Flagstaff on Kyle Anderson

Promotional Video: Sun Sounds of Arizona

Tue, 17 May 2011 09:26:45 -0700


Project Meta Camera: Canon XH-A1 Editor: Final Cut 7 Graphics: Photoshop CS5 Primary Role: Producer

Sun Sounds of Arizona is a local non-profit that provides access to printed materials, primarily periodicals and local newspapers, that the visually impaired otherwise wouldn’t have access to. I was asked to lead a team of two photographers and one editor to produce a 5-7 minute promotional video for the organization. For this, we used a documentary-style approach and gathered interviews from listeners of the service as well as volunteer readers.

"Envisioning the New Flagstaff" - Documentary

Mon, 09 May 2011 11:59:20 -0700


Project Meta Cameras: Canon T2i Canon XH-A1 Editor: Premiere Pro CS5

In 2009, I covered the Arts and Business summit hosted by the Flagstaff Arts and Business alliance for NAZ Today. It was at that summit that I learned how interconnected the art industry is with the local economy - that the arts mean business. Since that summit, I’ve noticed that a rising number of galleries in downtown Flagstaff have been closing their doors. This project is an attempt to overview what exactly is changing in the art industry and what the future of art in Flagstaff is by talking with local business owners, art leaders, and artists about the state of the art-based economy, business strategies, and the importance of the First Friday ArtWalk.

Get Your Fashion Fix on Route 66

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:13:46 -0700


Project Meta Cameras: Panasonic HMC-150 (x3) Editor: Final Cut 7

Every other fall, the merchandising program at the NAU School of Communication produces a fashion show featuring local designers alongside student designers. I first participated in documenting this event in 2008 under poor lighting and audio conditions. This time around, in 2010, the venue, and thusly the production quality, changed for the better. This 42 minute program was filmed in HD on Panasonic SD-card-based cameras. For this production, I served as one of the camera operators and the editor. Original shooting date was in November, but it was only recently completed because it was done pro-bono.

Stories from InsideNAU

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:00:03 -0700

This semester, I took a part-time job as a reporter for InsideNAU, a PR/news program that focuses specifically on NAU happenings and events. I produced five packages for the show throughout the semester, doing the writing, editing, and some shooting. I enjoyed doing all of these stories; Below are four of the packages, from most to least favorite.

S05E04 - Astronomy Club

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Documentary: Coconino Amateur Radio Club at The Grand Canyon Marathon

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:23:06 -0700

A documentary about the Coconino Amateur Radio Club at the Grand Canyon Marathon.

Abandoned Route 66 Icons Point to New Future

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:02:11 -0700

Think of the modern American road trip. Where are people headed? Where do they stop along the way, and why? As US Highway 66 was developed and populated, midwesterners traveled the historic road from Chicago to Santa Monica, with many popular stops in the state of Arizona. But in many cases, unlike the road warriors of today, the highway itself was the destination, not a town or city.

That mentality seems to be all but gone now. With a faster and higher-capacity Interstate system in place, highway travel is seen more as an inconvenience than an experience.

Peter Dedeck wrote in his book, Hip To the Trip: A Cultural History of Route 66, “Route 66 fell victim to its own success.” That success is the highway’s efficient planning. 66 followed the contours of the terrain, whereas other US highways such as US 30 and 40 did not.

Such an efficient and speedy way to head west gained popularity, and by the time the Interstate system was being developed in the 1950s, a culture was bred around the highway. Gas stations were established, roadside attractions were built, and popular artists wrote songs and made films about the expressway to the west.

That culture was disbanded when the Interstate was constructed. Many sections of Route 66, the most efficient paths, were paved over by Interstate highways. Dedek writes, “In 1985, Route 66 existed existed only as a series of mostly disused strips of eroding pavement stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles.”

And as many of the sections of Route 66 disappeared, so did the businesses that thrived off of them.

According to Dedek, the “funeral” for Route 66 was held in Williams, Ariz. in 1984. Icons from the highway’s culture gathered on main street to say goodbye to America’s Main Street.

In that same region, two abandoned structures along Route 66 struck a particular interest: Pine Springs and Twin Arrows. One of them is leading the way in a redevelopment of that highway culture that was almost lost.

What led these businesses to fall? What is their future? Will the Route 66 culture be re-fostered and restored in a point-to-point travel society?

Abandoned Arizona - Route 66 from Kyle Anderson on Vimeo.

Things I'm Doing

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:05:33 -0700

Spreading myself too thin.

But that’s OK, because I take pride and joy in all of the work I do. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not doing enough work, to which my close friends call me insane for thinking. Here’s what I’ve been doing with my time aside from blogging here.

(Note: I normally don’t do this whole ‘‘Sorry for all the lack of updating omglol" because I know no one cares about how infrequently I update or every little thing I’m doing with my life, but I felt compelled.)

Low clouds and remnant snow define this winter landscape of NAU’s central campus.

FUSD Considers Closing South Beaver Elementary

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:03:41 -0700

Preface: This article was originally written for a Public Affairs class on February 16, 2010. Today, the FUSD announced they would be delaying closure of South Beaver Elementary along with three other schools by 60 days. But it’s only postponing the inevitable and feeding the tension between parents and teachers and the administration. (See: this article from the Arizona Daily Sun.)

FUSD Board members listen to parents, teachers and children voice their concers at the February 6th meeting about rezoning and school closures.

Historic South Beaver Elementary will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer, that is, if the Flagstaff Unified School District doesn’t close the school as a cost-cutting measure.

The FUSD school board held a series of community forums in late January and early February at schools across Flagstaff to ask the public for input on how to deal with budget cuts at the state level.

South Beaver Elementary hosted one of those meetings on February 6. Parents and board members worked under tightly-wound emotions as proposals for imminent school closures were presented. Parents were worried when it became apparent that most of the elementary closure plans included their school.

“It’s going to be a situation that’s tragic,” said Mike Cromer, a teacher at South Beaver since 1976. “It’s going to tear families apart. It’s going to displace children.”

NAU Donates $30K to Spike Lee's Checking Account

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:55:30 -0700

Promo poster for NAU’s Spike Lee event.

Who was this Spike Lee guy, anyway?

I had no idea who this famous black film director was until NAU decided to hire him to speak on January 27th. The university was aflutter, and everyone was waiting in anticipation for his appearance, one the university reportedly spent $30 thousand to make happen. A Spike Lee film festival was scheduled for the weekend before his Wednesday night talk, but excessive snow on the library’s roof canceled the screenings. One of my classes required me to view at least two of those screenings, so instead of watching “Do the Right Thing” (1989) and “She’s Gotta Have It” (1986), I was forced into watching both parts (four acts) of “When the Levees Broke,” (2006) the only Spike Lee film that was screened before his talk.

Flag Firefighter Laid to Rest After 28 Years Service

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:07:27 -0600

Fire Department honor guard and pallbearers prepare to move McNeal’s casket from fire engine to burial site at Flagstaff Citizen’s Cemetary. (Photo: Kyle Anderson/NAZ Today)

FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today) - By: Kyle Anderson - Friday morning’s stormy weather only reflected the mood of the Flagstaff Fire Department as firefighter Mark McNeal was remembered in a funeral service at Christ’s Church of Flagstaff. But mother nature was wise; rains almost instantly paused for the procession of fire, police and personal vehicles between service and burial.

The memorial service at Christ’s Church was well attended by friends, family and members of the community as well as fire department color and honor guards dressed in formal uniform. McNeal’s casket was transported to its final resting place at Flagstaff Citizen’s Cemetary by fire engine.

“It was a great send-off for Mark,” said Flagstaff Fire Department captain Mark Johnson. “I felt like we honored him very well.”

Local Non-Profits Receive $600k in Grants

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:43:52 -0700

Members of FCF and collaborating organizations after the grant ceremony Friday. (Photo: Kyle Anderson/NAZ Today)

FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today) - It was a solid half hour program where almost every audience member received a cash prize. This sounds like the perfect game show, but prizes won by this audience will arguably be used for a more philanthropic purpose.

The Flagstaff Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Arizona Community Foundation, awarded $600 thousand to local non-profit organizations, from social and educational services to youth and medical care programs. The 12th annual grant presentation was held this morning at the Coconino Center for the Arts.

“We had over 100 organizations recognized with over 250 checks, which is quite an accomplishment in itself,” said Mark Lamberson, Chairman of Flagstaff Community Foundation’s Advisory Board.

Film Photography - Superior Medium

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:27:42 -0700

Why film is the superior medium: 24 exposures a roll, and every frame has to be worth 20¢.

Ellen Spiro at NAU - Review

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:39:04 -0600

Documentary filmmaker Ellen Spiro spoke at NAU’s Cline Library last week on Thursday, succeeding two screenings of her latest film, Body of War, a story about an Iraq veteran who returned home just one week after deployment with a bullet in his back that paralyzed him from the chest down.

Spiro spent the two hour talk letting clips of her other documentaries speak for themselves. The clips and her answers during the Q and A session revealed a lot about her as a person and a documentarian.

Art Leaders Attend Summit, Plan Future

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:59:34 -0700

Preface: Leaders of the local Flagstaff art community gathered to discuss the future of art and its impact on Flagstaff’s economy.

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Arts and Business PKG