Making Virtual a Reality

timfrakes — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 16:52:48 +0000

Making Virtual a Reality
“This must be heaven,” says Shoeless Joe Jackson. “No. It’s Iowa,” writes W.P. Kinsella, in his 1982 novel, Shoeless Joe.
2020 and the Covid-19 Pandemic has blurred the line between virtual and reality in the video production business. Much of my business involves generating content for or actually recording large fundraising galas for various non-profit organizations, businesses and institutions.

Covid-19 changed all that and likely changed it forever. Last spring I watched client after client, cancel their events and fundraising galas and banquets. But then, a funny thing happened. Business began to trickle back in as clients pivoted to virtual gatherings.

An so began a busy summer and fall producing and assembling virtual events for some amazing non-profit organizations like Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, the Northern Illinois District of the United Methodist Church, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, the JCFS Therapeutic School, Lutheran Life Communities, Augsburg University and the Chicago Bible Society.

Each of these organizations needed to move forward with annual fundraising drives and they needed content, properly recorded, edited and crafted into compelling narratives. In my world we call that a TV show and producing those, is right in my wheelhouse.

The big difference is the advent of Zoom and other platforms giving us the ability to safely record individuals from their homes or offices. We also did some safe, socially distanced recording sessions with individuals by creating sets and scheduling individuals to be recorded one at a time. These recordings were then edited together into virtual events.

2020 was also filled with documentary production, including several new documentaries. The York Center Coop is the story of a fair-housing cooperative in my hometown, Lombard, Illinois. This project with the Lombard Historical Society is still in production and will complete a trifecta of historical documentaries that span the history of our community from the arrival of European Americans through present day.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in American commissioned me to create a documentary about two of their missionaries, Mark and Linda Jacobson. The Jacobsons spent most of their careers in Tanzania working to develop healthcare through a missiology known as “Accompaniment.”

Shekinah Chapel is an amazing African American congregation on Chicago’s far south side. They asked me to produce a documentary in celebration of their 25th anniversary. Shekinah Chapel recounts the story of a small group of African American men and women who dedicated themselves to creatively addressing the needs of children in their community amid the gang and drug conflicts of the 1990’s. The result was the birth of a surprising new community of faith that continues to flourish today.

Finally, our Save Your Memories digital transfer service continues to grow. This year we digitized thousands of hours of VHS, Hi-8, Beta-cam, 8mm and 16mm film, 35mm slides and various audio recordings. It’s fun to work with the legacy formats that once were the primary tools of our industry.

To paraphrase W.P. Kinsella, my 2020 production calendar was erased like a blackboard, only to be rebuilt. Thanks to all my faithful clients who do such amazing work, healing the sick, comforting the suffering and defending the defenseless, doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly.

Here’s looking to a bright future in 2021 with new opportunities, challenges and adventures.

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Independent videographer shares his calling

timfrakes — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:38:00 +0000

This article appeared in the April 17, 2008 edition of “CHIPS” the Luther College Campus Newspaper.

Former ELCA video producer brings his story to Luther
By: Melanie Wargowski, Staff Writer
“Are you stressed about your future? Are you suffering from anxiety?” Tim Frakes’ opening words at chapel generated groans and nods of agreement from listeners.

Frakes was on campus April 7-9 as a Sense of Vocation visitor. He is an award-winning independent videographer who has produced major video documentaries in over 19 countries.

Along with speaking in chapel, Frakes visited classes, held a video production workshop and hosted an open discussion on campus. He gave students advice about discovering their vocations and talked about the path that led him to his own.

“Anxiety is a great motivator,” he said. “It’s like walking on a tightrope with no net. It’s exciting and energizing. It keeps your attention focused, and if nothing else, it gets you out of bed in the morning.”

In his conversations with students, Frakes discussed his understanding of vocation as a God-driven calling.

“Whatever honorable work you do is a holy calling from God,” he said. “What a blessing it is to fulfill that calling. Once we recognize it, there are two things we have to do: obey it and trust that God will work out the details.”

Frakes also emphasized the important role individuals play in living out their own sense of vocation.

“The moment you realize what you’re called to do, figure out what it will take to make it happen,” he said. “What market are you going to go into? Who do you need to contact?”

Sending e-mails to prospective companies, planning corporate visits and networking are key steps to achieving a career in any field, Frakes explained. Also, individuals looking for a job can benefit by reading trade publications and staying up-to-date on the organization and industry they are interested in.

“It’s never too early to start,” he said.

Frakes got his first job at a Chicago newspaper when he was a junior in high school. He attended Harding University, a small Christian liberal arts school in Arkansas. He first studied journalism, then radio broadcasting and finally settled on television production before graduating with a degree in mass communication.

After college, Frakes got a job at a Chicago television station. Over the following seven years, he worked his way up to a position as a producer. He then moved on to a corporate job with the network, where he spent four years producing videos. In that position, he worked with a wide variety of clients. One client he frequently produced videos for was the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

“I was working with them so often that they hired me to be their chief video producer,” Frakes said. “It turned out to be a blessing in a lot of ways.”

In his position with the ELCA, Frakes had the opportunity to make many interesting videos. His work took him all over the world: Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, the Caribbean and Europe.

“It was a great job,” he explained. “I liked the people I was working with, and I found meaning in what I was doing.”

Last March, after 14 years with the ELCA, Frakes left his position and started his own video production company.

“I could have worked with the ELCA until I was ready to retire, but I felt called to do something more,” he said.

Through his work with his company, Tim Frakes Productions, Frakes still gets to travel the world. He works for a wide variety of both corporate and non-profit clients. His recent projects include video shoots in the Palestinian West Bank and Nairobi, Kenya.

“I’m doing now what God was calling me to do all along,” he said.

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Video Production Archives - Tim Frakes Productions

Making Virtual a Reality

Independent videographer shares his calling