This year the LA/Orange County chapter of MCA-I has distributed close to $10,000 in cash, goods or services to help various members of the So Cal media community. “Starting in January we began utilizing our organization’s 501c3 Charity status to help raise money for needy members of the professional media community,” said Brian Page, chapter president and voice actor. “As you can see, we’ve been very successful in our first year.” The chapter has partnered with other local media organizations not only to raise money but disburse it as well.
Our Greatest Strength
Well, 2012 is rapidly coming to a close and we’ve just gone through a very contentious, politically charged election season and are still in the midst of difficult financial times. The future is still cloudy with all the professional prognosticators putting out reams of thoughts, ideas and statements, including the end of the world according to the Mayans. All, seemingly, intended to drive the general public into a frenzy by using a mixture of fear, worry and trepidation. Some people become “preppers”, hoarding gold, guns, ammo, food, water and all the back issues of Mad Magazine they can find. While others just hope it all gets better in time. To some It all seems dire, but, the resilience of this country is very great. And one of our greatest strength is that of community.
Due to Many Requests for Additional Time to Submit, the Deadline for Entry in the 44th Annual MCA-I Media Festival Has Been Extended to December 15, 2012. What fabulous projects have you worked on lately?
I was relatively new to the field of independent production when I joined MCA-I and from day one this group has educated, supported and encouraged me. The experience and generosity of the board and other chapter members is worth its weight in gold. I can’t emphasize enough how much value being associated with MCA-I LA/OC has brought me personally. On top of that, I have made some great friends! I was a little awed when nominated to be chapter president in 2010 but was more than happy for the opportunity to give back.
Performers who specialize in voice work have some unique challenges. Anne Ganguzza, founder and president of VO Peeps as well as a VO artist and nationally recognized trainer, knows that many are struggling. Anne created the concept of a career education scholarship fund specifically for q
ualified members of the voiceover community and along with Tim Keenan of Creative Media Recording (below) brought it to the LA/OC Chapter of MCA-i.
At the September Board of Directors meeting board members were very enthusiastic. So enthusiastic, in fact, that MCAi and VO Peeps are currently working out the details to make the scholarship fund a reality!
In broad terms, the scholarship fund—to be administrated jointly by MCAI and VO Peeps—will respond to a number of both need and merit-based requests from existing members of the professional voice acting community. Some provisions may be made for student level scholarships as well. Scholarships may be granted in the form of equipment, software, training and mentoring services as well as cash.
Here's how we can help... The board of directors’ decision to leverage our tax exempt 501c3 status and use our members’ expertise to raise money to produce media for the benefit of Southern California nonprofits was announced at the August meeting by past LA/OC chapter president, Grace McKay. So the chapter has formed the Media Center for Nonprofits.
This month, the LA/OC Chapter elects our Officers and Board of Directors for the coming year—the folks who steer our chapter into the best position to serve our members, the professional media community and the community at large. We'll be voting at the BBQ meeting on the 13th and we're looking for more media pros to serve on the board. The rewards for service are intangible but very valuable…
OC Sound Stage, http://www.orangecountysoundstage.com a premier studio with large green-screen cyc acts as the semi-regular home of the monthly OC/LA Chapter meeting. Located in Irvine, the heart of Orange County, OC Sound Stage is just minutes from John Wayne Airport and a favorite studio of producers and directors from all over So Cal.
The MCA-I has taken a bold step forward this year in reducing membership dues to just $80 annually for an individual membership. This national professional organization formerly known as the ITVA is seeing new growth in 2011 and wants to make it easy for everyone to join.
International Board Member, Brian Page, told the LA/OC Chapter that, effective January first 2011, MCA-i dues have been cut in half! The new low $80 fee is due to the lean overhead since the organization went to self-management in 2010. “Now, there’s no excuse for any media professional not to join,” he said.
Grace is the CEO of Scanbox Television, 
Panasonic Sponsors All MCA-i MediaProCamps for 2012!
For the second year, the Panasonic Solutions Company is making these iconic events possible. Starting on March 24th with the first event in San Diego, Panasonic is supporting media professionals with its involvement in MCA-I’s MediaProCamp. The popularity of the event has grown the series to a total of six this year.
Previously, Panasonic has given attendees sneak previews of new products such as the groundbreaking AG-3DP1, a 3D integrated twin-lens P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorder, and the Panasonic AG-AF100 featuring a large 4/3-inch, 16:9 MOS imager with an imaging area just slightly smaller than 35mm cinema film
.
This year, MediaProCamp Events will be held in San Diego, Orange County, St Louis, Atlanta, Detroit, and Central Carolina, reaching ever more media pros. For more on MCA-i's MediaProCamp go to the pulldodwn menue on the front page of our Chapters website, www.mcai-oc.org