VOLUNTEERING AT THE MEDIA CENTER
Almost every show you see on our channels owes its existence to our dedicated team of volunteers. Volunteers come from every walk of life, from high school students to senior citizens. Under certain circumstances, volunteering can also be used as credit for video production training if the regular fees are difficult to manage.

No Experience Necessary
Our volunteers have a wide range of technical abilities, from technophobes to vaunted Silicon Valley engineers. Our equipment is professional (and expensive!), so we require all new crew members to be trained in a hands-on class. This can be waived if you already have working experience in the area you are pursuing.

Orientation: The Place to Start
Attend one of our frequently-scheduled Orientation sessions, just an hour long, which gives you an idea of what we’re all about. Or you can go directly to our online Volunteer Interest Form.

Volunteer on Studio Shows
Most people choose to volunteer on a studio crew. Studio Crews number between five and ten and most studio shows take place in 2.5 hour increments between 5:30 PM and 10:30 PM. They are a great way to meet other interesting folks! After taking a studio workshop, you can be qualified to run a camera, floor direct, mix audio, answer phones, run the teleprompter, create graphic titles, become a technical director, or direct the entire crew. After you complete a studio class, you will be given the option to put yourself on a database of available volunteers. Producers utilize this database when recruiting crew members. If you don’t receive any calls from producers within a couple weeks of completing a class, give us a call and we’ll try to get you started. You can also contact a specific producer directly by asking a Media Center staff person for the producer contact information for a particular show.

Volunteer for Field Production or Editing
You may also choose to be a volunteer videographer in the field and or an editor. We get lots of calls from local organizations who would love to get an event taped, such as a guest speaker or a panel discussion. There are also studio producers who would like to get some footage from a specific location to include in their studio discussion. Those who request a volunteer cover the costs of tapes and equipment lending. Usually the volunteer picks up and returns the equipment. Editors are always in high demand. There are plenty of beginning editors who could use some mentoring. There are also videographers who tape something in the field, but don’t know how to put opening titles or closing credits onto the tape. Others would like to cut something down to a shorter piece. After taking the appropriate classes, you would become listed as a potential volunteer that Media Center staff or studio producers might call with a request. You can always say no if you are busy or the topic doesn’t interest you.

Volunteer to Record and Write Immigration Stories
We are building an archive of immigration stories from families throughout the Silicon Valley. We will train you to be an interviewer-reporter for our Made Into America project. Contact elliot@midpenmedia.org

Non-production Volunteering Opportunities
The Media Center also has volunteer opportunities that are not video-related. We always need volunteers to help in the office, tape library, or with our computers.

Volunteer Interest Form
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the online Volunteer Interest Form or justcontact us