FORTVILLE — A television program plans to feature the story of Fortville, and they want the town’s community members to tell it.
WIPB-TV, a PBS station based at Ball State University in Muncie, will host a community meeting on Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation’s campus next week on the upcoming “Now Entering Fortville” program. Over the next several weeks, members of the Fortville community will have the opportunity to record video of the town to be included in the show before meeting back up again with producers for interviews.
WIPB-TV debuted its “Now Entering” series in 2016 with Portland and went on to feature Pendleton, Knightstown, Upland, Alexandria, Winchester, Tipton, Rushville and Hartford City, according to the station’s website.
The site describes the show as “a video scrapbook of the people, places and history of towns as seen through the eyes of its residents.” Community members collect video and photos to showcase their stories.
Sam Clemmons, a producer and director with WIPB, said oftentimes producers decide what they want told when pursuing a documentary-style program. That’s not the case with the “Now Entering” series.
“The whole premise behind the show is we’re letting the people tell the stories they want to tell about their town,” Clemmons said. “…You don’t have to be ‘connected,’ so to speak — a member of the town board or a rich, prominent person in the community. Anybody, if they have a story they want to tell that shines a nice spotlight on that small town, that’s what we want them to do.”
Libby Wyatt, a Fortville Town Council member and business owner, applauds that approach.
“I think it’s really cool to have the history of a town told not by a historian, or a book, but by the people who have lived here,” she said.
And there’s no shortage of stories in Fortville, Wyatt continued, adding she heard a lot of great ones from people she met while running for office last year.
“I hope that these families will be able to come in and tell a piece of their history,” she said.
At the community meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, WIPB will ask attendees to pick one topic for a story to be featured in the show. The station will provide video cameras that can be checked out, and participants can also use their smartphones.
Participants are encouraged to take to the streets to document the people, places and happenings that make the area special. Existing videos and photos can also be included.
“Local folklore, arts, schools and attractions make great stories and give viewers a sense of your area,” information on the program states. “No experience is required, just enthusiasm.”
WIPB will return to Fortville on Saturday, April 4, for casual, on-camera interviews with participants about the images they gathered. Those interviews “will help tie the story together with narration and add the personality that makes this show special,” according to program information.
The videos and interviews will then be edited all together. Clemmons said “Now Entering” programs average around 80 minutes.
“Now Entering Fortville” participants will be invited to an exclusive screening in town. They’ll also be invited to the WIPB studios for the live broadcast, which is at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 18.
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WHAT: WIPB-TV “Now Entering Fortville” community meeting
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25
WHERE: Alumni Room in Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation Administration Building, 1806 W. Indiana 234, Fortville
INFO: wipb.org/nowentering
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