not to mention an even better boss. I've known Danielle for years now, but did not truly understand what it was like to know her, in the everyday sense. Coming to the Media Center every morning and talking to her with Edo, Wes, and Ari were some of the most awesome moments I had all summer. I will never forget you, Danielle, thank you for helping mold me into who I am.
As for the interns, QUE PASO? I won't forget the car trips, lunches, inside jokes, and knowledge that you have helped me gain. You are a funny group.

Love,
Camille

'cause i get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs

2009-08-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Edo and Wes, that song has been playing on repeat in the Classroom for the past two weeks. Not repetitive. At all. It's not like I have any other choice, however, because I either have to suffer through that or turn to the Media Center headphones, which rank pretty high on the uncomfortable scale to say the least.

Anywho, last week I mostly filmed + edited my how-to project. I'm covering cable-wrapping, and it's turning out to be more of a how-not-to than a how-to, since most of my examples include the wrong way to go about it. I finally learned how to speed things up in Final Cut, it's quite an accomplishment. It really is. For the past few weeks, there has been an editing class for middle schoolers, and just the other day, they had a viewing of all their Final Cut-produced work for the parents. I helped out by running the DVD player during the viewing. So resourceful. Anywho, the kids knew how to do so many more things than I did on Final Cut, like speeding things up and turning the footage sepia and it was just absurd. I definitely feel that sense of accomplishment kicking in now that I know how to speed things up.

Speaking of speeding things up, this summer just flew by. Our awkward learning-how-to-use-the-camera tutorials that happened way back when seem like they were just yesterday. I've learned so much and enjoyed every part of this internship, from being called a pedophile on a daily basis, to staying 'til 10 at the Media Center by myself on a Friday night. All I can say is thank god for motion sensors. Needless to say, being alone in a big dark building is not something I prefer doing. Especially since I just saw "The Happening" the other day. Yiiikes.

I'll miss Danielle :( and all of the other interns, since it's my last day as well. Leaving for college in one day. Sort of scared. Nott gonna lie.

Is Summer really almost over??

2009-08-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

So I meant to post this last week, but better late then never right... It looks as though I've been missing a lot by not being a part of the media team at the Senior Games : ( ... Maybe I'll find a way to get involved because it does look like a lot of fun! Nice job with the photos, and the filming( I'm sure it's going to be great!).

As for what I've been doing lately, I hopefully have gotten all of the footage I need for my How-To and my PSA so the next step is putting it all together and spending some long hours editing it. I also helped Danielle with an auto-pilot show last week, which was as chill as a show could be in my opinion. Danielle could have done it without me, but I'm glad I was there to make it that much easier!! There weren't too many full-crewed shows last week so I'm planning on crewing on at least one this week. It's always a great experience and I learn quite a bit every time I help out!

Hopefully I'll be able to finish my two two projects before the 20th since that's my last day, but if not it will be a good excuse to stay involved at the Media Center. I've had blast getting to know everybody that works there and I look forward to volunteering in the future and maybe even producing some shows! See y'all soon!!

~Joel W.

P.S. Danielle's BBQ was awesome even though I was a pretty poor kick-ball player... The food was delicious and the company was great! We're going to miss you Danielle!

Wow; It's been a while

2009-08-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've been writing here because of camp, but I stopped by two days ago to film my how-to video with a friend. Now I know what they mean by saying working with a friend is hard. Because when they fool around, you feel mean if you tell them to stop; but if you don't, you feel guilty for not doing a lot of work. So in the end, I took the first option and received a lot of criticism from my friend from being "too serious" and "not fun enough." She thought that making the how-to video funny and entertaining would be cool, but I knew it had to be serious. Then, I tried editing the limited footage I received, but it seemed really hard to pick out the partss we could use. I think next time, I should just stick to bringing friends that are willing to focus with me. But I'm really glad she was willing to help anyways. :)
Camp has been fun, but I really miss the media center. The Stanford Senior Olympics look really fun. I wish I had time to go and watch it, but I'm at camp which is also really great. I'll miss it so much when it's over! Anyways, I loved the pictures that they put up. It looks really fun!
I'm hoping to come back soon after camp, see Danielle before she leaves, and do some more work!

Summer National Senior Games 2009, August 5th

2009-08-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Midpeninsula Community Media Center interns--Wes Rapaport, Edoardo De Armas, and Camille Smura--have been covering the 2009 Summer National Senior Games happening at Stanford University, CA. Approximately 10,000 seniors, aged 50 to 100 years old, participated in soccer, swimming, basketball, tennis, and many more events. The two-week-long celebration of life and health has changed many peoples' views on the elderly and sports. Some of the more inspiring stories tell of 90-plus-year-old people destroying stereotypes such as 94 year old track and field competitor Lillian Webb. She and others help to prove that keeping in shape is a vital part of living into your hundreds.

Daniela Barnea, 65, waves to family and friends before her final race at the 2009 Summer National Senior Games in Stanford University, CA.