ATTENTION YOUNG JOURNALISTS - BE YOUR OWN BRAND

Journalism has obviously been a cyclical profession and is reflected in journalism school enrollments (1), especially since I started my career in the mid-1970's. When I left the University of Missouri-Columbia J-school in 1979, jobs and good pay were plentiful, especially in local TV news where I worked as a reporter/photographer in Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Florida.

One thing I've learned since then - you will be penalized by journalism employers for growing older and being more expert at what you do, especially in TV news. I also learned that with such a nomadic and volatile employment environment, it's best to have additional non-journalism skills that can serve as a back-up "day job". That's why I morphed in the mid-1980's into corporate TV production, public relations, movie and network TV production. Now, I am on a path to teach middle and high school history and am attending college again.

Today, compared to the 1970's and 1980's, young people with a journalism degree have so many more opportunities to do what they love because of the dramatically increased numbers of ways they can reach a news audience - print, "radio", magazine, TV - as a result of the Internet and wireless device revolution. The medium is no longer the message (sorry Marshall McLuhan), the CONTENT is now finally the message.

You Tube, podcasts, blogs, Internet radio channels and networks (iTunes, IHeartRadio, etc.) and other ways of connecting with an audience proliferate now. Back when I started as a journalist, there were local TV, radio and newspapers to work for and to gain experience with, and of course the big national newspapers and network television news programs were there for a select few achievers to join. No CNN or Fox News, no Yahoo News. The opportunities were limited.

Porter Versfelt III in the Florida Everglades working for 

WCKT-TV (NBC) in 1981. The station news helicopter is on the left.

I and my young colleagues back then would have killed to have so many ways to distribute our work. Today I believe, if you are a good journalist and writer, and perhaps also have a good on-camera presence (video), you are in control and do not have to be dependent on working for a news organization. I urge you to freelance, BE your own brand. There are no limits to your future. You are now in the age of Free-agent Journalism.

(1) Anderson, Monica, Pew Research Center: "The Job Market Tightens, But New Journalism Grads Remain Upbeat" (06 August 2014) Source: Journalism Enrollment Study

Copyright 2014, Porter Versfelt III

Atlanta Is On The Map Now For Movie & TV Production

NEW STUDIO COMPLEX FOR ATLANTA

Well, the latest news this past week that EUE/Screen Gems will lease the old Lakewood Fairgrounds near downtown Atlanta as motion picture and television production facilities is GREAT news.

We in the movie production community heard about this months ago but the news is only just recently becoming public.

More jobs (an estimated 1,000) are foreseen for the production industry here and this will be a further cementing of Atlanta and Georgia's growing pivotal role in movie and network TV series production.

VCGTV shot EPK promotional material for Screen Gems at the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta.
The focus of this production was the cast of the motion picture NOTORIOUS who attended the event and the after party at an Atlanta mansion.

Now, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is claiming that the Screen Gems facility will be "state-of-the-art". Whoa there AJC. Not quite. Not YET.

http://www.ajc.com/business/ready-for-your-close-528580.html

Uh, this is NOT the first Atlanta-area "state-of-the-art studio complex".

Riverwood Studios was built years ago south of Atlanta in Senoia, Georgia and still operates. Tyler Perry opened his studio and backlot complex in November 2008.

Screen Gem's studio facility will be the latest. But it won't be state-of-the-art for a while. Word on the street is the first movie shooting there - FAST AND FURIOUS IV - will use existing, upgraded Lakewood Fairgrounds buildings. New construction will occur at some point in the future.

Every week we receive job applicants from veteran Los Angeles production people who are moving to Atlanta. This is, after all, where much of the work is going. Atlanta hosted more than two dozen major movie productions to LA's nine in 2009 is my understanding.

Let's hope we Atlanta-based folks who worked and lobbied hard for the state tax incentives for movie and TV production, honed our craft and lived in the shadow of LA for so long will get many of these new jobs.

MUSIC LIBRARY FIND

Last night I stumbled upon a great spin-off web site from Wikipedia that offers free, high-quality, downloadable music of many genres. Wikimedia Commons.

Wikimedia Commons offers public domain, high-quality and downloadable photos. They also offer music as well.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Music_sound

Many of these music cuts are public domain. These photos and especially the music will be a huge low-cost public service to those of us editing finished product for TV and movies.

Copyright 2014, Porter Versfelt III

THIS JUST IN:

#TLC + Authentic Entertainment #TV series TODDLERS & TIARAS will be shooting in Columbus, Georgia on 28 February and 01 March 2013. Rumour has it they need a local PA. No other details available. #ToddlersandTiaras #Authentic Entertainment #Toddlers #Tiaras #TheLearningChannel #Kids #children #competition #pageants

ANNOUNCED TODAY: 

Georgia TV producer Tyler Perry's sitcom FOR BETTER OR WORSE has been picked by the OWN television network. A third season has been ordered. 

Looks like another year of employment for the Atlanta-based production crew, extras, etc.

#TylerPerry #AtlantaTV #GeorgiaTV #TV #television #comedy #Atlanta #Oprah

 
http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/own-picks-up-tyler-perrys-sitcom-for-better-or-worse-orders-third-season/

With Free Speech Comes Responsibility

I have a Christian friend who is a photojournalist in Pakistan. I will not reveal name, etc. to protect this person's safety. But a message today sent to me by my friend touched my heart and I believe what my friend writes is reflective of so many people around the world and what they think about the USA.

My take is that in this day of high tech communications, the truth and facts still don't always get to everyone. My friend and many others believe that the anti-Islam film upsetting Muslims around the world right now was created by the United States government. I have assured my friend that the film was done by an individual and not by our government. I also reminded my friend about our concept of "free speech" and the 1st Amendment to our U.S. Constitution. But I added that with free speech comes responsibility and one should always consider whether what you say will hurt others. There ARE limits to free speech.

I believe that having and expressing opinions is good as long as those opinions are based on fact and fairness. The film in question played fast and loose with both and it is making all Americans look bad and hurting our national security and commerce.

I just wanted to say all of this to my fellow Americans this morning to remind you that there are many around the world who still believe in the United States of America, it's core concepts and principles, and what we stand for. "The shining beacon on a hill" as President Reagan has said. 

I think we should read what my friend says below and be humbled. We should stop our petty fighting amongst ourselves in this election season and recognize that we have a responsibility to our nation, ourselves and to the world, to be our very best and remain that beacon on a hill. Because what we say does matter and does affect folks. In the case of my Christian friends in Pakistan and those living in other Muslim-dominated nations this morning, what we say here in the USA can bring wrath and violence down on them.

From my Christian friend in Pakistan: 

"dear brother plz tell ur govt not to make these kind of flim cuz of that we have to face so much persecution the money they spending on making flim by that they can help poor Christians , yesterday i face so much bad thing due to that they abuse JESUS ur in media u can convey message , we are not so much rich that we can sattle in other countries my self earn a very little money which only help to run wheel of house plz dont take me wrong GOD BLESS USA and his people but the side effect of these kind of flim come on poor people like me who is Christ beliver in pakistan" 

https://www.facebook.com/notes/versfelt-communications-group-pr-atlanta-tv-movie-epk-crews/a-reminder-that-free-speech-comes-with-responsibility/412035672190302

Copyright 2012, Porter Versfelt III

KEEPING THE TRAGEDY IN AURORA, COLORADO IN PERSPECTIVE

KEEPING THE TRAGEDY IN AURORA, COLORADO IN PERSPECTIVE

Some of you sincerely believe that guns are evil and that they should be banned in the USA. I understand your emotions. But emotions must be tempered by facts, in my opinion.

These are the leading causes of death in the United States. Gunshot victims are not in the top-10.

From the USA Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

2009 leading causes of death ...

Heart disease: 599,413

Cancer: 567,628

Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 137,353

Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 128,842

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 118,021

Alzheimer's disease: 79,003

Diabetes: 68,705

Influenza and Pneumonia: 53,692

Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 48,935

Intentional self-harm (suicide): 36,909

Injury by firearms ...

2009 ... 31,347

2010 ... 31,513

Death by intentional assault by firearms ...

2009 ... 11,493

2010 ... 11,015

Preliminary 2010 causes of death:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr60/nvsr60_04.pdf

As a nation and as neighbors, I encourage you to keep these statistics in mind as your local, state and Federal officials and politicians speak about further curtailing our 2nd Amendment constitutional rights.

It was awful, but I'm not going to parse the scenario to death.

Yesterday, I prayed for the victims and their loved ones and did battle with the ignorant and lobotomized liberals.

Today and beyond, I must now concentrate on living life, God, my family and friends.

TO FACEBOOK OR NOT TO FACEBOOK ... THAT IS THE QUESTION

Funny, there are social misfits throughout history. Those today are defined by militantly not using Facebook. You're missing out folks.

This Associated Press article from today profiles some of those anti-Facebook holdouts. :

http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-grows-millions-no-thanks-073535378--finance.html

You don't have to reveal anything except your name to Facebook if you don't want to, nor do you have to accept friend requests or private messages.

Heck, even my 85 year-old Father uses Facebook and loves it's able to connect him to news organizations, magazines, special interest groups, new ideas, institutions and hobbyists around the world. Just like I do.

That's why I like Facebook. It's another great library to use, IF you use it to it's fullest. I also get professional work through my Facebook connections and have met people all over the world that I never would have met or befriended.

The ability to more easily stay in touch with family and friends - even long-lost friends and acquaintances - using photographs, videos and text, are another superb strength of Facebook I believe. Those people who don't like Facebook just don't like people or socializing. I think that is at the core of their Facebook phobia.

Like anything, Facebook can be abused and can monopolize your time if you let it. Don't. It's a wonderful resource for our modern age.

I have a few Facebook pages; Personal as well as professional. Please check them out. I'm friendly and won't bite. :)

Visit our new web video production and SEO subsidiary Bizzy Tube:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bizzy-Tube-Viral-Videos-TV-For-The-Web/309264322421299

I would like to invite you to join my Atlanta Video & Film Production Professionals page here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-Video-Film-Production-Professionals/126713170694533

Or my Southern Video & Film Production Professionals page, which is aimed at TV, video and movie production folks outside of Georgia throughout the southern USA, or those interested in production work in this part of the USA.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Video-Film-Production-Professionals/119598211452314

If you have an interest in filmmaking and television production in North Carolina, please join NORTH CAROLINA FILMMAKERS.

Porter Versfelt III / Versfelt Communications Group Atlanta - Administrator

http://www.facebook.com/groups/42948068170/

Or "like" VCGTV's company Facebook page here to keep up with what Versfelt Communications Group is doing and interesting commentary and news articles about using video for PR, marketing, advertising, etc.:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Versfelt-Communications-Group/129162750441165?ref=mf

Oh, and I "tweet" as well about the TV and movie industries - creative, production, technical, financial and distribution - web video production, advertising, marketing, journalism and developments with the general media today. 

See my Twitter page at: http://twitter.com/#!/vcgtv