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An Eye For Meetings

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By PAUL CATALA pcatala@mediageneral.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 21, 2009

Their productions aren't likely to ever win any Emmy Awards or top the Nielsen Ratings.

But to the residents of Kings Point, the audio-visual work done by volunteers with the Communication Committee's Video Production Working Group deserves an encore for keeping residents up on their community's activities.

For the past four years, a core of five to six Kings Point residents have volunteered time to become videographers, cameramen, production assistants, sound engineers and A/V editors to keep their neighbors in the know.

For 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Kings Point on Bright House Networks Channel 95, the filming and editing work of the video production group can be seen. For most of Kings Point's approximately 7,800 residents, that means having access to their community's board of directors and membership meetings, as well as occasional live broadcasts of community events.

Under the direction of Cliff Whiddon, video production committee chairman, the group also has expanded technologically since it was founded three years ago.

Whiddon, a retired metallurgist from Pittsburgh, said other than snapping a camera, he hadn't had experience in broadcast before helping found the A/V working group. He said he enjoyed working with computers, photographed for hobby and is now able to combine the two skills, shooting and editing video for the production working group.

Making the volunteer work more interesting and giving the productions a more professional look, said Whiddon, is about $7,000 in new audio-visual equipment and computers recently purchased for the production working group by the Kings Point Federation Board in 2007. That equipment included a new, semi-professional camera, a tripod, a microphone and a laptop computer for editing and saving - including getting a time-left counter on the screen during meetings.

All the equipment gives volunteers a chance to work with computer-assisted video recording and editing, using the newest cameras, working on computer laptops and Windows-based programming.

"You really get to present the dynamics of what's going on at the meetings," said Whiddon, who started the club with resident Tom Flinn in late 2006. "We've learned a lot, like using video editing software and getting header graphics in shots. We've improved our techniques to help people know what they're watching."

Pay Boussie, vice president of the Kings Point board of directors, said the video group is important because of its accessibility for residents. He said the work they do is integral to getting information out to those who can't make the meetings in person.

"It's close to critical having them (the production club). We have a community of 5,000 citizens, some of whom can't get out of their homes. They can record the meetings and go over what they don't understand or missed," said Boussie, a five-year Kings Point resident.

Initially, meetings were recorded on VHS tape, but the group has since switched to recording on digital video discs, allowing for up to five and a half hours of recording. Whiddon said the group would eventually like to begin scheduling certain broadcasts at certain times and days of the week.

"Now, we don't schedule programs, we just play the DVD 24-7," he said.

The video production group has storage areas in the clubhouse, including one in the computer center, where editing and computer equipment is kept. The cameras - including the new Canon with multiple recording connections - and microphones are kept in a separate storage closet near the lobby, but with access to video club members.

One of those members, Larry Brigant, who has volunteered with the A/V group for about a year, said participating in the productions is a good way to get involved with the community. A lifelong photography hobbyist, he said members learn as they work and can feel good about helping spread the news.

"A lot of people can't make the meetings for health reasons, so basically, this is a way to get information to them and the public," he said.

In addition to Channel 95, Kings Point also broadcasts on Bright House Channel 96. Called "The Wheel," the channel is a community notice channel which only shows still announcements of local events.

For information or to volunteer, e-mail kingspointfederation@kpscc.com.

Reporter Paul Catala can be reached at (813) 865-1554 or pcatala@mediageneral.com.

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