VCU TVHD

VCU TVHD tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938 2008-09-04T23:00:23Z VCU TV/HD is a television production operation that is run by students and one of the first in the country to produce TV programming in high-definition format. Movable Type 3.34 VIMEO VS VCU-TV/HD tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.26773 2008-09-04T22:25:11Z 2008-09-04T23:00:23Z

This is under the techno-nerd category for a reason, but.... We love the web and we love You Tube and we love Vimeo and all kinds of other sites where we can veg out in front of the Cinema Display. We do however get a bit peaved when we see sites like Vimeo advertising their "HD QUALITY" free material. Do us a favor and download any of the dozens of full length programs at 720P resolution (barely HD but the same format Vimeo advertises) and see how poor the quality is at Vimeo right now (9/4/08) compared to our material. For those of you who say "but your file sizes are so big in comparison and they take a lot longer to download". You're only partially right there- consider the megabytes per minute on our stuff versus theirs and the difference isn't as great as you think. The bottom line is Vimeo shouldn't be riding the HD promotional sled right now. Not until they improve their end user quality. I look forward to deleting this post in the future when their stuff looks less like 5th generation VHS. Rant complete. Dan Brazda Executive Producer/Manager and Techno-Nerd 3rd Class VCU-TV/HD VCU-TV/HD goes to DC tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.24036 2008-06-15T08:22:37Z 2008-09-22T14:26:53Z

We just got back from the Emmy awards where we were nominated for 3 documentary programs. You've all heard the phrase "it's an honor just to be nominated". Well as cliche as the phrase itself is- it is true for us. College students stick out like a sore thumb at these gatherings but we truly relished each and every awkward glance. While we didn't walk away with any statues (but did get a great pic with Barry Levinson), the incredibly talented students who were nominated (Alex Germanotta, Michael Bell and Xi Lin) entertained us to no end on our no-frills journey to the awards ceremony at the Ritz in DC. You can all look forward to a "webi-show-isode" (that term will make sense later) since the entire trip was documented in glorious (and sometimes not-so-glorious) HD. We rock and so do you for "getting" us. VCU-TV/HD Nominated for 3 Regional Emmy Awards! tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.23467 2008-05-13T14:24:51Z 2008-05-13T14:40:49Z

In yo' face suckas! Nominated for Best Documentary: Historical was "Cinemaphiles: Byrd Theatre" (Senior Film Student Alexander Germanotta) http://www.vcutvhd.vcu.edu/shows/cinemaphiles/byrd.html Nominated for Best Public/Current/Community Affairs Program/Special were "VCU Inside Out: Planet Bonnie" (Senior Film Student Michael Bell) http://www.vcutvhd.vcu.edu/shows/insideout/bonnie.html and "VCU...

In yo' face suckas! Nominated for Best Documentary: Historical was "Cinemaphiles: Byrd Theatre" (Senior Film Student Alexander Germanotta) http://www.vcutvhd.vcu.edu/shows/cinemaphiles/byrd.html Nominated for Best Public/Current/Community Affairs Program/Special were "VCU Inside Out: Planet Bonnie" (Senior Film Student Michael Bell) http://www.vcutvhd.vcu.edu/shows/insideout/bonnie.html and "VCU Medical Center: Trauma" (previous Kinetic Imaging student Xi Lin) http://www.vcutvhd.vcu.edu/shows/medicalcenter/trauma.html. VCU-TV/HD was the only college television facility nominated. Stay tuned for the always tacky, self-absorbed promos TV stations are known for to follow (done in our own satiric webisode style of course). Winners will be announced in Washington, DC on June 14.]]> VCU Student Lens tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.23437 2008-05-09T04:41:33Z 2008-05-09T04:58:23Z

We are about to premiere our first episode of "Cinemaphiles: Student Lens". Showing HD films in their entirety produced by VCU students, the first episode is a half-hour piece by senior film student Alexander Germanotta entitled "Death". Advance apologies for the following cliche, but... You'll laugh, you'll cry. Germanotta explores the elusive subject of what happens after death, how one would like to die and the varied emotions behind it all. This film is the perfect benchmark for future film submissions. VCU students please email: djbrazda@vcu.edu with a synopsis and link to your work for consideration in this series.]]> Prestigious Webby Award Nomination! tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.20441 2008-04-08T18:44:12Z 2008-04-08T19:01:19Z

VCU-TV/HD on the Shortlist for “Oscars of the Internet” Richmond, VA – April 8, 2008 - The 12th Annual Webby Awards, today nominated VCU-TV/HD for the Best Student Online Film or Video of 2008. Winners will be announced on...

VCU-TV/HD on the Shortlist for “Oscars of the Internet” Richmond, VA – April 8, 2008 - The 12th Annual Webby Awards, today nominated VCU-TV/HD for the Best Student Online Film or Video of 2008. Winners will be announced on May 6, 2008 and honored at a star-studded ceremony in New York City on June 9th. Hailed as the "Oscars of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile Websites. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-person judging academy whose members include Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, R/GA’s Chief Bob Greenberg, "Simpson's" creator Matt Groening, Arianna Huffington, and Harvey Weinstein. "The Webby Awards honors the outstanding Websites that are setting the standards for the Internet," said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. "VCU-TV/HD’s Webby Award nomination is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators."

From now through May 1st, online fans around the world can cast their own votes for VCU-TV/HD’s student produced “Webisodes” in The Webby People’s Voice Awards presented by Nokia at http://pv.webbyawards.com. The 12th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states. Past Webby Award winners include Amazon.com, eBay, Yahoo!, iTunes, Google, FedEx, BBC News, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, NPR, Salon Magazine, Evite, Meetup, Wikipedia, Flickr, ESPN, Comedy Central, PBS, and The Onion. Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards are known worldwide for its famous five-word speech limit. Past headline-grabbing speechmakers include Al Gore (“Please don’t recount this vote”), Beastie Boys (“Can anyone fix my computer?”), and Prince (“Everything you think is true.”) About VCU-TV/HD (www.vcutvhd.com) VCU-TV/HD is a student run HiDefinition television facility at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Overseen by Executive Producer Dan Brazda and Senior Producer Lisa Figueroa, current students produce cinema verite documentaries on VCU and Richmond area stories of interest. The students also take part in tongue-in-cheek promotional “Webisodes” to help spread the word about the facility. About The Webby Awards: Hailed as the "Oscars of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile web sites. Established in 1996, the 12th Annual Webby Awards received a record 9,500 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Adobe; The Creative Group; .ORG; The Barbarian Group; Level3; Adweek; Fortune; Variety; Wired; IDG: Brightcove; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail and Museum of the Moving Image. ###]]> VCU-TV/HD Website a Big Hit! tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.19884 2008-04-01T13:38:23Z 2008-04-01T13:46:40Z

The VCU-TV/HD website went online February 19, 2007. For the first time we are able to compare year to year statistics and here are some results from March 2007 to March 2008: -Total web hits are up 408% -Average hits per day are up 407% -Average length of session is up 250% -Average hits per session are up 228% -Total pageviews are up 227% If some of the terms above are foreign to you just understand that a lotta peeps are finding our shows! Thanks to everyone who have visited us so far. You can look forward to a lot more HiDefinition programming from VCU-TV/HD in the years to come. Don't forget to download your favorite shows to your iPod or for your HiDefinition display at home. VCU Amped tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.19005 2008-03-20T21:40:34Z 2008-04-08T19:03:53Z

VCU-TV/HD is all about the music. We have recently formed a coalition with Toad's Place in Richmond to shoot exclusive, live, HiDef concert footage of bands as they roll their tours through the area. Adding our documentary twist, viewers also get to see the personalities behind the music. Watch our first Toad's Place show featuring "Duchess of York" available for streaming or download for free at VCU-TV/HD.com or catch it on WCVW at 9:00pm on April 21 (check our program schedule on our website for other airings).

Don't miss indie rock favorite House of fools as well. VCU-TV/HD profiled the band and their performance during their "Live and Learn" tour one VERY hot summer night in 2007. The show is also available for free iPod or HD download at our website or on WCVW on April 21.]]> What we will Have Soon tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.19004 2008-03-20T21:31:36Z 2008-03-20T22:18:06Z

-Red One or latest, greatest equivalent (currently #3203 on the list) -Sony EX-1 or Scarlet -More RAM -More Storage -More Work Stations -More Stuffed Rams -More More Stay tuned for more detail......

-Red One or latest, greatest equivalent (currently #3203 on the list) -Sony EX-1 or Scarlet -More RAM -More Storage -More Work Stations -More Stuffed Rams -More More Stay tuned for more detail...]]> What we Have Now tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.19003 2008-03-20T21:10:02Z 2008-03-21T03:32:07Z

Field Production: -3 x Sony PDW-F350 XDCam HD Cinealta Cameras (v1.93) -1 x Sony V1U Crash Cam (also known affectionately as "Crappy Cam") -Cartoni, Vinten and Sachtler tripods -Marshal HD field Monitors -2 x Arri 1K Tungsten Light Kits (3 x 1Ks) -2 x Arri Mixed tungsten Light Kits (1K, 650, 300 and 150) -4 x Arri 1200watt HMI Pars with Flicker-Free Ballasts and lens sets -Sennheiser and Sony Shotgun Mics with Booms and Zep, Sony wired and wireless lav pkgs -wireless headsets -Sony Headphones -Doorway Dolly with buttloads of curved and straight track (seated ped accs included) -Sand bags, apple boxes, c-stands, flags, foam core, gaff tape, shims...yada,yada,yada... Post Production: -6 in-studio edit stations: Mac 8 core & Mac 4 core (4 to 8 gig of RAM each- never enough) -Final Cut Studio 2, Adobe CS 3 Master Suite -AJA Kona 3 -XServe RAID with 6 x 750 TB on one side and 6 x 500 TB on the other -Gig-E between all stations -Sony PDW-F70 and PDW-F30 XDCam HD decks -Apple 30" and 23" Cinema Displays -OWC Firewire 800 Drives x 7 -OWC firewire 800 Portable Drives x 3 -MacBook Pro 17" x 4 -JBL Studio Monitors -Sony 32" Luma Flat Screen -Sony 50" SXRD LCD -Video Helper Music Library -Hollywood Edge SFX Library -Spiderman Statue and Stuffed Ram]]> Where We Are Headed tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.19000 2008-03-20T20:43:34Z 2008-03-20T21:38:19Z

VCU-TV/HD is in the process of creating an accredited course structure whereby students will be trained in HiDefinition production and qualify for internships and paid positions. Target date is Spring semester 2009 so stay tuned for more details. We have also begun exploring the future of HiDefinition, known to many as "Ultra-HiDefinition, as we continue to develop a premier creative playground for our students. A minimum of 32 original programs are on tap for the 2008-2009 academic year as we continue to explore such topics as: filmmaking at VCU, the music scene in Richmond, VCU Study Abroad, Theatre VCU Productions, VCU Medical center, VCU Dance, VCU Music, VCU Fashion, VCU Sculpture, VCU Engineering... and a whole lot more! Where We Are Now tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.18999 2008-03-20T20:35:18Z 2008-03-20T21:37:59Z

As of this writing VCU-TV/HD has produced 44 original programs in HiDefinition. All programs were produced from start to finish by students who are or were enrolled as full time students at Virginia Commonwealth University. All programs are available for streaming or download at VCU-TV/HD as well as being broadcast on WCVW in Richmond, VA. 8 more shows are in production which will bring our total to 52 original programs by the end of this academic year. Our webisodes won an international Accolade award in 2007 and we have been nominated for... well, let's not jinx it (fingers crossed). How We Came to Be tag:blog.vcu.edu,2008:/vcutvhd//938.18990 2008-03-20T19:44:35Z 2008-03-20T21:37:31Z

VCU-TV/HD Established in December of 2005, VCU-TV/HD is a video production program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA. It is one of the first programs at a major university to produce exclusively in high-definition format. VCU Board of Visitors members Dick Robertson, Senior Advisor to the Warner Brothers Television Group and former President of Warner Brothers Television Distribution and Tom Rosenthal, CEO of MedOutcomes, Inc. and current Rector of the VCU Board of Visitors, proposed the initiative in the spring of 2005. The concept was to provide students with a unique opportunity to produce original programming for Broadcast on PBS affiliate WCVW, Community Idea Stations of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation. Upon approval by the VCU president’s office, a national search was conducted for an Executive Producer/ Manager to make VCU-TV/HD a reality. A search committee representing both VCU campuses and community broadcast professionals was soon developed. The committee was headed by Pam Lepley, Director of VCU News Services, and overseen by Sue Ann Messmer, Vice President of External Relations and chief of staff for VCU President Eugene Trani. Dan Brazda, then Creative Director for the Fox/UPN owned and operated affiliate in Los Angeles, was hired in December 2005. Mr. Brazda developed a strategy whereby cinema verité documentary film techniques would be used to build a program library that would highlight both VCU and the Richmond community. Knowing that high-definition was an imminent reality in broadcast television, an alliance was formed with Apple Computer and Sony Broadcast whereby high-definition production and postproduction gear was secured. An old radio/TV studio was renovated on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus in downtown Richmond in the spring of 2006. Initially four part-time students were hired to help develop a formula for program production. On February 18, 2007, the VCU-TV/HD website went online and all programs are now available for live streaming or download in iPod and high-definition formats. One of the initial students hired for the program in Spring 2006, Lisa Figueroa, has since graduated and was hired full time in August of 2007 as Senior Producer for VCU-TV/HD. Planning is currently underway for expansion of the program including an accredited course structure to train students for future internships and paid positions..]]>