Channeling Creativity Pat Dorning has always enjoyed being an active member of her community. Now, she’s found a new outlet at Masonic Village: Channel 956. Channel 956 is the resident news channel at Masonic Village at Sewickley, which provides access to information about campus events, birthdays and even entertainment features, such as documentaries and cooking demonstrations. The extensive range of material reflects the interests of residents, so there is truly something for everyone. Pat serves as one of the hardworking volunteers behind the station’s success. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pat was an enthusiastic participant in her local community. At her Ukrainian Orthodox church, she grew up performing traditional Ukranian dances and later contributed baked goods and pierogies to annual sales. Pat took her spirit of service with her when she moved to Masonic Village. After visiting the Sewickley campus, she knew it was the right fit for her: close to her beloved Pittsburgh and full of opportunities to try new things. She got involved with the station after being introduced to the team by friend Jim Lea, who was already working on creating content for the channel. Their efforts, along with the rest of the team’s, ensure quality information and entertainment for hundreds of residents. Though the process of creating media for the channel is challenging, Pat surprisingly has very little experience with video production.
She worked as a secretary in Chicago before attending Robert Morris University School of Business, Shadyside School of Nursing and University of Pittsburgh, ultimately becoming a registered nurse. In the 24 years she spent as a nurse at UPMC, the most interaction she had with video presentation was adding infographics to PowerPoint slides. “Clip art works pretty well, but it’s nothing compared to what we’re doing now,” she said. Since Pat began with the station, she has quickly learned the skills required to create the media that appears on the channel. Each production starts with an idea, usually at the request of a resident about something they want to see on 956.
“It’s nice to get everyone’s ideas for things,” Pat said. “[The productions] seem to turn out better that way.” Next comes the planning process, which includes everything from logistics to casting, depending on the nature of the request. Once the plan is set, the team records the media and begins the editing process, which is the longest and most difficult step of the operation. When the editing is complete, the media is ready to be released on the channel.
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Summer 2022 Issue
