Santa Gets a Facelift for International Public Access TV Event
"SANTA AND SONS & daughter!" movie updated for 3rd Anniversary Access Awareness showing.
Now in its third year, "SANTA AND SONS & daughter!" (www.santaandsons.com) the family musical movie is showing throughout December in 26 states – over 150 cities in the U.S. and internationally in Austria and United Kingdom; plus countrywide in New Zealand and Ireland. "We're showing in Vienna, Virginia and Vienna, Austria." adds Producer/Director, Robert Battaile. "I'd love to take a jet and watch the program all over the globe. Hmm, maybe there's a documentary there."
Watch a :60 trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFIGTT1j014
The movie shows in cities large and small, including San Francisco, Atlanta, Enid, Hibbing, Tampa, Sandwich, and Boise among others. New cities for this year include Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Dallas, Salem, and more. The complete list of cities running the movie is included.
Some of the stations have fundraisers planned to accompany the showings. Hopefully, the local newspapers pick up on the event and give the stations some publicity and editorial coverage to the funding issues and threats looming.
"I got my start in Austin TX back in the '80's when it was reel-to-reel tape and a separate black and white video camera. It's a great concept," continues Battaile "take a class, check out the equipment, edit your show and air it locally." Back then, that meant someone driving up the mountain to the transmitter shack and plugging the vcr in.
Most of the Public Access channels are part of a trio that also includes education and government, hence the PEG acronym. And, the added importance of the effort.
"SANTA AND SONS & daughter!" is an indie musical movie that was produced in northern California in 2004, and appeared in three festivals, Gloria Film Festival, KidsFirst! Film and Video Festival (where it was also nominated for "Best Movie for 8-12 Years Olds") and STARZ! Creative Child Magazine gave the film an Award.
"SANTA AND SONS & daughter!" introduces Santa's wife Sara, two sons Nicholas and Klaus, and daughter, Sandy Claus. Sandy flies a talking, anti-gravity sleigh named Blaise and falls in love with Zwerkin, the inventor of a teleportation device that helps Santa get into houses without chimneys. The villain, Snavely puts on his black Santa-suit and sings about "deer kabobs and antler soup."
The "facelift" is a result of Battaile's re-edit of the feature and use of digital software (www.dvfilm.com) to convert the video from 60 'interlaced' frames per second, to 24P 'progressive' frames, more like film. The software also has a motion detection component that dramatically improved the edges surrounding moving elements. Gamma (black levels), color saturation, and contrast were all tweaked and re-tweaked to adjust for the conversion process. The process, used to create film from video - works equally well when going direct to dvd.
"I also cut out about 14 minutes and two songs." 'Perspectivity' and 'Check Out the World' are still on the audio-cd, but no longer in the movie. "It was painful," says Battaile who penned several of the songs including these two "but they never had the budget or time they needed." It was an incredible challenge to shoot a fantasy musical in four weeks with half a shoestring. To make it work, the cast and crew received some pay and some 'points.' They own nearly a third of the feature.
"We lucked out and found a great cast. Santa and villain, Snavely both live near Concord. Sandy Claus is from San Francisco and Zwerkin from Sacramento. Our elves from the choir, VOENA were mostly from Benicia and Vallejo."
Thomas Schoenberger and Eric Symons added some excellent soundtrack music.
The dvd and the audio cd can be purchased from amazon.com or directly from the manufacturer at www.createspace.com/207785 and ships within two days. Digital movie downloads are available from www.amazon.com/unbox and from www.akimbo.com, but they will probably still be the prior version until early next year. The songs can be downloaded from iTunes, Rhapsody, MSN Music and many other music sites. Of course, you can also buy the t-shirts, ornaments and coffee mugs (www.cafepress.com/santamoviestore).
There are film clips at www.santaandsons.com/clips.html and a few items on youTube including Santa singing "TELE-SANTA" and using the Teleporter (http://youtube.com/watch?v=98o0oyaSgzo).
The clip with Holly Stell singing "Close Your Eyes" is also there. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=nqmAFGc05Jc) Holly sang a duet with Andrea Bocelli on his Christmas special, and just sang at the White House Christmas tree ceremony.
The movie was originally written with Mark Reinking some twenty-five years ago. Battaile named some of the characters after his young kids. "When we finally made the movie, the kids were grown and worked on the show." Silvin was the Director of Photography and Bethany designed the anti-gravity sleigh named after her sister, Blaise.
Battaile is jubilant thinking of the kids and families watching in so many cities. "It's a little Christmas present that hopefully benefits the Public Access stations as well."
PUBLIC ACCESS TV UPDATE
The outlook for the future of public access at the end of 2007 can only be described as "murky." Two not-so-good bills are slowly making their way thru the House (HR5252 COPE) and Senate (S. 2686) which could devastate public access funding despite their "good intententions" of opening competition, especially to the TELCO's. The telephone companies are humongous monopolies that want to come in as entertainment providers without having to pay the traditional fees that cable operators have been paying which support the access channels. Cable operators will then ask 'why should we pay?'
The FCC, perhaps fearing the Democrats would change the bills, simply issued a ruling in December of 2006 regarding these "franchise fees." A consortium of interest groups is filing suit to prevent the ruling, including Nat. Assoc. of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors; National League of Cities; National Assoc. of Counties; U. S. Conference of Mayors; Alliance for Community Media; and Alliance for Communications Democracy.
The ruling also eliminates support for I-Net's. (I-Nets are typically infrastructure support for institutional networks that link hospitals, libraries, public safety and other municipal services. Cities rely on these networks and need them in emergencies. In NYC, the city's I-Net was the most reliable communication system after 9.11).
The ruling is expected to be challenged in the courts on numerous fronts since it imposes FCC authority over the existing legislative rights of local governments.
Not content to wait, the Telco's are taking their cases to the state courts in Massachusetts, Tennessee and Wisconsin, under the guise of "opening competition." Wisconsin PEG's only hope now is a veto from the Governor.
Please visit www.saveaccess.org and www.ourchannels.org for more information.
Ironically, this should be an area the Democrats could champion yet they are seemingly quiet. Yes, increase the competition but safeguard, and perhaps make permanent a funding mechanism. (Personally, I'd like to see satellites pay as well, and offer local programming which includes PEG.)
The only bill I know of that includes funding for the public access is sponsored by Mrs Hutchinson, R-TX that would add a 5% of gross revenue for PEG use.
The internet does provide a forum for public speech, but it will never provide the community resource of the Public-Education-Government system. Even when programming is provided on-line, it still takes a staff and facilities to produce. Who's going to videotape the city council otherwise? Personally, I take comfort in having a hard-wired cable communication system available in case of emergency.
Some stations have been taking a budgetary hit. For some, it's the second year in a row. For some, the real estate downturn may translate into less operating funds. Some stations are being moved from the basic tiers to channels in the 900's. Almost all have ongoing funding pressures.
All of us need to convince our representatives to take on the media giants and make sure Public Access stations are adequately and permanently funded. We need to do this now and after the election.
UPDATE ON THE CAST.
Kimberly Jensen (Sandy Claus) just release an album "Kimberlina" of show tunes and standards; and recently played Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Holly Stell (Didl the singing elf) has a new album of Christmas songs (hollystell.com). Michael Caldwell (Silvin) also a Christmas songs cd. R. J. Snead (Snavely) is Assoc. Minister & Minister of Music at Shiloh MB Church in Pittsburg, CA., acting and doing commercials. Michael Waterson (Nicholas Claus) is editing the American Canyon Eagle, performing in Kith & Kin, a traditional Irish band, and performing December 11-23 in "Tony and Tina's Wedding" at the Napa Valley Opera House. Chris Todd (Klaus Claus) is a Producer for ABC News in NY. John Maniaci (Zwerkin) lives in LA, appears in commercials and is Directing shorts. Director, Robert Battaile has a new band "Robert B+" (www.calexas.com/rb) lives in SANTA Rosa, and is trying to find time to finish that next script.
Cities and known 2007 airdates (Last year's dates in black)
AUSTRIA, Vienna - Sun Dec 23 4:30 pm
IRELAND – Dublin and nationwide –
NEW ZEALAND – Auckland, Wellington and nationwide – Dec 26 3pm
UNITED KINGDOM – Belfast, N. Ireland NVTV –
CALIFORNIA
El Granada MCTV Ch6 –
Gilroy CMAP –
Healdsburg – Mon Dec 3 at 2pm &10pm, Wed Dec 5 at 2pm & 10pm
Morgan Hill - MHAT Dec 24 at 4 pm, Dec 25 at 4 pm
Mt. Shasta, Weed, Dunsmuir, McCloud MCTV15 –
Pacifica –
Petaluma PCATV –
San Francisco CH29 – Sat Dec22 at 11 am, Mon Dec 24 at 2 pm, some latenights
Santa Cruz –
Santa Rosa – Cable 23 or 72 2:30 pm on Mon Dec 24, Tues 25, Mon 31 and Tues Jan 1
Saratoga - KSAR15 - Dec 23 - 26 at 9 pm and Dec 30 - Jan 1 at 9 pm
Sebastapol –
St. Helena, SHTV27 – Mon Dec 24 7 pm, Tues Dec 25 11 am & 3 pm
Vallejo, Benicia VCAT CH27 – Tues Dec 25 8 pm
CONNECTICUT - Hamden, Haven, West Haven CTV –
COLORADO -
Denver – DOM Ch 58 (also LIVE on the WEB www.denveropenmedia.org/livestream)
Sun Dec 23 3:00 pm, Mon Dec 24 12:30, 8:30 pm, Tues Dec 25 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 5:00 pm, 9:30 pm
Durango DCAT - From Dec 14 - Dec 20 daily at 10:00 am
FLORIDA – Tampa
GEORGIA - Atlanta - PeopleTV Ch 24 or 12 - Sat Dec22 5pm, Tues, Dec25 morning
IOWA -
Fairfield FPAC9 –
Iowa City PATV –
IDAHO - Boise TVCTV –
INDIANA - Bloomington Ch 3 - Sat Dec 22 at 2 pm and Sun Dec 23 at 10 pm
IOWA – Iowa City –
KENTUCKY - Highland Heights - Dec 17 at 6 pm, Dec 19 at 1 am, Dec 21 at 12:30 pm,
Dec 24 at 5:30 pm, Dec 26 at 1 am, Dec 28 at 12:30 pm, Dec 31 at 5:50 pm, more in Jan
Covington
MAINE - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham, Gray, New
Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Peaks Island, Pownal, Raymond, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook and Yarmouth –
MASSACHUSETTS -
Medfield CABLE8,
Quincy
Sandwich SACAT - Dec 17 at 1 pm and 9:30 pm, Dec 19 at 12:30 pm, Dec 22 at 12:30 pm,9:30 pm
Chelmsford - Ch 8 – Sat Dec 15
MICHIGAN
– Battle Creek - Ch 12 - Dec 24 at 2 pm, Dec 26 at 9 pm, Jan 2 at 8 pm, Jan 5 - 7pm
Grand Rapids - GRTV Ch 25 - Dec 24 and 25 at 2:00 pm
MINNESOTA -
Minneapolis MTN –
Hibbing - HPAT - Dec 23 at 11:50 pm, Dec 24 at 9 pm, Dec 25 at 8:30 pm, Dec 26 at 6:30 pm, Dec 27 at 5:30 pm, Dec 28 at 4 pm, Dec 29 at 2:30 pm, Dec 30 at 1:30 pm, Dec 31 at 12:30 pm, Jan 1 at 8:30 pm, Jan 2 at 6:30 pm
Stillwater VACTV, Afton, Bayport, Baytown Township, Lakeland, Lake St. Croix, Lakeland Shores, Oak Park Heights, Stillwater Township, St. Mary's Point, West Lakeland Township - VACTV Ch 14 - Sat Dec 22 at 5 pm, Sun Dec 23 at 1 pm & 7 pm, Mon Dec 24 5pm, Tues Dec 25 1 pm & 7 pm
MISSOURI – Columbia CAT3 TV - From Dec 19 - Jan 2 Mon noon, Wed 8 pm, Sat 8 pm, Sun 1 pm
MONTANA – Missoula MCAT, Bresnan Cable Ch7- Sun Dec 23 12:30 pm, Mon Dec 24 9:30 pm
NEW MEXICO - Los Alamos PAC8 - Dec 21 at 9:00 pm, Dec 22 at 11:00 am, Dec 24 at 7:30 pm
NEVADA - Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County SNCAT Ch 16 – Wed Dec12 12:30 pm, Sat Dec 15 at 5 pm
NEW YORK - Fairport CH12 & 15 - Dec 10 and 17 at 7:30 pm, Dec 24 at 6 am and 8 pm, Dec 25 at 9
NORTH DAKOTA – Bismarck CATV –
OHIO -
Cincinnati MEDIABRIDGES–
Athens Ch 23 actv23.com – Mon Dec 24 8:00 pm, Tues Dec 25 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm
Centerville, Miami Valley - Ch 23 - Dec 24 at 8 am
Norwood NCT – in Dec on Thursdays 2:30pm, Sat's 2:30pm, Sun's. 10:30pm, Mon's 5:30am
OKLAHOMA - Enid
OREGON – Salem CCTV
TEXAS – Dallas iMedia –
VIRGINIA – Herndon
WASHINGTON – Yakima Y-PAC –
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