Medfield TV Awarded Grant from Medfield Cultural Council

On February 6th, Medfield TV, the exclusive community media center of Medfield, MA, received a generous grant for their “Documentary Storytelling” project from the Medfield Cultural Council. As a 501(c)3 organization, it is important for Medfield TV to apply for and receive grants such as this each year so they can make the fulfillment of their mission more accessible to the people of Medfield. Thanks to this grant, Medfield TV staff and volunteers will be able to produce professional, high-production-value documentaries about notable people, places, and organizations in Medfield in 2024 and beyond.

Since early 2023, Medfield TV has produced three episodes of a mini docu-series called Medfield Moment. This series was born as a way for Medfield TV staff to exercise their production skills, while also giving back to their community. Medfield Moment provides a quick peek into the lives of the unique folks of Medfield. Every episode focuses on a new person and highlights one unique thing about that individual. Those who apply (or who are asked) to be on Medfield Moment must be hobbyists, collectors, artisans, activists, have a special talent, skill, or unique project to share.

During the 2023 season of Medfield Moment, the team produced two episodes. In the pilot episode, Energetic Balance Through Shiatsu Massage Therapy, Peg Doyle, a practicing Shiatsu Therapist since 1998, shares the benefits Shiatsu and the positive impact it can have on your overall health by achieving energetic balance. In episode two, A Healthier Lifestyle Through Sweet Recipes, baker and entrepreneur, Hannah Ross, shares how at 16 she discovered her hidden talent for baking, started a business, created a blog, produced a TV show, raised awareness for food insecurity, wrote a cookbook, and more. The Medfield TV team is currently working on their third Medfield Moment episode, which will premiere on Friday, April 26th as part of Medfield’s History weekend.

Up until now, the tools used to film episodes of Medfield Moment were borrowed from a colleague. Now, the equipment Medfield TV purchased with the help of this grant includes various equipment to support, hold, and add accessories to their Blackmagic Mini Studio Camera, as well as lights, and a battery power bank that will allow us to record and light sets on-location for up to 10 hours. Medfield TV’s Executive Director, Katie Duval, remarked, “With the addition of this equipment, we can bring our production value to new heights. We can create crisp, professional 4k videos. We also do not have to limit where and when we shoot, as we no longer need to rely on gas-powered generators or electricity from nearby buildings to run our equipment.”

In addition to this new equipment, Medfield TV also has a slew of filmmaking tools that volunteers can learn to use. These include cameras such as JVC video cameras, Canon DSLRs, and the Blackmagic Mini Studio Camera, which, despite its name, is the main camera Medfield TV uses for their documentaries. Medfield TV volunteers may also learn how to use camera sliders, jibs/cranes, dollies, and gimbals, many of which were given to Medfield TV by an anonymous donor in 2023. With this equipment and training from the professionals at Medfield TV, residents can learn how to work behind the scenes on a production team and continue documenting the rich history of Medfield.

Medfield TV will hold a Documentary Storytelling class in Summer 2024 at a day and time convenient for attendees. If you are interested in attending this class or learning to utilize any of our other professional equipment, please contact the Medfield TV staff at info@medfield.tv.

Medfield TV’s mission is to be a valuable community resource providing access and education to all residents of Medfield to enable the creation, production, and distribution of programming intended to stimulate, entertain, inform, and connect the entire community. Our vision is to be a state-of-the-art community media center for the people of Medfield. We will provide an inclusive and accessible space that cultivates growth and innovation while providing education of all creative aspects and forms of modern media.

To learn more about Medfield TV, visit them online at https://www.medfield.tv or follow them @medfieldtv. You can also catch their programming on Comcast (8, 12, 22), Verizon (36, 45, 47), the HD channel (https://www.medfield.tv/watch) or on-demand at www.YouTube.com/MedfieldTV. To donate to their mission, please visit https://www.medfield.tv/donate

Support for Medfield TV’s Documentary Storytelling project is provided in part from the Medfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council. For more information, please visit https://massculturalcouncil.org