Category: Media And Documentary Projects Blog

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Knock! Knock! Who's there? Wisconsin Public Radio!

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If it seems like only last week that local author Jack Pendarvis paid a visit to the Media & Documentary Projects Center, it’s becasue it was! We used our trusty Zephyr ISDN line to connect Jack with the good people at Wisocnsin Public Broadcasting who produce the nationally syndicated radio show To the Best of Our Knowledge. Jack will be featured on an upcoming episode of the show reading his article “The 50 Greatest Things That Just Popped Into My Head” which was originally published in The Believer.

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Mutton but a Thing

The UM Media & Documentary Projects Center is proud to announce that Joe York’s short film “Mutton: The Movie” will headline the opening night gala at the 2009 New York Food Film Festival.

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If you can’t make it to the Big Apple for the big night (June 13) you can see “Mutton: The Movie” right here, right now….

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RIP – Bluesman Willie King

williekingliberateHighway 61 Radio was sad to learn this morning that Mississippi bluesman Willie King passed away this past weekend. Over the years Willie has been a great friend of the show and we have featured him on the program many times. He will be greatly missed.

A few years back Highway 61 producer Joe York and Preston Lauterbach produced a short film about Willie called “The Real Baptizing”. We hope it brings back good memories for you as it does for us and we ask that you keep Willie, his family, and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

For more information visit highway61radio.com


The Real Baptizing from Highway61 on Vimeo.

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Keeping the Reunion on Track

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This weekend, producer Micah Ginn directed the video content for the Ole Miss Black Alumni & Family Reunion held at the Inn at Ole Miss. The evening was a great success honoring several distinguished alumni. Pictured is Ginn at  the computer and grad student Noah Bunn operating the video switcher. Check back this week for more info about this memorable weekend.

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Documenting the Blues

Highway 61 Radio producers Joe York and Eric Feldman kept busy last week documenting all the activity surrounding the latest Blues Today: Living Blues Symposium. Throughout the coming week we’ll be posting videos of all of the events and panels from the symposium, beginning with this video of the dedication of a Mississippi Blues Trail Marker honoring the University of Mississippi’s commitment to “Documenting the Blues”.

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Howorth/Schultze

Earlier this week, Lucy Schultze of the Oxford Eagle interviewed Oxford Mayor Richard Howorth at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism & Politics. The Media & Documentary Projects Center’s newest team member, Noah Bunn, was there to record the mayor’s thoughts on his past eight years in office.

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School Days

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This Saturday, producer Matthew Graves instructed a film class for a few Ole Miss Law School professors’ kids. In the 3 hour class they went over a few principles of filmmaking like composition and storyboarding, focusing on the art of a chase scene in a movie. The class then produced a short film using the techniques they learned. Here’s a pic from the short. Check back next week to view the finished film.

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Fixing it in Post

The Documentary class is starting to heat up. The class has been divided up into five groups of three and we have begun training in interview and editing techniques. Production begins when we return from spring break. Check back for updates.

Producer Joe York instructs the documentary class on the art of editing.
Producer Joe York instructs the documentary class on the art of editing.
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Brown Bags and Powder Blue Helmets

MDP Producer Micah Ginn enthralled those assembled at the Southern Studies brown bag this week with his lecture entitled “Football Flashbacks: Classic Film Footage from the Ole Miss Archives.” Micah is going through all of the Ole Miss football films, restoring them, and transferring the film to digital format. Along the way he has come across many gems, some of which he shared in his brown bag.
Micah discusses his film transfer work.
Micah discusses his film transfer work.
Micah points to the War Eagle.
Micah points to the War Eagle.
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Attack of the Clay!

 

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Here’s a still from an upcoming short claymation film that we’re working on with former Ole Miss student Hunter Palmer. Hunter has been working tirelessly on the tedious art of claymation; recording one frame at a time and adjusting the movements of the characters on each frame to create fluid motion. Needless to say, we’re impressed with his work and we think you will be to. Check back next week to view Hunter’s final film.

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Hooray! for Drake and Terry

blue-ribbon-180x300Remember the James Meredith documentary by two students from Madison Middle School that we blogged about last week? Well, it went over like gangbusters at the National History Day competition this past week, winning everything in sight! Here’s an email we received from Drake and Terry’s teacher Tom Watts at Madison Middle School:

Andy and Joe, Drake Terry and Jerry Lee Ainsworth won the over all “Best in Show” (for all five categories) at the State level National History Day at the University of Southern Mississippi. Also, they won the Group Documentary at Senior Division; received a special award for the best Oral History Project; and won the History Quiz Bowl for the second year in a row, beating a team from Crystal Springs, 19 – 3. I know you are as proud of them as We are. But they could not have done it without ya’lls tremendous help!!! We will be going in to the University of Maryland for the National History Day to represent Mississippi. No Mississippi project has won in any of the catagories in the 28 year history of National History Day. We are hoping to be the first. Again, God Bless ya’ll and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!! Tom Watts, Madison Middle School, Madison, MS
If you missed the now award winning documentary by Drake and Terry when we posted it last week, here it is again:

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"Are You Ready?" Campaign in the Tad Pad

Momentum continues to grow with the Media and Documentary Projects Center Ole Miss “Are You Ready?” campaign. And while the Rebels couldn’t hold off the Crimson Tide’s hot shooting, the crowd enthusiastically welcomed David Huertas on the big screen.

David Huertas "Are You Ready?" in the Tad Pad
David Huertas "Are You Ready?" in the Tad Pad
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Blues Trail Marker Dedication

MDP production “Highway 61” was represented at the UM Blues Trail Marker ceremony. “Highway 61” host and former Living Blues editor Scott Barretta served as the master of ceremonies, welcoming former magazine editors and blues enthusiasts alike.

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Get Ready to Research

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Here are some pics from our recent shoot at the Thad Cochran Research Center for the upcoming “Are You Ready?” Research Center spot we’re producing. On the left, Producers Micah Ginn and Matthew Graves set up for a dolly shot in one of the labs. In the shot on the right, Graves sets up for a trick shot we’re hoping to use where the scientist pours liquid into a beaker right on top of the camera. Stay tuned for the final spot and look for the finished beaker shot.

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"Are You Ready…" to make Documentaries?

Andy Harper and Joe York are working with David Wharton’s Documentary Fieldwork class this semester. This Southern Studies class gives undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to learn oral history techniques and the basics of documentary film making. Each of the five groups of three students will produce a short film and we will post all of them here later in the semester.

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Producer Joe York explains the basics of lighting and interviewing technique.
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All Eyes on Meredith

Over the past two months producer/director Joe York has worked with Jerry Ainsworth and Drake Terry from Madison Middle School on their short documentary “All Eyes on Meredith.” Jerry and Drake produced and shot the footage for the film and the Center for Documentary projects provided them with the facilities and personnel to help them edit and finish the documentary. Drake and Jerry plan to enter the film in the Nation History Day competition with the ultimate goal of advancing to Washington, D.C., where they hope to represent the state of Mississippi.

The Media and Documentary Projects Center wishes them the best of luck!

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We're in Business.

 

Here’s the final version of the promotional video we made for the School of Business Administration. Their video along with the promo we made for the Graduate School will be played this weekend at the Ole Miss Women’s Basketball game.

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Planning for the Chucky Mullins Courage Award

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Today I met with several of the organizing members of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award banquet.  The event, April the 16th, will be the 20th such banquet, a number that just doesn’t seem possible.  Was it really two decades ago when we were all brought to awareness of this fantastic human being?  Was it really two decades ago that we learned the definition of bravery, of determination, of the unbreakable human spirit?  Indeed, it has been twenty years ago this fall when the number 38 became a legend and touched not only this University, but the nation.  It is an extreme honor for me to work on this banquet and plan for the 20th year of the Courage Award.  There is no greater honor for an Ole Miss football player than to earn the number 38.  We will be collecting memories of Chucky for the banquet to be played on the big screen throughout the evening.  If you are a former teammate, coach, friend or fan that was touched by Chucky, give us a call or email us.  We’d love to hear from you.

Micah Ginn

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email:  micah@olemiss.edu

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Let there be light…poles

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Just a quick update on the Kinard Studio renovation. We installed pipes today for our lighting grid. This will keep the limited space clear of light stands. Fortunately, we were able to chain onto the existing metal girders in the ceiling. Originally, the idea was floating around (mainly by me) that we rip out the ceiling entirely to give a few more feet of head room but ultimately we decided on the grid system. The next step is to seal the edges of the green wall more evenly with putty, add a fresh coat of paint and wrap this project up. Stay tuned for more pics.

                                           – Matthew

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QEP Me!…One Last Time

 

Here is the final version of the University of Mississippi’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) spot we produced.  Directed, shot, edited, and scored by Matthew Graves. Produced by Andy Harper and Matthew Graves. Check out the QEP website here.

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"Are You Ready?" campaign spot: Gametime…

This ad is comprised of two very different elements. I took our camera out back during August practices and captured some sights and sounds of season preparation, then a month later I was in the tunnel under Vaught Hemingway Stadium as the team made their way onto the field amidst the screams and cheers of loyal fans. The reality that championships are won during the off-season was the inspiration for this ad. We generally never get to glimpse the hard work and sacrifice that goes into top-level performance on game day, but you can’t have the moment in the winner’s circle without spending the grueling hours earning it. The 2008 Rebel football squad earned it.

Produced by Micah Ginn

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Batey Debatey Film


This short film takes a look back at the weeks leading up to the historic presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain at the University of Mississippi in September of 2008. Produced by Media and Documentary Project Center graduate production assistant Rebecca Batey and Joe York

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"Are You Ready?" David Huertas Spot

Recently Matthew Graves and I spent some time in the Tad Smith Coliseum,working with Robbie Coker of the basketball coaching staff and players David Huertas and Terrico White, to produce a couple of spots in the “Are You Ready?” campaign. Check back in a few days for the high-flying Terrico White spot. We had a lot of fun working with these talented student-athletes, and we thank them and Robbie Coker for helping us keep the “Are You Ready?” campaign going.

-Micah Ginn

Producers: Matthew Graves, Micah Ginn, and Dr. Andy Harper.