The January meeting was held at PANASONIC in Cypress.  Our meeting hosts were EMMETT KESEL of Electric Picture & Tim Keenan of Creative Media.

After networking and refreshments provided by the chapter, the meeting began in the very nice lunch room at PANASONIC.

President BEVERLY TURNER opened the meeting and welcomed the guests, who had the opportunity to introduce themselves.  Upcoming events were announced.  Please see other sections of this newsletter for details.

STEVE MILLEY of Panasonic presented two fairly new products, the DMR-T3040 DVD Video Recorder, and the AG-DVX100 Mini DV camera.  The DVD recorder features a 40 GB hard drive that let's you record and store the MPEG-2 files, so that you can keep on making DVD's without running the video the machine again.  The lightweight camcorder shoots in standard video as well at 24 frame progressive, that is optimal for when the material will be used to make a 24 fps motion picture.

Beverly TurneR then introduced TIM KEENAN and SYLVIA AIMERITO, who presented a very informative and entertaining session about Voice Over.  They offered some really good advice for directing a voice over talent - both pro and amateur.  Not only did they give all of us an opportunity to read a line of copy with different attitudes, and gave us a voice talent's perspective on the need to be directed, they also had some excellent tips on dealing with last minute changes to scripts and the inevitable "projects from hell."

Besides owning Creative Media Tim has been in public office for a number of years and has consequently become really slick fast talker.  Sylvia has been a radio host for KBIG and has worked with Tim for many years doing her various voice over recordings there. (She is the voice of a main character in one of the most popular Sony Play Station Video games)  They have teamed up to create a voice over workshop that several of our members have taken, including yours truly.  It is an excellent course!

The raffle, conducted by EMMETT KESEL and BEVERLEY TURNER gave out prizes from DUPLICATION CENTER OF AMERICA, PANASONIC, and TRAVIS.  TRAVIS has a new marketing tool - a really slick looking pen, that he claims he will give anyone who hires him.

For the grand raffle prize, a copy of Final Draft Professional Screenwriting Software Version 5 was given away.  Gary Stone, the keeper of the sacred blender, was the lucky member to win the software.  There will be a copy of Final Draft in the raffle at future meetings.  I think Emmett said there were 7 copies.

Final Draft was supplied by Frank Colin at Final Draft. With Final Draft, the only things you'll need to write like the pros are ideas.

Please join us next month on February 19th for "Video Production - The Next Generation" that will be hosted by Charlie Gibbs of Charles Gibbs Productions.

John Primm

www.dvpostvideo.com