TechnoGrannyShow, CNN IReports, Franco Carapellotti and Zach Hawrot

This show was originally recorded on 12-29-08 and the archived version is available at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/30986 or http://www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com


iReport.com, a user-generated site where the stories come from users. CNN has vetted only the stories marked "On CNN" and uses those stories in CNN's news coverage. And that's what you'll find on I Report:: a few of the ways the vetted iReports have been used on CNN.

iReport.com: Upload your story » | See all iReports, unedited and unfiltered »
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Bios of Winners of Film Festival for Political Videos
Franco Carapellotti: 20 year old college student from Steubenville, Ohio. Atteneds John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio where he is majoring in Business Management. A graduate of Steubenville Catholic Central high school in 2006.

Zach Hawrot: 21 year old college student from Steubenville, Ohio. Attends Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio where he is majoring in Business Marketing. He is also a graduate of Steubenville Catholic Central high school in 2006.


Both: We have been making small short films for the past year or so, and we've acted, directed, produced, and written every single one of them, and Electoral College is the first to be recognized on the National scene. Lately we have been in talks with Don Lemon, from the CNN Newsroom, about making some short films for his show, and tonight (Decemeber 7, 2008) we actually might be appearing on the she show at 6 or 11, for a short film we had just made him. We were named winners of the "CNN Audience Award which was voted on by all of America, and won us a trip to Washington D.C. for the inauguration. Recently we were in Pittsburgh for an interview with CNN, for a year end special they are doing on the iReports.

Information Regarding CNN iReport
Report.com is a user-generated site. That means the stories submitted by users are not edited, fact-checked or screened before they post. Only the stories marked "On CNN" have been vetted by CNN for use in CNN's global news coverage.They built this site and equipped it with some nifty tools for posting, discovering and talking about what you think makes the news.The site states that they want to share their passion about the news in a way that invites you -- and everyone else -- to share your passion about the news. Basically So basically CNN launched an independent world where the iReport community, can tell the stories we're not used to seeing, and may not see on the news. And the most compelling, important, and urgent ones may get seen on CNN.
THE FILM FESTIVAL: The film festival from iReport was something they did in wake of the 2008 Presidential election. They put a call out to all filmmakers to put their spin on a story about the election, and submit it. They took the top 20, and it went to an online vote. Prior to this vote, we actually got to go to the Hampton's International Film Festival in New York, where they screened our film, along with about 9 others from the competition. After that when it went to online vote, we were lucky enough to win with the support from our Community of Steubenville, Ohio, a group of about 1,200 friends in a Facebook group, and from support at our local schools.
The Inauguration: We are not 100% sure what we will be doing for CNN, but the Executive Producer that we have become friends with informed us that we would be doing something for CNN, whether it is a legit report for the CNN Channel, or an iReport, which may get on CNN eventually. We know we will be staying on Capitol Hill, and we are planning on getting in touch with some other organization where we can see if we could do something for them while we are there, if we aren't doing too much for CNN.
Lots of people argue about what constitutes news. But, really, it's just something that happens someplace to someone. Whether that something is newsworthy mostly depends on who it affects -- and who's making the decision. On iReport.com, that is you! So we've built this site and equipped it with some nifty tools for posting, discovering and talking about what you think makes the cut.
Use the tools you find here to share and talk about the news of your world, whether that's video and photos of the events of your life, or your own take on what's making international headlines. Or, even better, a little bit of both.
With this site, we want to share our passion about the news in a way that invites you -- and everyone else -- to share your passion about the news. At CNN we live for news. We love talking about it. And we know that there's a whole lot more to it than what you see on TV or read on your favorite Web site. So we've launched an independent world where you, the iReport.com community, tell the stories we're not used to seeing. And the most compelling, important, and urgent ones may get seen on CNN.
So head on over the homepage and jump in. Tell your story and see how it connects to someone on the other side of the world -- and build a new kind of news site, one made from communities of shared interests, impassioned discussions and great storytelling."
As for the Facebook group, we actually started in the night we were in the hamptons, screening the film at the Hamptons International Film Festival as part of the CNN Shorts. We started out by adding all of our friends, and having them add their friends, and in about 2 or 3 days we were up well over 1,000 people. We used the group to send out mass messages to the people urging them to vote, and have their friends vote. Also we developed a nice support back home in Steubenville, as the local news station, and news papers covered us and the contest, also urging people to vote. We think that a combination of these two factors is what played a major role in us winning the online voting. In addition to these two things, the school that I currently attend, John Carroll University, had linked the site on their main page, and also mentioned it in a mass email.
We have been pretty much left in the dark about what exactly we will be doing at the inauguration but here is what we know so far.

* We arrive in Washington January 19 and Leave on January 21.
* We will be staying with other CNN Personalities in the hotel at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. (Not sure who exactly we will be there from CNN, but some of the names we've heard are Larry King and Anderson Cooper
* We have media credentials for the Parade Route
* We will be doing another "iReport" for CNN, and are also hoping to talk to some local news stations as well as a few people on CNN, to see if we can do anything for them while we are there.

They did a year end special on the iReport, it focused on the years top stories. At the end of the show they talked about the film festival and showed clips of our film and a shot of us talking. It is airing again tonight at 8:00 PM on CNN, we aren't til the end so if you are interested in watching, I would tune to CNN at about 8:50ish. Also what time would you like us to call in for the test tomorrow?

Franco Carpellotti,
ZF Productions