Category: reading

I read books less now than as a kid.

This is not a good thing.

Reading books is important.

This is the Ghouse Center’s Take on the LCR Program.

They ask:

Have you ever read a book and then seen the movie? Were your expectations met? Join us as we highlight books made into movies, or books we want made into movies?

How do You Win?

Each time you check out a book we will give you a due date bookmark with the date your book is due stamped on it.

When you finish the book fill out the back of the card and return it to the media center.

Each card is an entry into our monthly drawings and the final drawing at the end of the year for a Kindle Fire.  The more you read the more chances to win.

Here is Another Interpretation of the Lights Camera Read Program

The Polk Schools’ PDF Writes:

“Lights, Camera, Read!” PROGRAM OVERVIEW Lights,  Camera,  Read!,  is  a  program  that  is  a  cross-curricular  and  engaging program for students to create digital  stories  in  the  classroom.  After  students  complete  their  first  project,  they will be eager to find more ways to produce more digital stories. I know that’s  how  my  students  reacted.  The  Lights, Camera, Read! program brings the  art  of  digital  storytelling  to  life  and  ready  to  adapt  in  classes.

So regardless of where Lights Camera Read manifests as a concept, the relationship between books and digital media is cemented.

Many Different Concepts of Lights Camera Read

At Lights Camera Read we are excited to see all the different ideas for lights camera read with library and classroom projects all over the country. Although all these programs are only connected by the term “Lights Camera Read” they all reflect the importance of education in America. It’s good for parents to be involved in their child’s education and if you are visiting or live in NYC, Manhattan Kids Guide has some suggestions of educational activities in the city.

A New York State of Mind

The mission of Lights Camera Read here in New York City, is a nonprofit sponsored organization established in 2009 (sponsored in 2014). The quest and purpose has always been to help artists as well as encourage kids to read.

Student Written Scenes

Additionally the aim is to look at the engaging process of books becoming movies. Also, much video shooting has been done of student written scenes. One in particular was about bullying. Many of them have been about other issues.

Clear Across the Country Lives Lights Camera Read

Libraries all across the country decided independently on the theme “Lights, Camera, Read.” The term means different things to different people. For example, one user of the name “Lights, Camera, Read: asked the question “Have you ever read a book and then seen the movie? Were your expectations met?.”

The Difference Between Movies and Books

A very good question indeed. In our east coast Lights Camera Read we often talked about the difference in mediums when comparing books with movies. The point that came up is that film is about “showing not telling.” And books are about “telling not showing.” A very general concept that could easily be debated, but it does seem to contain a kernel of truth.

Pinterest Anyone?

There’s even a Lights Camera Read Pinterest as well as a program on the west coast that presents itself as a cross-curricular and fun program for students which is to create digital stories. What does Lights Camera Read mean to you? Let us know. We’d love to hear from you! We’re located in Inwood Manhattan and are interested in views from all over this great country.

Who is Gary D. Cole? For those of you who don’t know, get with the program! He is the author of the novel Black Box and the memoir Artless as well as is a theater entrepreneur, producer, and playwright. His memoir Artless is a fascinating exploration of his life plus is an odyssey through the arts and politics.

If you who have already read Artless the following is going to be a special treat. If you have not yet read it but are planning to, this will be a terrific preview of the man who somehow manages to straddle the gap between the arts and business.

Before we dive in, let’s take a look at the context this evolved out of. We are in a graduate program for an Arts Administration program and are reading Gary D. Cole’s Artless as assigned reading. The class became interested in what Gary D. Cole is up to now, so we approached him. And he was kind and generous and gave us a response.

We at Lights Camera Read are thrilled that Gary D. Cole answered the following three questions we asked him. You will find his answers below.

Enjoy!

The questions:

1. It’s been a while since Artless was published. What are your current views on the relationship between art and commerce?
2. You wrote the novel Black Box as well as the play Bodyhold. Do you have any current artistic projects you are working on?
3. As a leader and manager, do you have any advice for aspiring nonprofit executive directors, artistic directors and managing directors in the current political climate?

Now here are Gary’s answers to the questions:

1. I would draw a distinction between “selling out” and incorporating businesslike principles in the operation of an arts company. Selling out means compromising one’s artistic principles in the interest of making a buck. I don’t condone that and never will. But it is not selling out to be accountable to one’s supporters, responsible for complying with budgets, respectful of one’s employees and contractors, and receptive to criticism from patrons — recipes for success in the arts as well as in business.

2. I’m putting the finishing touches on a memoir of my time as a Chicago Tribune paperboy in the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s. Titled “NEWSBOY: Along My Route for The World’s Greatest Newspaper 1968-1975,” the book is both a chronicle of a young boy trying to make sense of the tumultuous events exploding around him (including assassinations, riots, and war), as well as an intimate portrayal of my route and customers. I suppose this project could be characterized as a prequel to “ARTLESS.” I expect to see it published later this year or next.

Last year I produced a remount of “Mary Tudor,” one of CoHo Productions’ most successful shows, here in North Carolina where I now live. Financially, we structured the production in the same manner as “Bodyhold,” with each cast and crew member receiving a guaranteed payment plus a percentage of profits. I’m pleased to report that the production did well and paid most of the actors and production team more than they had ever received in theater.

3. I believe my cautions in “ARTLESS” about the perils of reliance on government funding are as well-founded today as they were when the book came out. We are sadly living in a time of bitter ideological divisions that will inevitably play out in grant decisions. Leaders in the arts should be wary of tailoring their content to suit the prevailing political creed, rather than producing work that truly inspires them. They should keep their focus on finding constituents in their community that support their artistic vision and doing everything they can to engage those supporters in the life of the company. And they should always be asking whether “building capacity” is truly in the best interest of promoting their art, as maintaining an organization can easily become a higher priority than producing great work.

I would urge arts executives to be open to different collaborative approaches that can help reduce costs. I’m obviously biased, but the co-production model we introduced at CoHo Productions has held up well through the years. Theater artists from the community propose projects to CoHo, which provides the venue, marketing, and box office under an agreed budget for the plays it selects. CoHo’s artistic partners are responsible for the creative and technical elements of the production. This approach allows CoHo to minimize its overhead expense while maximizing the energy and commitment that the artists bring through realizing their vision for the projects they initiate. Co-production might make an interesting case study for your class!