NewEnglandFilm.com

Most filmmakers, especially beginners, have come up with schemes to make movies on the cheap. Public access stations, which offer equipment, instruction, and opportunities for broadcast, can be a perfect place to turn, as long as filmmakers understand that the first rule of public access is that it’s not a rental house. The purpose of public access is to provide programming for the town.

Why get involved, then, if you can’t just take the camera and start working on your reel? Not being a rental house doesn’t mean that making a reel is impossible. In fact many people who start out in public access, either because they want to learn about video or have already studied the subject at a film school, go on to bigger and better things. Some also find that they fall in love with the local access community and stay where they are, as they are telling the stories they want to tell.

For example, while at the Framingham public access station I helped one of the employees film live shows of local bands for broadcast at the station. The benefits were twofold: the station received programming for the air and we were able to add the footage to our personal reels, say, for a future in the music video business. Another group in Framingham used the equipment to make short films, including one for a 24-hour film fest. Doing that depends on the access station though; the director at Framingham approved the idea as long as it was shown at some point on the station. But in talking to Wendy Bloom, the director of Somerville Community Access TV (SCAT), she expressed reservations about such practices because as she stated, the main objective for SCAT is to provide programming for the town. Again, though, if permission is sought before any venture I have found that most stations are lenient as long as the show is shown at some point by the station.

What steps are involved in gaining equipment access at public access stations? Public access studios are nonprofit organizations that rely on support from members as well as the town and the cable companies to survive and prosper. Members pay affordable annual dues, which allow them to take classes at a nominal fee. It’s common for public access stations to require a certain level of education before members can check out or use the equipment. If you have basic skills on certain equipment or software, it may be possible to test out of the requirements; after all, the station wants you to make programs and videos and not give up after being forced to sit through classes that you’ve already taken. There are normally volunteer or staff experts on hand, so even if you have a basic understanding of say Final Cut Pro or Express and don’t want to sit in a beginner class, more advanced classes can be arranged or even taught on a one-on-one basis.

SCAT offers a wide variety of classes for members. Not only do they offer staples such as studio production, camera usage, and editing on Final Cut Express, they also offer special classes such as an animation class that is being run this summer that mixes animation with music. Karen Aqua and Ken Fields, who have been collaborating in the animation and music industry since the mid ‘70s, are the teachers. They’ve been freelancers on Sesame Street and have had residencies around the country where they have taught their craft. The class runs for six sessions starting in May, and like all classes, offers a substantial discount for members.

Keep in mind that the creators of public access projects do retain certain rights to their work. So if one was to make an independent film or shoot some music videos, like we did at Framingham, she/he could try and shop them at a later date. Some stations, such as SCAT and Framingham, will make exceptions from time to time if you want to shoot a program and can’t or won’t show it on the station but they will most likely charge rental fees. So if you want to film your cousin’s wedding, just ask first and even though they might charge you a small rental fee it is still cheaper than trying to get the equipment elsewhere. Another rule that depends on the station is what happens if you manage to sell what you’ve produced. Framingham, at the time I was there, had no specific rules regarding this but SCAT will charge you the cost of the equipment if you sell your program and make more than 2,000 dollars on the sale.

Are there any rules about what I can and can’t make at the station? As far as content, most stations are pretty lenient. There are some obvious rules such as no commercial productions (i.e. you can’t just make an infomercial). Also, you can’t try to incite violence through programming so forget about sitting in the studio with a camera trained on you telling the residents of the town or city to overthrow the government, unless it is through peaceful protest. Likewise you can’t slander or libel another person so don’t make a program dedicated to putting down an ex-lover. Probably the biggest rule, and the most ethereal, is no obscenity.

When trying to nail what no obscenity actually means I couldn’t get a concrete answer. Basically use judgment. If you think it would be obscene, than it probably is. That doesn’t mean though that you can’t have nudity or violence in your program. SCAT and Framingham allow both but would air the program after 10 pm and run a disclaimer before the program. For more information on the rules and also to find out about joining SCAT and the classes they offer you can go to their website, www.access-scat.org or email them at info@access-scat.org. One last note is that most access stations are only open to residents of the town but on the flip side most towns have a public access station

In summary, public access offers the members vast opportunities to pursue their own goals. If you want to get more involved in your community through on-air programming then access is for you. If you want to start a reel by making music videos of your friends’ bands then public access is for you (as long as you remember that what you film has to be shown on the station). If you want to practice being in front of the camera for a future as a news personality then you can start a show on public access. If instead of being in front of the camera you would rather someday be in the booth directing live broadcasts then you can still gain valuable experience at public access. In the end you just have to remember the first rule of public access and that rule is: they are not a rental house. Besides that mostly anything is possible.