One of the rewarding things about working with NCTC and its members is learning the backstories of the folks who comprise these organizations. In this week’s ViodiTV Real-Time Conversation, Brian Dowell provides an update on NCTC and we find out that they are busier than ever, helping their members get the products they need to serve their end-customers.

We then talk to one of NCTC’s newest staff members, Nick Bartelli, who is also the producer and writer of a thought-provoking and emotionally moving documentary on efforts to educate Syrian War child refugees. Bordering Hope makes it crystal clear that education is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. The film’s imagery paints a picture of how fragile society is, but the film leaves a message of home with the good work by educators at the border of Syria and Lebanon.

Finally, we end with a sneak peek of The Independent Show. The 2020 version will be virtual and cover multiple days sometime either late in August or early September. There won’t be an exhibition hall, but there will be sponsorship opportunities. As a precursor in July, NCTC will host separate marketing and legal sessions. Even when we can get back together, Lisa Miller, suggests that future events will feature a mix of online and in-person.

Conversation Highlights

• 00:50 – Brian provides an overview of some of NCTC’s activities since WEC, including
  • efforts to promote NCTC’s broadband initiatives
  • Promoting and helping operators choose OTT devices
  • Assisting suppliers with marketing plans to reach NCTC members, which includes help from outside marketing partners
  • broadband.nctconline.org is the portal for members to get more information about NCTC’s IP Transit and Transport partners.
  • He mentions new staff members that are helping members connect with vendors and products.
  • He explains the expansion of NCTC’s offering with the addition of consulting services thanks to new relationships with CCI Systems and Vantage Point Solutions.
• 06:46 – He provides a thumbnail of Don Simon and his education efforts. To learn more about Don, watch this ViodiTV interview with him.
• 07:30 – Nick expresses his appreciation for NCTC as an organization for the way it has kept expanding through the pandemic. The discussion veers into how they have adapted to become virtual. Nick shows off his two camera shoot and Ken is quietly envious of his set-up.
• 10:26 – This author explains how he doesn’t watch TV in the daytime, but he made an exception that was well worth the time. The exception was watching Bordering Hope, the film Nick produced.
• 10:54 to 11:26 – AN OUTAGE of some sort took down the live stream. Nick spoke of his experience teaching English at a school in Lebanon and how that inspired his master’s project.
• 11:26 – Instead of writing an 80-page thesis, Bartelli decided to tell the story through video and leverage the connections he had made teaching.
• 14:34 – This isn’t Kansas anymore, but in many ways it is.
• 15:50 – The school is about love and reaching out to kids. Nick indicates that fewer than 30% of the refugee children are receiving a formal education. Many of the children are working in the fields or worse.
• 18:46 – An inspirational story, as the schools have played a role in bridging different points of view.
• 21:28 – Nick talks about what is next for the movie, the movie’s music, and the cinematography. Compressing over 36 hours of video into less than one hour was challenging.
• 25:27 – With Lisa Miller watching live, Brian provides an exclusive to ViodiTV regarding TIS20, as mentioned above. He emphasizes that they are reimagining TIS20 to leverage the advantages of gathering online.
• 30:25 – For those wanting to view Bordering Hope, go to the website www.borderinghope.com and request a copy of the film.
• 30:45 – Is there a copyright or some other intellectual property violation when this author displays The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers? Tune in next week at 1:30/4:30 PDT/EDT when we interview the author of the book and we will ask him that question.