Dedham, MA – Quincy Access Television, in partnership with Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell achieved national recognition for the second time with their History Comes Alive segments by winning the “Best of Experimental Access Center Professional” award at the 2024 Hometown Media Awards in San Jose, California. The Foundation of the Alliance for Community Media presented the Hometown Media Award for the segment Good Deeds: History Comes Alive, Norwood Theater.
Every year, close to a thousand entries are submitted. These submissions are assessed based on a variety of criteria. A panel of industry judges evaluates the entries. Award winners are those who create the most innovative shows that address community issues, foster varied community engagement, and encourage viewers to experience television in new ways.
“Inspiration can come at unexpected moments and from the most unlikely sources,” said Crosby. “The idea for this series came while watching Italian movie director Dario Argento’s film, The Stendhal Syndrome; the movie introduced me to a medical condition in which an art observer can become so emotionally involved in viewing a work that a psychosomatic (mental and physical) response is experienced. As one who always looks for a new and unique way to tell a story, adapting it to a history lesson seemed logical.”
The “Best of Experimental Access Center Professional” award is presented annually by the Foundation of the Alliance for Community Media to recognize the creative use of media technology in a new and unique way. This award is highly regarded in the industry and is given to individuals or teams who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation, and impact in their work. Winning this award is a testament to the quality and uniqueness of Crosby and O’Donnell’s project, as it was selected as the best among a pool of highly competitive entries.
“These segments grew out of a History Comes Alive land record project at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. History in our local communities is all around us,” said O’Donnell. “The piece allows those in the community to learn about some of that fascinating history in a way that both captivates and educates the audience.”
In the program “History Comes Alive, Norwood Theater,” the museum patron, Michael LePage, steps into a historical image of the Norwood Theater through the use of green screen technology and is seemingly transported back to 1927. Amidst the sound of movie reels, the narrator, Register O’Donnell, explains the historic Norwood Theater was designed by William G. Upham and opened to much fanfare. The video details the history of the building and highlights some of the unique features that make it a local landmark. The piece closes with the museum patron stepping out of the photograph and returning to modern times.
To watch a video of the award-winning segment “History Comes Alive, Norwood Theater,” follow the link here: https://www.norfolkdeeds.org/wp-content/uploads/Good_Deeds_History_Comes_Alive_Norwood_Theatre-3-8-23.mp4
Register O’Donnell expressed, “I want to thank Mark Crosby whose creativity and production skills made the program possible. I also want to thank Jonathan Caliri and the staff at QATV for all their hard work in making this vision a reality. I cannot forget our star Michael LePage who by day does a fantastic job of recording Land Court documents at the Registry and Mike’s performance tied the piece together, thank you.”