A serendipitous consequence of joining the Cupertino Senior Center was finding out about the Cupertino Senior TV Productions Group, better known by the TV show it produces — The Better Part. After reading about the group in the senior center newsletter and asking about it at the front desk, I was immediately shepherded to The Better Part meeting that morning by the group’s charming president Myrna Gelphman. From that day, I’ve been an active member of The Better Part.
New members are required to take a course on TV production offered by the KMVT studios in Mountain View, where we tape our shows. My new BFF (best friend forever, according to my granddaughters), Eva Kashkooli, also a new member, offered to drive to classes and we “cemented” our friendship during the drives there. (This is an insider pun, as Eva is passionate about doing a show about the cement plant.) For four Wednesday evenings, we learned how to use the equipment at the studio — TV cameras, microphones, sound systems, mixers, recorders, and tele-prompters. We learned new terminology — dollying, trucking, panning, time cues, and countdowns. During the last class, we taped two shows with members of the class taking on various roles - host, guest, producer, director, floor director, as well as being operators of the studio and control room equipment.
Of course, in real life, you learn something by actually doing it for real. The Better Part offers new members opportunities as soon as they can handle them (and, in my case, even a bit before). Soon, I was producing a show about Science is Elementary, the Silicon Valley non-profit which brings volunteers to Bay area elementary schools to provide hands-on science experiments in the classroom. In addition to a studio interview with Science is Elementary founder Tzipor Ulman, an articulate and passionate advocate for science education, the programs includes footage of volunteers and teachers in the classroom complete with enthusiastic, cheering kids.
The logistical and technical aspects of this show were challenging and from it I discover what a producer really does — to be in charge of all aspects of the show, getting all involved parties together early, and doing a lot of planning. With help from a Better Part member who is an excellent editor, Phil Lenihan, the program turned out beautifully and will be aired on local cable TV soon.
So what was my dream when I first decided to join The Better Part. And after several months, how did it pan out? Well, almost according to script.
What I wanted was the opportunity to produce TV programs of interest to thinking people in a format that allows enough time to explore a topic in depth, kind of like a 60 Minutes but in 28.5 minutes. The Better Part offers an alternative to national cable news programs with their sound-bite size attention span and manic focus on personalities such as Donald Trump rather than true newsmakers.
Another thing that was important to me was the celebration of the local heroes (which is a reason I blog on Patch). I think a village needs to support and cheer on its local heroes to nurture them to even greater things or just to celebrate what ordinary individuals are able to accomplish in life. I remember a line in Bill Gates, Sr.’s autobiography, Showing Up for Life, in which he stated the importance in his life of service is “just showing up”. Long a supporter of civic causes, notably Scouts and United Way, Bill Gates, Sr. is now a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Better Part currently has over 20 active members, including Billie Atwood who has been a member for 23 years and many others who have been active for 15 or more years. They are very welcoming to newcomers and provide opportunity and help for you to create programs to be shown on local cable television, which may later be shown via simulcast and YouTube.
The Better Part meets Tuesdays at 9:30 to 11:30 in the Oak Room at the Cupertino Senior Center for a planning/administrative meeting and on Thursdays at 9:30 to 11:30 (except the first Thursdays of the month) to tape programs at the KMVT studios in Mountain View.
