Community Media of the Foothills: An Inside Look at October-November 2019

By Hanna Nielson

At CommunityMedia of the Foothills (CMF), the holiday season already is in full swing. Ourtight-knit staff and volunteers have been busy fulfilling our mission “topromote artistry, freedom of speech, and civic pride through the use ofcommunity media.” As many of you may know, we have been based in Monrovia since1984, providing production equipment, studio facilities, and free basictraining for members to make original programming that can be broadcast on ourpublic, educational, and governmental access channels. We broadcast municipal meetingsand provide live event coverage for our contracted cities; and, we also providepaid production services for private clients.

We are asmall nonprofit media center that relies on franchise fees, city contracts,private donations, as well as volunteers to keep our operation up and running.Currently membership is open to anyone who lives, works, or attends school inour Monrovia-Duarte service area.

Newlypromoted Executive Director David Palomares has taken the lead in expanding ourreach and upgrading our facility. Recognizing the need to steer CMF in a newdirection to keep pace with the community’s evolving media needs, David hasbeen working closely with board members and our partners at Beacon Media Newsto raise awareness of our legacy and accomplishments.

With that inmind, we at CMF would like to share some highlights from October and November.

It has been abusy eight weeks and our team tackled a total of eight location shoots, threeco-productions, and several studio bookings by active CMF producers creatingtheir own original shows. The range of live-events we covered ran the gamutfrom Old Town Monrovia’s Halloween Parade, Veteran’s Day Ceremony, FoothillUnity’s Golden Plate Awards, parades and events in Baldwin Park, as well asfinishing up a commissioned video project for the Monrovia Police Department.In addition we provided live coverage for 14 municipal meetings, includingMonrovia City Council, the Monrovia Unified School District, and the Chamber ofCommerce.

It was an all-hands-on-deckkind of month but I was able to sit down with a few staff, volunteers, andproducers to get their views on the new developments at CMF.

When I askedDavid how he felt about what he’s been able to accomplish during hisseven-month tenure, he said: “One of the things I like is the variety of thingswe’re accomplishing: the Route 66 parade, Beer and Wine Festival, Golden PlateAwards, and the Baldwin Park Boxing Champion interview. It’s given us more ofan opportunity to showcase what we do, which is pretty much anything. We’redefinitely in a re-building stage, stepping it up as far as the quality of thevideos. But it’s not just the quality. How we tell the story matters. […] Thereare so many companies out there that can create professional video but havingan edge on storytelling helps us create memorable and meaningful content.”

Our newlypromoted operations manager, Chris Luiten, has blossomed as David’s right handman in charge of studio operations, video shoots, and post-production. Back in2017, Chris started at CMF as a volunteer and quickly rose through the ranks inpart because of his keen technical skills and unflappable demeanor.

When I askedhim what he would like to see happen at CMF in the future, he suggested: “Morestaff to help with projects, since we’re busier. Also that would help withbeing able to delegate [tasks]. I’d like it if we had more updatedworkstations. That would help us be more productive. Also new equipment forpublic use. People need to learn on the latest equipment and use the latestsoftware.”

But it isn’tjust staff members who have been stepping up their productivity. Long time CMFvolunteer and producer Dirk Beecham has been busy creating comedy shows,mentoring newly joined producers, filming a skit for CMF’s upcoming holidayspecial, as well as editing projects for his long-time collaborator and CMFproducer, Adam Papagan.

When I askedwhat his life would be like without CMF, he replied: “This place really hasbrought a lot of joy to my life. I can immerse myself in it and it’s somethingI want to do the rest of my life. My day job pays the bills but this is mylove, my passion. I don’t know where I’d be without CMF. I think I’d be lesshappy and more searching for something to fill that emptiness.”

Our newestproducer, Connie Mustang, joined just over a month ago. Starting as a volunteeron other producers, she quickly gained the confidence to produce not just onebut three original new shows. While CMF provides members with basic trainingand access to the studio, producers are encouraged to find their own crew andtalent for their productions. Connie has been a stellar example of a“showrunner,” from fearlessly networking with animators and songwriters for herupcoming children’s show to designing her own sets and booking interviews forher short films showcase, “A Shot in the Shorts.” Keep an eye out for herupcoming series, “Hello, Neighbor!” featuring interviews with local residentsand organizations helping make the San Gabriel Valley a unique and inclusiveplace to live.

I askedConnie how she would be able to accomplish her projects if CMF did not exist.She got a little emotional as she said, “Without CMF, I would not be able to behere and ready to go on my own. I’m blessed to have help. Had I not had thesefolks [at CMF], I would not be able to do it myself. These guys have helped mypassion become a reality.” She added: “CMF is a community you can be part of.Here, you can let your imagination fly.”

And finally Icaught up with everyone’s favorite volunteer, Brian Gi. He has been a CMFvolunteer/producer for just over a year. From getting his feet wet as acameraman on live events to learning the basics of editing, he is now a masterof multiple skills. Currently, he is producing his own show, “Ugly Pix,”featuring interviews with professional photographers. He books his own guests,designs his sets, rigs the lighting, conducts on-screen interviews, and handlesall the post-production.

When I askedhow he has been able to apply the skills learned at CMF in the real world, heexplained, “I can get paid now and apply the skills I learned here to freelancejobs. Coming here has been an easy, low cost way to develop professionalskills. So far this summer, I have done three freelance gigs and set up my ownprofessional website.”

Brian lookeda little dismayed when I asked how he would be able to accomplish his mediagoals without CMF. He answered: “I would be in major debt, stressed out, andprobably would quit. I don’t have the equipment or the space at home to do whatI need to do. YouTube videos might give me some tips but it wouldn’t give mehands-on experience, or the experience with real life problem solving.”

I asked himhow he has benefited from learning at a community media center versus justwatching YouTube tutorials. According to Brian: “In community learning, it’seasier to coordinate with others and discuss things as opposed to, like, avirtual lesson. It’s easier to stay motivated by having some place to come to andbounce off ideas face-to-face. Also there’s an accountability in completingyour projects. I now have a better understanding of things like how Netflixshows are made and what’s involved in bringing it all together.”

He added:“Thanks to CMF, I would definitely be able to work at a professional studio andbe ahead of the curve. It’s been a huge help coming here because I getprofessional feedback and I get to help others.”

As theholidays roll on, CMF will continue to keep up the good work of coveringimportant community events, mentoring our volunteers and providing a home forthe diversity of voices to be found among our neighbors.