Member receives prestigious award from NYSOWA
William R. Hilts Sr. of Sanborn was named the 2009 recipient of New York State Outdoor Writer’s Association prestigious M. Paul Kessler Outdoor Citizen Award on Oct. 3 at the NYSOWA’s annual conference.
The award was created in honor of one of the association’s most beloved and active members, Paul Kessler, the deceased co-founder of the New York Sportsman magazine. Kessler, through his writing and publishing efforts, spent nearly five decades promoting and conserving the outdoor wonders and recreational opportunities within New York State.
Hilts has also been a member of the writing fraternity for nearly 50 years. His career has encompassed radio, television, newspaper, magazine, electronic communications and lectures. During his tenure, he has served on numerous boards and councils in the communications and outdoor fields. Hilts has served as president of both the NYSOWA and the Outdoor Writers Association of America. OWAA presented Hilts the Ham Brown Award earlier this year. ◊
Cell phone serves as teleprompter in the field
Here’s a handy (and affordable!) tip from Paul Queneau:
“We just had one of our voice-talent guys shoot some standup video segments down in the mountains near Dillon, Mont. I helped write a script and sent it to him via e-mail,” Queneau said.
“He then uploaded the text to an application on his iPhone, which he brought along him and perched on the tripod just under the camera. The app auto-scrolls the text at an adjustable rate, which is legible from a good distance. The same would also work on the iPod touch. It seemed to work great for him, and I totally couldn’t tell was reading watching the video.”
Queneau is all too familiar with the the experience of trying to silently shuffle cue cards without bumping the camera, all the while holding them close enough to keep the subject’s eyes pointed in the right direction. Normal teleprompters can cost $1,000 or more, so it’s a pretty light and easy alternative for field video production.
Some of the apps out there:
- AutoPrompter by Softalk Ltd $4.99
- Teleprompter by Ferenc Sagi $0.99
- mPROMPT Teleprompter by Mark Johannessen Consulting $1.99
- ProPrompter by Bodelin Technologies $9.99 (which also sells a iPhone/iPod camera side-mount for tripods) ◊
“Hunting and Fishing Imperiled” report
Poorly planned energy projects could irreparably harm 10 invaluable hunting and fishing destinations on Western public lands, according to a report released by Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, a coalition of 300 sportsmen, businesses and organizations.
The report, titled “Hunting and Fishing Imperiled,” focuses on the impacts that oil and natural gas extraction could have on landscapes vital to fish and wildlife and prized as prime hunting and fishing destinations.
The report focuses on ten threatened places – all overseen by either the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service – in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. A complete list with detailed descriptions outlining the threat to each place is available at www.sportsmen4responsibleenergy.com. ◊
Web site dedicated to tree stand safety launched by National Bowhunter Education Foudation
The National Bowhunter Education Foundation announces the launch of a Web site and tree stand safety survey dedicated to reducing the number of tree stand accidents and deaths. The site, www.projectSTAND.net, provides hunters and instructors with the tools necessary to hunt safely from a tree stand.
The site’s safety videos illustrate the correct climbing styles and aids and hunter testimonials give users a real-life look at how lives can be forever changed when harnesses are worn improperly.
A short survey made possible by a Pope and Young Conservation Grant allows site users to provide feedback about their hunting experiences.
Interested parties can purchase Project STAND merchandise or donate some money for the cause on the Web site. ◊
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