Middlebury's Diva produces Studio 104

Author: Lisie Mehlman

104 South Main Street serves as both François Clemmons' house, still adorned with all the trappings of Christmas despite the rainy April weather, and his studio, where the editing of Studio 104 -- the television program he both produces and directs for MCTV -- takes place.

Even before I arrived at 104 South Main Street, Middlebury's own Artist-in-Residence had already taken to calling me "Dear" in e-mail correspondences he signed "DivaMan." The cozy feel of his home's interior - filled to the brim with knick knacks and souvenirs, surely picked up on travels during his long career as a professional singer that required constant travel, - seems to reflect Clemmons' signature congenial warmth.

Studio 104 - which Clemmons both produces and directs - is his self-proclaimed hobby, a hobby to which he devotes about 15 hours a week. He conceived of the show's main premise after growing frustrated with the fact that the "Music department, the arts at Middlebury didn't have the prominence that other things did" on campus, and with the fact that the hockey team might garner a lot more recognition than did, say, dance troupes or choirs. His goal was to create a program that would "cultivate the arts and awareness of what is going on in the community and among students. I wanted people to know that singing IS happening here, he said. Giving the arts exposure, he knows, is a "simple idea," but it was his goal to merely film the arts, edit them and show them to people who did not otherwise benefit from seeing them. Each show, then, focuses on a few Negro spirituals that Clemmons performs, as well as a new church or performance hall in which he sings. The churches and performance halls are explored in depth in his television segments, as he focuses on the connection between architecture and music. Segments range from bringing the people of Middlebury all the way to Russia, where he was invited to perform at an anniversary event for a C.V. Starr Language School, and showing them the Hermitage and the streets of Moscow, to bringing them inside the Middlebury College Art Museum and revealing a little-viewed exhibit to the student body and community at large. Clemmons believes that technology is not being exploited enough to bring the arts into the lives of more people.

The administration has been "very supportive of this idea from the beginning," he said, adding, "officially and unofficially. They gave me carte blanche to go in and tape whatever I wanted to, as long as it was ok with the performers." They also gave him funding and a budget to employ interns to assist with the show's production. Current Studio 104 intern Daniel Houghton '06 explained that he is "responsible for video taping performances, editing the videos in adobe premier, designing labels for the DVDs and selling DVDs when appropriate." Clemmons spoke highly of all of the interns with whom he has worked and respects their ability to add their own stamp to the show. He believes that "the experience a student gets here in the studio has a practical, hands on value that will lead to good things later on. Working on my show is a legitimate credit." Houghton seemed to agree with this assertion, explaining that "I am certainly gaining important skills. Making good videos is like competing in a pie eating contest, the more you practice, the less likely you are to throw up along the way. Video editing is an accumulated skill. It is a series of simple decisions. You have to decide what shot to show first, and then what to show second, and so on. The more you practice this process, the more informed your decisions become."

Clemmons spoke candidly about enjoying serving as a mentor to students and staying close to his past interns even after graduation day. He cherishes working individually with students and described the final product as very much student-driven. Houghton said, "Working for François is a joy. He is fun to be around. He is honest, critical and appreciative. If he likes how I have arranged some part of a show, he doesn't hesitate to let me know. If he wants some part of a program changed, he isn't afraid to speak up. If he has a good idea, he contributes it. Every episode has been wholesomely collaborative. I am given wonderful creative license during production. After our pre-performance conversation, I am given charge of production up through the first draft of the show. After that we work together to arrive at a finished product."

Challenges Clemmons faces include lacking sufficient funds and time to travel to all the places he wishes to travel so as to bring back footage to share with the College and surrounding community. Regardless, he seems to have found some loyal fans in town, especially among senior citizens. The show, which airs on channels 15 and 16 on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. has made him somewhat of a celebrity in Middlebury and neighboring areas. "I can't go to the grocery store without someone telling me 'you're that guy on television.' Or to the bank, or the drugstore. It's especially the senior citizens. Although I create the show with Middlebury students in mind as my main audience, the senior citizens just about love it," he explained. It is Clemmons' goal that, over time, this program be replicated so that similar programs exist focusing on dance, or theater or art.

Clemmons enjoys working on Studio 104 because it allows him to feel valuable to the community and because it brings cultural information into the lives of many.