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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
If you’ve ever turned on the television and scanned through every channel searching for something to watch, you may have come across one of the Westwood Media Center’s (WMC) channel.
On the government and community channels, Westwood residents can find recordings of important government meetings, like School Committee and Board of Selectmen meetings, high school sports and Thurston Middle School news, as well as community members’ creative endeavors, such as talk shows and short films.
WMC, located on 15 Perwal Street off of Route 1, is one of Westwood’s hidden gems. More than just a channel to watch, WMC hosted an open house on April 11 for the community to realize all it has to offer.
“We want the community to know, if they don’t already, that our little corner of Westwood exists,” said Executive Director Melinda Garfield. “I know we’re off the beaten path, but when people walk in the doors, they’re like, ‘Oh my goodness! I can’t believe this is here with all of these resources.’”
WMC offers top-of-the-line equipment, like professional cameras, state of the art lighting equipment, and teleprompters in the center’s studio. While it is best for creators to bring a crew of at least one to assist in the control room, the WMC staff also offers help to solo creators. WMC also boasts a private editing suite, with equipment for podcasting, and a computer lab providing the entire Adobe Creative Cloud.
“We provide you the resources, you provide the programming,” Garfield said. “People can just come in, learn how to use them, and just create.”
Creators can use WMC’s equipment, which includes camera rentals, time in the studio, and access to Adobe Creative Cloud software with an individual membership that costs only $25 a year. WMC also offers memberships to families, non-profit organizations, businesses, and educational institutions, which helps fund WMC’s programs and costs for equipment.
Classes for both adults and youths seeking to learn about video production are available at WMC. Members may enroll in classes for free, and the public is invited to register for classes and workshops through Westwood Recreation’s website.
