DC & Northern Virginia Video Production @Trivision1 Studios - National Gallery Japanese Paintings Colorful Realm

Gateway to Loudoun shoutout to local DC, Northern Virginia audio/video production and marketing/PR firm Trivision Studios in Chantilly - amazing and beautiful video work accompanying popular, rare exhibit currently at the National Gallery of Art (through April 29, 2012!).

National Gallery of Art Exhibits Rare Japanese Paintings: "Colorful Realm" Japan marked the 100th anniversary of its gift of cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C. by lending the National Gallery of Art an exhibition of a world-renowned cultural treasure: Colorful Realm of Living Beings by Itō Jakuchū. The historic 30-scroll set of bird-and-flower paintings on silk with three-panel altar piece, which was painted in the mid-1700s, can be seen at the National Gallery of Art's West Building from March 30 through April 29, 2012. The exhibition is on loan from the Japanese Emperor's Imperial Household private collection and is being seen outside of Japan for the first time. Widely considered as one of the supreme masterpieces of Japanese paintings, Colorful Realm depicts each of its 30 subjects in meticulous detail, going beyond surface appearances. Most notable is the artist's application of paint to the backside of the silk which becomes visible from the front, creating a unique glow and inner life within the painting. Due to their extreme fragility, the scrolls will be exhibited in a low-light setting for only four weeks and are a major high point of the 2012 National Cherry Blossom Festival. For this once-in-a-lifetime art exhibition, the DC National Gallery commissioned TriVision Studios to provide onsite video production, editing and media/PR services for their private VIP viewing that took place on March 26, 2012. Having worked with the National Gallery before, TriVision DC video production services were up for the task of documenting various aspects of the cultural event and record VIP interviews for educational and media use. TriVision Video Production Studios produced full-scale, high definition B-roll of the exhibition, with speech excerpts, along with VIP interviews of the Japanese Ambassador, the exhibition curator, and the corporate sponsors who made it possible. The team also shot footage of the opening Buddhist dedication ceremony with monks from the Kyoto monastery where the three-panel altar piece is housed, capturing observer reactions who were viewing the priceless scrolls behind plexiglass panels. Same day, onsite video editing was part of the Trivision Washington DC video production & post-production team's challenge. The team was able to edit and upload video streams within hours to the client and press. TriVision circulated the footage to national and local television news markets in Washington, New York, Baltimore and Richmond in advance of the public opening on March 30. Targeted media in national broadcast news outlets consisted of ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN News among others. To watch a video clip which was broadcasted on CBS Channel 9 News. In addition, a brief, edited documentary on "Colorful Realm" with score, was prepared by TriVision for archival purposes. To watch this highlight video piece, please click on the thumbnail to the left. The public opening for the exhibition started on Friday, March 30th and will end on April 29th, 2012. Colorful Realm is organized by the National Gallery of Art, The Imperial Household Agency, and Nikkei Inc., in association with the Embassy of Japan. Passes are not required for this exhibition.

Read more about Trivision Studios and their full service DC video production, marketing & PR recent clients, services and advice in their recent newsletter!

Belfort Northern Virginia Furniture DC Sponsor - Walk for Hope

Belfort Furniture in Dulles, VA is the local Washington DC Sponsor for the 2012 "Walk for Hope, Women's Cancers, Women's Cures" held in Washington DC on April 28, 2012. Belfort Furniture will match will match the total team donation, up to $5,000. Join the Belfort Furniture team and walk to help find a cure for Women’s Cancers. Mike Huber, CEO of Belfort Furniture, will be walking this year as part of the team along with his wife Kristi, daughter Lacey and other employees and friends of Belfort Furniture. He feels strongly about supporting this great cause. Mike, in his own words stated, "The Belfort Furniture team has joined Walk for Hope to put an end to women's cancers. We want to build a large team to raise as much money as we can. Please register for our team"...

More information about Belfort Furniture in Northern Virginia ...

Thomas Jefferson HS for Science & Technology - Prep Takes a Village, Not a Book

Per this WAPO article, a New York-based college counseling firm will publish shortly a test-prep workbook specifically geared towards preparing 8th graders to take the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST, in Annandale VA) entrance exam. The $199 retail book, complete with sample questions, answers and explanations, is being touted as a "low-cost alternative to test-prep courses and one-on-one tutors, which can cost thousands of dollars a year".

Will it work, is it something that truly fills a need and can replace what it claims?

In our opinion and recently qualified experience (go TJ Colonials Class of 2016!), the book should sell incredibly well but offer very little actual advantage. The actual investment required for maximum ROI (return on investment, or the "golden ticket" of admission to this #1 high school in the nation) is difficult, complex, costly, lengthy and in many community circles a closely guarded portfolio of "secrets" both proven reasonable and purely conjecture. This is obviously in addition to starting with the raw goods - a very bright, motivated, confident and academically-successful child who's sincerely, demonstrably and passionately interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) subjects.

The book will sell well, because the local, regional and international demand for any edge at all to be gained in the dramatically-increasing competitiveness for only 480 slots is rapidly intensifying, in lockstep with the rapid increase in the newer, very academically-motivated demographics of Northern Virginia (particularly eastern Loudoun and Fairfax). There also really isn't such a book available right now with this explicit focus (and therefore marketing exposure) - though the existing volumes of test-prep books to prepare for the PSAT, SAT, and SHSAT tests are well-known and utilized.

What such a book won't do, is replace the multitude of teachers, administrators, tutors, family members and friends that form the broad educational achievement team and irreplaceable support structure behind a child's overall success in reaching their academic goals, along with critical and focused achievements such as admissions to TJHSST. As well, harnessing and participating in such a group effort costs a lot in many ways, from actual money for project supplies, tutoring, books, field trips, camps, gas, software (...an endless list), to the unpaid costs in time and emotional energy spent on your child's behalf by volunteers, family members, friends and neighbors. A $200 book doesn't replace this, and is actually just a tiny drop in the years of expense and effort that amount to a worthwhile and successful education.

The highly-selective TJHSST admissions process includes not only the entrance exam, but demonstrated, high-caliber success in school (particularly math and science), writing samples, extracurriculars, noteworthy achievements, honors and awards, teacher recommendations, etc. The focus is on the student's personal and academic achievement in 7th and 8th grade - but it's clear that preparation for success here begins far earlier in elementary school.

In our experience, major outside credits for an example of success over this time begin with The Nysmith School and their fabulous, amazing teachers and tutors, utterly knowledgeable administrators and supportive community of parents and students. No elementary/middle school, public or private, in Northern Virginia is as capably demonstrable in preparing and supporting their students for these kinds of advanced academic challenges and opportunities. Note that the Fairfax GT program is of course an extremely successful, leading public school alternative in this area to the private schools - though no similar structure exists for Loudoun students.

Another set of major credits go to the MyEdMaster tutoring team in Herndon - the depth of educational experience, wisdom and compassionate attention co-owners John and Sagar personally and professionally expended to the benefit of their students and parents is simply unmatched, and the results absolutely speak for themselves. MyEdMaster provides individual tutoring for SAT/PSAT/TJ Test Preparation, College/GT/JT/AOS applications, and tutoring for all K-12 courses and test scenarios. Most importantly, MyEdMaster expertly coaches and guides the students (and parents) through the test-taking processes and application-completion strategies necessary for their individual success.

Between the Nysmith School, MyEdMaster and self-study Internet sources, quite literally hundreds of "practice" tests and exercises were leveraged and taken over many years (after/during/before school and on weekends), with personal, engaged and expert assistance - a far more valuable and extensive universe of test-prep assistance than a single book could ever offer.

The State of Virginia VDOE Governor's Schools Program and Fairfax County deserve significant credit as well, along with supportive taxpayers, as part of the overall team for academic success - for allowing our young resident made in Loudoun the opportunity to apply to and attend such an amazing on-ramp to future contributions in STEM fields.

At the end of the day, we could certainly write a book about the experience, filled with tips, techniques and actual input from admitted students...but it will then be just that - a book, and not a replacement for the dedicated individual effort and committed educational village that's ultimately required.