I find myself thinking of how MCA-I benefits each of you, MCA-I members, by generating profit through highly qualified people, perks, personnel and preparation.

People: MCA-I has always attracted the best people in the production industry: our members are personable, knowledgeable, professionally growing and eager to give back to the community.

Perks: The Arizona Awards Festival recognizes the best production in Arizona,and chapters nationwide judge to award the Golden Reel Awards. This year MCA-I will host a presence at NAB in Las Vegas on April 27th and 28th. I hope you'll attend. In addition, there are tons of resources for creative and technical ideas on the website at www.mca-i.org.

Personnel: I know of at least 6 people who were hired on-the- spot for two separate projects at the October MCA-I meeting -- based on their talent and availability. MCA-I provides valuable access to qualified production professionals.

Preparation: MCA-I is the only monthly professional training organization in the production industry, with access to industry leaders on specific topics -- so that you're more prepared for the challenges ahead.

Profits: Our active involvement with the Association, industry leaders in MCA-I, people, perks, personnel and preparation yields additional profit for us - MCA-I members.

Thank you to the following people for their part in making MCA-I continually grow. It's their devoted time and energy that makes this an association of industry leaders. Skip Neeley and his committee (Bob Rue, Mitch Hodge, and Ginny Temple) have been working to produce the 20th Annual Video Awards Festival held on December 4th in Mesa (see http://www.mcai- az.org/news/default.asp#entries) Stevan Pope and his committee (Nathan Greene and Bill Green) for their work in securing a contract with the Production Hub, making the website more valuable for members and Producers looking for professional talent. Keep an eye on www.mcai- az.org over the next 45 days.

And again thanks to your Board: Joe Reynolds (who coordinates each months training meeting) with this months meeting, "Strut Your Stuff", featuring video demo's from our members and a chance for extended networking. Heidi Capriotti who has been promoting PSA's in the community, with four teams producing PSA's with impact that will hit the airwaves soon.

MCA-I continues to grow in numbers and in presence in the market, attracting leaders in the Production industry. If you're not yet a member, apply & pay online at https://secure.westhost.com/mca -i/cgi-bin/application.cgi.

by Heidi Capriotti

10. The unlikely, yet tasty, dinner combination of fried chicken and spaghetti - and some killer brownies from Rosati's.
9. How a Versa-cart can make field production easier
8. What AFMC is doing to bring more business to Arizona
7. If you're Jennifer Provenzano you missed out on $60 from the Broadcast Rentals Cash Pool!
6. Lou Hunt's invitation to a free workshop to hone your voice-over directing skills on her students.
5. Who to call if you need to shoot at Steele Indian School Park, AND what it'll cost you.
4. A look at the goodies on the national MCAI website, including job postings and forms available for download.
3. six great raffle prizes and the chance to rub shoulders with Steve Shepple- month after month the Raffle's >"Winningest MCAI Member".
2. A look at Phoenix Channel 11 - then and now - along with a tour of their outstanding facility.
1. Why Barry Kluger is co- chairing the >"Governor's Commission on Television and Film".

The Arizona State University Art Museum in Tempe has put out a call for entries for its 10th Annual Short Film and Video Festival.

The deadline for submissions is February 10th and the Festival will be held at 8pm, April 15th.

The festival's history, and a list of previous works that have been screened can be found at: http://a suartmuseum.asu.edu/filmfest

Guidelines for entry:
http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/filmfest/guideline s.htm

Sunday, December 4th, 9am-4pm
Open to first 30 actors.
$100 to register
Contact Elayne Stein
elayne2@cox.net
602-266-3498

For more information go to the MCA-I AZ website

by Scott Pfister

Your PSA Score is the degree of volunteerism you and your colleagues test out at. There are many levels, duties and functions for you and your colleagues to choose from when volunteering your time and talents to MCAI-AZ. Some volunteer efforts are more labor and time intensive than others, occasionally lasting for an entire year, while others take only a short time. Some people have given for years at a time, still going and going. Many, understandably, manage to offer a few months or years before burning out or becoming unable to commit due to a job change, for example.

Each year, the PSA Campaign Chairperson, Heidi Capriotti (the founder, Steve Pope and myself are the past Chairs), solicits a list of people who have volunteered in the past or have asked to volunteer in the current year. (A little note: once you are on that list, you never get off, it’s like the Mob or a street gang.)

Over the past 20 years, I’ve done many different things for and to this organization. I must admit, that by far the best was volunteering to produce Public Service Announcements for the annual PSA Campaign.

This year, I had a little more free time and was able to take on a client for the 2005 Campaign. It was the fourth PSA in the last five years that I have produced. And it was one of the better experiences I’ve had in awhile.

I got on board late so I was working from a short list. I picked what mostly were total strangers - to me at least. I chose people that I ultimately did not need. Thankfully they understood. One of the coolest features was that I was able to pick one of the top voice talents in the market for the past 20 years. No charge.

Steve Shepple, Alan Thursby, Mike Carro and Paul McSween were a wonderful, experienced crew who all stepped up and directed when, sadly, I had to become the principle talent. Phil Allen was my Voice. AVR supplied the gear. Douglas McGehee and Dallas Teat were my two volunteers who were “written out” as the production began to take shape.

When I decided we needed to shoot on City of Scottsdale property, Steve Pope came in at the eleventh hour to save the day with his business acumen and insurance. Lesson learned from this shoot: Don’t shoot on City of Scottsdale property.

You guys were all a pleasure to work with and for.

Now it hasn’t always been wine and roses, more like Black ‘n Tans. There were a couple of years the list was pretty short and no one could help. I did everything on those spots myself with the help of an intern. Believe me, it showed. Not my best work.

In one of my worst volunteer moments, I had to bail as producer of a PSA when one of those before mentioned job changes occurred. It’s still hard to look Steve Pope in the eye after that. People try to do what they can - and do what they have to do.

My best volunteer moment to date, is my first endeavor. Shooting at night, we had a 1-ton grip truck from Reel Men and a huge crew. The topic was car theft and the spot took top honors in the Chapter that year.

You can do more to help MCAI-AZ than just “do” a PSA. There are many ways to volunteer and many functions needing a volunteer manager; some large projects, some not so large. Each of them, however, is extremely important to the success of all of us as professionals.

The point here is to volunteer. Volunteer for something. Anything. If not for MCA-I, then for something. You have time and talents that are of service to other people. Many of you already volunteer for something. Some of you may be looking for new ways to help. Natural disasters not withstanding, there are plenty of issues right here in our own home needing assistance. MCA-I is a non- profit dedicated to advancing issues and topics tied to our professions.

So, what’s your PSA Score? Where do you rate on the volunteer meter? Consider any way you volunteer, for anything, adding to the sum total of your PSA Score -- Your Public Service Anything Score.

Is there really a fair way (or need, for that matter) to gauge what your Public Service Anything Score is? High - Medium - Low. That’s good enough for me. Just serve, somehow.

I’m a medium. And, the client is happy!