Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Meaning Behind the Title


Through a series of events that have recently occurred in my life I am bringing back many old and new videos that family, friends, community and the world have enjoyed from the past as well as creating new videos that inform, educate and always try to entertain my audiences!



A young Mother, 
eager videographer
Age 31

















Older Mother
Still a Videographer
Age 54





Pre-Rosenow

I will be as brief as needed in order for the reader to gain better understanding of my very dear and passionate art, moving pictures (film/video) spanning over the course of close to forty years.  I think it's important for you to know a little bit about me and my background before I start the show.

I began using video as a way to communicate with others.  As best I remember, in 1981, while attending the University of Minnesota Technical College, Agricultural Extension in Waseca, I was enrolled in a TV & Radio class.  From that point on I knew I was hooked.  Video had been around since the 60's but I was new to it.  We used 3/4" video tape with a connected video camera and used linear editing equipment.  Unfortunately, the footage I have from this time in my life is on 3/4" inch tape and I have no 3/4" player.  So I will forgo that pleasure to you at the moment but may be able to bring some clips to you in the future.

But truly, my interest in moving pictures started before video.  I was a young teenager when I started using both photographic and 8mm film.  My first family smash hit had to be "The Fashion Show".  With most movies you need characters.  As mentioned in my profile, I am the second oldest of nine children, oldest sister.  Using my younger siblings as characters, they were eager to star in my movie.  Finding a bag of old clothes they used them as costumes for our collaborated adventure.  The goal was to have fun, laugh and be funny. (I was probably 13 or 14?)  I think we achieved our goal!  The videos have definitely faded since I first transferred the 8mm to video but the film is still in amazingly good condition.


My films for the most part consisted of capturing various family events.  Having the experience of living in the country gave me some wonderfully colorful backgrounds to film against.  I was raised on a farm seven miles outside St. Peter, in between Ottawa and Cleveland.  Many events that were filmed were events such as vacations (mostly up north), relatives and our get togethers, and events on the farm like hay bailing or the time my brothers found a boat that was washed up alongside the river bank on Father's farming land in the spring after flooding had occurred.  I don't remember how they got it back to the farm but as you will see a long rope of twine string was attached to the boat where sister, Teresa pulled the little vessel upstream for brothers Andy and Bob.  In the background you can see my late brother Chuck and sister Marguerite fishing in the creek.  I believe the fish Marguerite is holding up is that of a small bullhead.  It was not uncommon for us kids to quite often catch chubs, crayfish or small bullheads from Cherry Creek on the farm's property.



Pat Rosenow Productions

Upon completion of school I had a degree, two small children and no work.  Many employers told me they were looking for someone with more experience.  For me public access was a means to gain experience in the field.  But really I gained so much more than experience from public access.  The whole philosophy of programs being produced by and for your own community was quite appealing to me.  From 1986 to 1992 I volunteered at St. Peter's Public Access (SPPA) and worked at Le Sueur's public access (CATV-6) as their Production Coordinator.  I also chaired the SPPA Advisory Board during this time.  I was definitely an advocate for public access TV.

My first program produced for SPPA was "Duck Hunting 1986. I got quite a chuckle out of viewing that old clip.  I was maybe 31 years old.  I later used clips from "Duck Hunting" for another promotional video I called "Keep On Growing".  That program became a finalist for a national award in the promotion category.  

Here's a short clip from 
"Keep On Growing", my take on Duck Hunting...


I received other recognitions in quality programming for videos I produced while utilizing SPPA's equipment and gaining more experience in the field.  In 1990, I won first place in the kids category for my video clip entitled, "Bad Boys".  This was a video contest sponsored by a syndicated program called Video Challenge.

Bad Boys evolved after seeing the music video on MTV.  I think it was the Cats characters set to their song.  This was a very different take on the lyrics that I had envisioned.  I had multiple friends and family with children and felt that incorporating children into this creation was an important concept to my vision of the video.  Utilizing photographic snapshots, 8mm film transfers and video I choreographed the dance and lip sync at various locations within and around St. Peter.  The clip is only a portion of the whole song but I think you will get a pretty good idea of how it went.

I had submitted the clip to Video Challenge in the early spring.  Representatives called me regarding the song I used.  I still have the 45 record.  It was made in 1985 by the Miami Sound Machine, produced by Emilio Estefan, Jr.  I paid $2.49 for the recording.



  I thought to myself if they're getting permission I'll be my clip will be part of their show.  They did not give me any information as to whether I won or not.

Here's the winning clip....



I remember when I found out the news.  It was a late summer afternoon when the phone rang.  It was my neighbor, the late Gerald Health.  He stated I won the contest.  He just watched it on TV.  That was a most wonderful surprise and I still have the set of encyclopedias. 

The following year, 1991 I won first place in the promo category from the Minnesota Community Television Awards for my video, "Get Smart".  Here again, this video involved children.  I wanted to promote the public access in a positive and entertaining manner.  The idea behind it was if you watch channel 7 you'll get smart.


When he announced I was the winner I felt like "The Price is Right" when the contestants come and join Bob Barker center stage.  I was competing with others from all over Minnesota.

From 1992 to 2005 (almost 14 years) I worked for the City of St. Peter as their Public Access Coordinator.  As Coordinator, my charge was to manage all aspects of the public access cable TV station.  Promoting the station in various was was a given.

The late Bob Wettergren (Mr. St. Peter) had a weekly program called Know Your Community featuring people from around the area whom he interviewed about a business or event that was happening at the time.  I have fond memories of his program and his quotes he used from time to time like..."as the great Dizzy Dean said, if ya done it, it ain't bragging" or at the end of every program he's say, "See ya next week, God willing."

A very successful event I had no problem promoting was SPOOK CORNER.  Over multiple years the station produced this LIVE event.  I have multiple clips of multiple years of this particular event with multiple community people.  I will be featuring a story in October on this original and entertaining venture.




The list can go on and on with a wide range of programs and I hope to bring you many different shows of interest like the Winter Fest Children's Fiddle Contest or John Hartford performing at the Rock Bend Folk Festival in St. Peter.

From 2003 to 2005 I produced a show called SPPA Connections.  It was a branch off from the Know Your Community showcasing individuals or groups/organizations that were involved with SPPA.


I think these clips gives you a flavor for some of the subject matter.

Really, Rose-Now Connections is all about the connections I have or had with the community, friends, family and even parts of the world.

And now into the future of Rose-Now Connections my approach is the KISS method...keep it simple stupid.  In addition to sharing past programs that were produced while at the station I will bring you clips from various ventures since I started up my own business, 
Pat Rosenow Productions.  

At the end of each blog/vlog post I will you you a sneak peek into the next post.  For example, some of you may have seen me on the Fourth of July taping the Govenairs while at the parade or at the park.  My next post is indeed my Fourth of July and the connections during that memorable day.



I got to where the Govenaires were lining up for the parade. 


Here they were practicing as they waited for the parade to begin.











Drummers marching to their own beat.






I'd like at this time to encourage readers to become a follower of my blog/vlog, Rose-Now Connections.  It's easy, fast and alerts come to you via your internet email each time I post a new entry.

If you have suggestions or would like a feature done on an event in town or around the area, I will consider any and all possibilities.

Become a sponsor and help make future features possible.  If you would like more information on how you can be a sponsor just email me at
prose1959@yahoo.com

Take into consideration as to what Captain Jimmy said...


This blog/vlog post was sponsored by
Pat Rosenow Productions
"Take the first step in faith.  You don't have to see the whole staircase.  Just take the first step."
Martin Luther King Jr.
1929-1968

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