By Sha’Reena Bing | November 9, 2017

Riverdale’s Church of God of Prophecy (Photo by Sha’Reena Bing)

Where do the people go when they’re in need? Who is supposed to be the helping hand for the sick, the poor and the needy in the community? Well, if you ask Lessie Moore, she would tell you that it is the church, which she believes is the heartbeat of any and every community, especially hers.

Moore is the pastor of Riverdale’s Church of God of Prophecy Extended Hands Ministry. For years, her church body has moved from place to place in search of a true destination for their church family. From renting out churches, to having services in member’s homes, Moore has always been determined to keep a positive mindset.

The Riverdale church currently resides in a home and has been stable for about 10 years. Although it has some stability, Moore wants more than that. With the purchase of the home, Moore was able to gain 64 acres of land. Moore’s desire is to be able to have a church built on that land so that it can really enhance the work that they do within the community.

“I want to be able to have a place for people in need to stay. I want to be able to cook food and serve it after services to everybody in the community, but we can’t do any of that yet because we don’t have the resources,” Moore says. With the belief that building this church could actually really improve the community, the church has set up multiple events over the years to raise money towards its building fund.

The church has hosted revivals, sold dinners, hosted events for fun days in the community, and had fundraisers among its members and others. But even after doing these things for years, you need a lot more to build a church. 

“We actually raised enough money at one point to start getting the trees knocked down and the landscape cleared, but the guy we paid never held up to his end,” says Moore. Of course, this had to be a hard pill to swallow after so many years of not having an actual church building, so I asked her how she felt about the situation.

“Of course it was hard, but we didn’t retaliate. It’s funny because the guy that we paid was actually another pastor in our district. He works with construction and everything so we came up with a deal. He never did his part and we never got our money back,” Moore explained. “I could’ve sued, gotten the money back, but I realized that this man was supposed to be a child of God. I let it go because I know that eventually God will handle that situation.”

So this was a huge setback for Moore’s church but the fight never stopped. The church of has stayed positive throughout every struggle and its members refuse to give up because they know that their blessing is coming soon.

“We’ve had church in member’s houses every week, in hotels, and we’ve had church in my very own dining room. So to even be stable right now is a blessing in itself. We’ve been having church in this home for years now and we have gotten the chance to redecorate it over the years, so everything will fall into place eventually.”

Moore refuses to give up her goal of being that centerpiece in the community.  

“The people need us. They need us so bad and it is my duty as a woman of God in my leadership role to meet the needs of the people. I refuse to give up because I know that I have to work for it. Faith without work is dead, so I know that if I keep going my hard work will pay off,” says Moore.

“We’ve had people that we don’t even know come into our church services asking for financial help. Even though we don’t have the biggest congregation we always take it upon ourselves to raise an offering for that person, even if we never see them again. It is our job to do God’s work and that’s what we plan on doing even with the little that we have.”

It really was eye-opening to see how passionate Moore was about this. You could feel the emotion rolling off of every word that was said about her community and the goals that she has for her church. Knowing that this church is far from being a mega church hasn’t stopped Moore or her congregation from doing what they can to be the light in this community.

“It doesn’t matter where I go or who I’m with. I know what I have been placed on this earth to do and it is to be one of those people that can provide that safe place for those in need. I am that shoulder to lean on or even just the pastor that you can always count on,” says Moore.

Seeing the fight in this church family shows people that they truly care. There will be a day when that church building finally goes up and they can really have the necessary tools to continue being the heart of their community.

(The Weather Channel Newsroom. Photo credit: Jonathan Sheffield)

By Jonathan Sheffield

            When a natural disaster hits most Americans with cable television turn to The Weather Channel for live coverage of the event. They receive updates from on camera meteorologists who are on location or in the studio, but what happens behind the camera?

            Behind the scenes there is an entire newsroom of people working to get the latest weather news to you in a timely manner.

The News Desk

 This all starts at the news desk. They are the front line for gathering weather news and checking the sources that send in videos or images.

“It is important that we make sure the material we are sending to air is actual footage from the event and not an event from three months ago,” says Robin Dalfor, a member of the news desk team at The Weather Channel.

Associate Producers

After the news desk has confirmed a video clip is credible it ends up in the hands of an associate producer. These people have the editorial control to edit the clip in what they deem the “most compelling way,” says Christine Beldon, a freelance associate producer.

Beldon, like many others at The Weather Channel, is a freelance employee. She is not under a binding contract with The Weather Channel and has the right to work for any other employer while she is employed by The Weather Channel.

“We rely heavily on freelancers to put out the best product we can,” says Angie Massie, vice president of content.

“When coming into the media industry most people will start out as a freelancer, and in this line of business it tends to be a trial by fire. If you can handle it then maybe you will get hired as a full-timer,” says Video Editor Justin Isbecque.

Some freelance editors and associate producers work for multiple news outlets or media companies. Jeff Gammage, a freelance editor, says he, “enjoys being involved in both weather news and the hard news we cover at CNN.”

Producers

Above the associate producers there is a smaller team of producers. Like associate producers, some producers are freelance; however, most at The Weather Channel are full-time employees.

The producer has creative control of shows and segments, and decides what is and is not worth showing on air. Producers often find themselves in the field chasing a storm.

“During hurricane season I was out on assignment for over a month. I left for the eclipse in August and finally came back to the newsroom in late September,” says Producer Trish Ragsdale.

Producers are in charge of arranging field shoots as well as regular studio shows. This means organizing flights, crews, hotels for the crew, arranging transportation, and finding a safe location to shoot from.

“It can all be a bit stressful and a bit much. For this hurricane season we were all out for so long that the work just never stopped, and as soon as I was done with one shoot I was calling and booking everything for the next shoot for the next hurricane,” says Producer Michael Vann.

Photographers

Possibly the most important person on a shoot is the photographer, commonly referred to as a “photog” in the media industry. These people carry around the camera and sound equipment all day while in the field. They are responsible for making sure that the shot is perfect and that the audience gets the full effect from the image they are capturing.

Executive Producers

Back at the studio, there is a team of people watching everything that goes out on air. The executive producers and content managers have full control over everything on air. Everyone that touches a piece of video answers to them. The content managers and executive producers have final say on what does and does not get aired from the producer’s proposal, and if news is breaking they have the authority to add it to the running segment.

“It can be stressful to make sure that we are putting our best content on air all of the time, and during hurricane season we all end up here for long hours because there is extra pressure to make sure everything is up-to-date and that our crews on location have what they need and can produce good content,” says Executive Producer of Content Terrance Roper.

The executive producers and content managers also walk the line between media management and business management. They are heavily involved in partnership deals and content negotiations, and they ensure that sponsored content gets the time it is promised on air, but they also have the responsibility to put news first.

Keeping you weather alert

There is an entire army of people working behind the scenes to make sure that the audience is up-to-date with the latest weather news. Each of these people plays a different role in the media machine, but they all come together to ensure that The Weather Channel keeps broadcasting the most accurate and latest weather news possible.

By: Kevin Hatch

Jason Reitman (far left), J.K. Simmons (sixth from the left), and Hugh Jackman (seventh from the left). This was taken before the show began as introductions were being made.

After Hurricane Maria thrashed Puerto Rico this past September and October, millions of Puerto Ricans are still without power, many without homes, and 51 without their lives.

When a tropical storm causes $52 billion in damages, creative celebrity involvement is what it takes to raise funds where traditional relief efforts cannot.

The country is still reeling from the massive storm just over two months later, and the mainstream media outlets have let the island nation fall to the way side. As of October 8, The American Red Cross had collected $350 million in donations for Hurricane Harvey, $45 million for Irma, but only $9 million for Maria.

Big names sell products and at face value, Puerto Rico relief is a product that needs selling to gain interest. Ryan Sager from the website MarketWatch says, “Stocks go up roughly a quarter of a percentage point, on average, with a celebrity endorsement, sales for products endorsed by athletes go up by an average of 4%.”

A few weeks after the storm ceased, celebrities pushed for donations and aid from the U.S. government. These endorsements were meant to keep US citizens interested in Puerto Rico. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the hit Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” created a $2.5 million fund for relief after visiting the country on November 7. Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and Marc Antony tweeted non-stop to spread the word that Puerto Rico continues to need help. Together, the trio raised $35 million. This is four times the donation amount received by The Red Cross.

Late night host Stephen Colbert tweeted out #PuberMe, and issued a challenge for other celebrities to share old photos of themselves. With each photo shared, the accompanied #PuertoRicoRelief, stayed in the mainstream for just a little while longer.

On the heels of this big social media push, people had to keep the creative efforts going.

Jason Reitman, director of “Juno,” hosted a live read of the shooting script for the 1987 cult classic, “The Princess Bride.” The event occurred on October 22 at the Rialto Theatre in downtown Atlanta, a first for an event of this type. Hugh Jackman and J.K. Simmons were among a few celebrities to read for characters from the film.

Reitman’s event was a casual affair for the most part. There was little advertising due to last minute planning, but the show was sold out of its 833 seats. Attendees at the event were asked, “Why are you here tonight?” and the responses were varied.

An overwhelming majority was just happy that the event benefitted Puerto Rico. The show sold every ticket in the house, and even allowed for a few extra seats to be sold in the wings to maximize the efforts of the event.

Austin Lee, a 20 year old from Atlanta said, “I heard Hugh Jackman was gonna be there and I love [“The Princess Bride”].” He later added, “I also like how my money is helping Puerto Rico.”

Eva Escorza, a 44-year-old mother of two said, “I mean, of course I wanted to see Hugh Jackman, but at the end of the day that’s why they invited him. He is here to sell seats, and it worked.”

On top of ticket sales, the event sold commemorative posters, $25 for unsigned, $45 for a version signed by the entire cast. The posters sold out before the show started.

So with little news coverage on the event, it is tough to pinpoint just how successful the fundraising was, but at a base ticket price of $30, the event hit just above $24,000 in ticket sales alone.

Whatever the dollar amount, any additional money collected for Puerto Rico is considered a win for advocates, but natural disasters such as these seem to rely on the care of famous individuals. Sager discusses the effectiveness of these endorsements in detail, but the bottom line is that advertisers must choose celebrities wisely. An ad for Puerto Rico starring Jennifer Lopez would be much more effective right now than an ad with Kevin Spacey.

Did a live reading of “The Princess Bride” single-handedly save Puerto Rico? No, not even close, but Reitman’s goal with this show was not to raise millions of dollars. He intended to keep relief a topic of conversation and he succeeded. As coverage of Hurricane Maria soon left the airwaves, the continued effort of humanitarians like Reitman, Lopez, and Miranda kept Puerto Rico a topic of conversation.

Reitman stood up as the reading finished and said, “I have always wanted to use my craft to help others. I’m an entertainer. I want to reach people through my medium and with a tragic event like Hurricane Maria, I knew I had the opportunity to do so. With the help of these great performers alongside me, I know we made a difference here tonight.”

Original movie props from “The Princess Bride” on display.

Puerto Rico is on a long road to recovery. As each day passes, these donations reach the country still struggling to stay relevant, but the hard work and care of people like Jason Reitman make the struggle easier.

Students attending Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, are expressing discontent at the university’s film curriculum.

“Most of the classes here are about film theory and involve analyzing movies. There aren’t that many actual production classes,” said Drew Alexander, a junior majoring in Film at Georgia State.

This, according to Alexander, is particularly interesting because Atlanta has developed a robust film scene in recent years, as more and more production studios are shooting their films here.

CNBC reports that 245 films and TV shows were shot in Atlanta between July 2015 and June 2016. This number is estimated to grow in 2017.

“It would be pretty cool if we could go to some of those productions as students and see what the process is like, for a more hands-on experience,” said Alexander.

“Baby Driver,” released on June 28, 2017, was shot in large part on Georgia State campus.

“They shot it so close to home,” said Alexander. “I’m surprised GSU didn’t take the opportunity to get students involved with that. It was such a cool thing to see.”

Georgia State offers a wide variety of classes and majors for its students, including a film production course. According to the course description, it’s designed to teach “basic editing technique and dynamic camerawork as a means to develop directorial vision,” but this production class is only open to seniors, and the problem is amplified because the course only lasts for one semester.

“I won’t be able to work behind a camera until I’m a senior,” Andrew said. “I wasn’t expecting it to go like this when I came to State.”

Members of the university’s film department are conflicted on the matter.

“The film faculty is a little slow,” said Shirlene Holmes, a film and theater professor at Georgia State University. “Atlanta’s making all kinds of goodies now, but we haven’t quite caught up to them yet.”

It’s a plausible explanation. Georgia State University’s film department could simply be behind on the times, unprepared for the sudden development of a thriving film scene in downtown Atlanta.

“I’m not in charge of how we run the program, but I imagine it’s quite difficult to change the way we teach it. It must be a long process,” said Holmes.

This “long process,” however, is leading to a dissatisfaction among film majors like Alexander, who feels as though he’s been shortchanged because he hasn’t learned the skills he was hoping to acquire through Georgia State’s film program.

 “Our curriculum is more about the art of movies because that’s all we’ve known here,” said Holmes. “Now that more people are coming here to make movies, I think we’re going to have to change how we’ve been offering this major.”

But Holmes is only a professor at the university—according to her, she’s not high enough on the ladder to change how Georgia State implements the film program. That, she says, is up to the students.

“If enough students can get the discussion going, I think it could create a change in the department heads,” she said.

In the meantime, students like Alexander will have to settle for Georgia State’s current offerings.

“I just wish they could readjust the curriculum so that it represents what Atlanta is becoming,” he said.

According to Alexander, the university’s inability to change and stay with the times is its primary weakness.

“I love being a film major, but I hate it sometimes. It’s frustrating because I feel like I could be doing more on my own,” Alexander said.

But at the same time, Holmes says the material that students are learning is vital to eventually learning the process of making movies on their own.

“What we teach is like a gateway,” she said. “Once you finish the major, you can go on and make movies on your own and teach yourself. If you really wanted to learn how to make a movie, you could go to a film school that specializes in that. There are different schools that specialize in different things.”

This brings the university to a crossroads. Should Georgia State amend the current film curriculum to be more representative of the city, or should it stay the same to guide students through the process of independent learning? Students like Alexander would like more variety within the program, but professors like Holmes don’t necessarily agree.

Either way, it appears someone will lose. If the students had their way, they would learn the craft of filmmaking without the lessons in theory and history. But if the program stays as it is, students could learn the philosophy of film to later apply it in their own work.

“It’s complicated,” Holmes said. “We need to change, but not at the expense of the quality of the content.”