Crossroads, a documentary produced by Clemson Video Production Services and featuring Erica Black as a cinematographer was recognized this week with a Videographer Award of Distinction. Add this to the two Tellys this program won and it is obvious that this productions turned out really nice. Written and produced by Elizabeth Anderson of Clemson University it was shot mostly in South Carolina. The touching story focuses on the Sisters contribution to social services including hospitals, elderly care, and education and what the plan is for the future is as more nuns reach the age of retirement and few younger sisters join the ranks behind them.

More about the award:

The Videographer Awards is an international awards program directed by communication professionals to honor talented individuals and companies in the video production field. Entrants include video production companies, advertising and public relations firms, corporate communication departments, cable and broadcast television operations, government agencies and schools, independent producers, and special event producers. Past winners have come from all 50 states and numerous countries.

The Videographer Awards is designed to identify communication professionals who are raising the standards of the industry and to give winners and their clients the recognition that the work they are producing is outstanding and highly regarded by their peers. The competition provides an equal chance of winning to all entrants, regardless of size and budget. Since there are no lengthy essays to accompany the entry, all work will be judged solely on its own quality, creativity and resourcefulness.

You can now catch both video and audio only versions of Lucy’s Tasty Treasures on iTunesU - Clemson University. You can get into Clemson’s iTunesU without a login and still access dozens of podcasts based on Lucy and healthy eating for free.

Many podcasts are available in both English and Spanish.

All podcasts are free and you can subscribe so that you’ll get automatic updates on newly posted podcasts.

iTunes is a free program and works on both Macs and PCs. It can be downloaded from the Apple website.

Glastonbury: Isle of Light

In what seems a smart match for both parties Galatia Films, LLC will foster the new Glastonbury Film Project ultimately aiding in the production of this feature film. Galatia Films specializes in movies with both strong historical and entertainment value.  "It was exactly what we were looking for," says Alex Shields an executive with Galatia, "we welcome the chance to work with another never-before-seen historical story; this has always been primary criteria for us in selecting films to promote."

Lucy’s Tasty Treasures won two bronze Telly Awards during the 2008 season for outstanding film/video in the health and wellness category and for outstanding promotional piece in the health and fitness category.

Galatia Films writes, produces, shoots, and edits these episodes in conjunction with Dr. Katherine Cason of the Depart of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Clemson University. These are very prestigious awards and we are happy to be such an integral part of Lucy’s Tasty Treasures.

Lucy’s also won two other awards presented by the Professional Nutritional Society this month.

RTB TV, the place for viewing production diaries and other video news on Reclaiming the Blade. RTB TV vlogs can be seen all across the internet including YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, and on the official RTB TV page.

From the RTB site-

Galatia Films is pleased to announce our new Production Video Channel. To start we have a welcome video message from the director of the film, Daniel McNicoll. Over the coming months and through theatrical distribution we will be offering exclusive highlights covering the film-making process. From Skywalker Sound to the Mind Over Eye studio in Santa Monica California, these production videos will give you a detailed look inside the film.

In addition to the select "making of" videos we will also be revealing extended clips and brilliant interviews that can only be seen on the RTB Video Production Channel. Including exclusive clips from actors and academics such as Viggo Mortensen and Dr. Sidney Anglo. Over 300 hours of footage was captured to create Reclaiming the Blade and certainly lots of great clips were unfortunately left out. Also each episode opener, starting with this first video, will include sneak peaks at David James Nielsen’s score for the film.

For those of you interested in learning more about our plentiful giveaways there will be a series of videos hosted by Shawn Stevens featuring the swords, books, subscriptions and training equipment to be given away. Want to register to win? Simply join our mailing list and that is all. These giveaway videos will also include important information with regards to the giveaway schedule so please stay tuned, you may be one of the winners that we announce!

Future episodes include:

Erica Black - Producer

John Rhys-Davies - Narrator

Tim Goodwin - Editor

Johnny Motion - Lead Animator

David James Nielsen - Composer

Andy Dellenbach - Post-production

Daniel McNicoll - Director

Kent Sparling - Sound Designer

And many more…

The Southeast Produce Council & EFNEP Partners in Better Health

Obesity is a modern day epidemic that affects all facets of society, including children. The prevalence of obesity in children has nearly quadrupled over the past 30 years. Research has shown that childhood obesity commonly tracks into adulthood. More than 20% of children are obese by the time children they reach middle school.

Fruits and vegetables play a critical role in the etiology and treatment of several chronic diseases, including obesity. Americans are encouraged to consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. However, according to the NHANES, children ages 6 to 11 consume an average of 2.1 vegetables and 1.4 fruits per day. Therefore, a nutrition education program Lucy’s Tasty Treasures was developed with the goal of building awareness and appreciation of fruits and vegetables; and, increasing their consumption.

Lucy’s Tasty Treasures is a television series shown in schools and on SCETV with an innovative blend of education and entertainment. The main character, Lucy, is on a summer assignment, a Treasure Hunt, to locate and learn about fruits and vegetables. Lucy, accompanied by her younger brother, Austin, travels throughout the Southeast, visiting farms, food industries, retail establishments and other sites related to fruits and vegetables. On her trips, Lucy often encounters Charlotte, a classmate who has the same assignment. Taking a “farm to table” approach, Lucy’s Tasty Treasures also includes segments that show Lucy and her Mom in their home kitchen with the fruits and vegetables Lucy learned about on her trips. Lucy and Mom prepare quick and easy, kid-friendly recipes while discussing nutritional content and food handling practices of the fruits and vegetables.

Prior to program development, three focus group interviews were conducted with 29 children to assess their knowledge about nutrition, and fruits and vegetables. The results were utilized to develop the key educational messages. During the development process, three additional focus group interviews were conducted with 22 children to gather information about educational activity design, format, and characters. Viewer responses have been overwhelming and positive. Preliminary data from 76 students who completed a pretest and posttest indicates that the majority acquire knowledge and skills related to fruit and vegetables and nutrition.

The Lucy’s Tasty Treasures program also includes Tasty Bites segments that are 1-2 minutes in length. These segments are taped in a laboratory, kitchen or outdoors and are designed to educate about different nutrition, diet and health messages. These segments can be used as “teasers” at the beginning of educational classes or can be shown during the morning announcements in schools. Lucy’s Tasty Treasures has supplementary materials including a Teacher’s Guide that supports and extends the learning opportunities and a web site containing video segments, games, recipes, podcasts, and a blog for students.

The Galatia Films Commercial is airing on television as of today. Showing highlights from various projects including TV shows, feature films and commercial work, this commercial celebrates some of the best moments recently recorded by Galatia Films. In case you don’t want to wait, you can view it at the link below.

Clemson Educator Uses Show to Promote Healthy Eating in Children

Anderson School District 4 Uses Episodes

By Evelyn Beck/Special to the Independent-Mail
Thursday, September 27, 2007

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY — Collards as an alternative to potato chips? Children who watch a new series of DVDs called “Lucy’s Tasty Treats” just might think so.

Developed by Clemson University food science and human nutrition Professor Katherine Cason, the series uses a “farm to fork” approach, taking viewers through the entire food production process. There’s also lots of advice about healthy meals and snacks kids can make.

“Kids are more inclined to taste and consume foods they learn more about and help prepare,” said Cason, who filmed one show at a Lexington collard farm.

Children also are more receptive to nutritional messages from their peers. So the stars of “Lucy’s Tasty Treats” are fifth- and sixth-graders, including Cason’s daughter, Melissa.

“Lucy’s Tasty Treats” is being used in 30 percent of South Carolina schools, including Anderson District 4.

With funding from the Southeast Produce Council and Clemson University, it was developed to help schools fulfill a requirement for at least one hour of nutrition education per week, part of federal and state mandates related to school wellness policies. This legislation is a response to the epidemic of childhood obesity, a special concern in South Carolina, which ranks fifth nationally in the percentage of citizens who are overweight.

Each episode of the show lasts 30 minutes, though there are also related two-minute spots. So far, Ms. Cason and her crew have completed six of the longer episodes and 20 of the shorter ones. The goal is to film 36 of each.

One of the shorter segments helps children make better beverage choices by showing that a glass of soda contains 26 teaspoons of sugar in comparison to a glass of milk, which has no added sugar, plus a lot of nutrients not available in soft drinks.

Ms. Cason is convinced that “Kids, if given the right information, can make the better choices.”

Another show stresses the importance of eating breakfast and offers such nontraditional ideas as breakfast pizza (a pizza crust topped with cream cheese or peanut butter plus fresh fruits). Other topics include the importance of hand washing and the need to get one hour of physical activity daily.

For more information about “Lucy’s Tasty Treats,” contact Ms. Cason at kcason@clemson.edu or visit Lucy’s Tasty Treasures official website.

The new promotional video for Lucy’s Tasty Treasures has now been released and can be watched online. This video reveals the actors and actresses thoughts on being a part of the project while also exploring the necessity of the shows message to children.

Lucy’s Tasty Treasures Promotional Video

Galatia Films cinematographer, Erica Black, works on "Crossroads," a documentary based on the research of Professor Mark Small of the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, the film portrays ministries of Catholic Sisters in South Carolina, highlighting their historical impact and challenging future. The film’s premiere was broadcast on South Carolina Educational Television on Easter Sunday 2008.