1. How did you get your start with MPS, and how long have you been with the company?

I started here in January 2019, I responded to an Indeed job recommendation. After looking over my resume and doing a couple interviews I was given the job as assistant lighting repair technician.

2. When you’re not at MPS, where can we find you? i.e. How do you recharge?

I like mountain biking, I also have various electrical projects at home including an all electric bicycle. I tinker with electronics, engines, and computers.

3. What’s your favorite piece of equipment to work with?

I think my favorite piece of equipment is the Hakko 472D Desoldering Station. It’s effect on how I do repairs and how long it takes to do repairs is priceless. A repair that would have taken an hour with other desoldering methods now takes 15-20 minutes.

4. If we were to hop onto your music playlist, what would we see you were listening to most recently?

I listen to many different genres and artists. My all time favorite musician is Elliott Smith, specifically his hit album “Either/Or”

September 24, 2018 – Dallas, TX – MPS Studios, which provides studios, equipment rental and lighting, recently celebrated its first year anniversary as an ARRI authorized lighting repair center in it’s Dallas facility. 

Marc Stephens, President, explains that, “MPS Senior Lighting Technician Angel Ovalles was trained at and employed by ARRI’s New York Service Center. When Angel relocated to Texas and came on board at MPS, we built a 3,000 square-foot Lighting Service Center at our MPS Dallas location that incorporates industry-standard test equipment and tools alongside an extensive parts inventory.” 

With the hire of Ovalles, his proficiency added a new element to the business structure of MPS Studios, paving the way for an agreement between ARRI and MPS Studios to provide warranty repair on-site. “Lighting technology is evolving really quickly right now. I was trained at ARRI and continue training on all new ARRI lighting products. ARRI has a long-standing tradition of manufacturing the best products, and we are an extension of that quality of assurance,” says Ovalles.

MPS services the central US, while ARRI has service centers in New York and Burbank, California. After four years as a service repair shop, Stephens explains that MPS added ARRI because, “It was a natural fit. We maintain a substantial inventory of ARRI lighting, cameras and lenses, and ARRI products have been integral to our success over the past 40 years.”

For ARRI, having an authorized warranty repair service center in the Central US serves as a convenience for their customers and provides an extension of the high-quality service they are known for.  “We are pleased to have the MPS Lighting Service Center as a resource for our customers,” says Frank Mueller, Direct of Service, ARRI. “They are known for outstanding service and support in the region and can offer that with ARRI fixtures.”

About MPS Lighting Service Center:

The MPS Lighting Service Center offers complete repair and maintenance services to keep your lighting equipment in top-notch condition. Our robust inventory of parts allows us to service your gear quickly, and on-site. From major overhauls to minor adjustments, our factory-trained technicians bring the skill and expertise that you can trust. For fastest service, request repair on our website: http://mpslightingrepair.com, or call 214-630-1655.

Applicants were to write an essay describing their interest in attending the camp, and six of the highest-qualified candidates were chosen. The girls get to learn from nine film industry volunteers, meaning they will have lots of one-to-one mentorship opportunities.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and the Lone Star Film Society came together initially to make the camp happen.

“The Museum had recently honored Callie Khouri, the writer of ‘Thelma and Louise’ and the series ‘Nashville’, who noted that not many women have jobs behind the camera; opportunities for women and girls to learn are few,” said Diana Vela, Associate Executive Director of Exhibitions and Education at the Cowgirl Museum. “Knowing that Lone Star Film Society was right in our backyard, we wanted to take advantage of their expertise and offer an opportunity for young girls to learn about what happens behind the camera.” 

The Cowgirl Museum reached out to the Lone Star Film Society, and the partnership was born. They began putting their heads together to build an education program that involved documentary filmmaking for their participants. 

The collaboration grew even further when Chad Mathews, Festival and Film Society Director for LSFS, enlisted the help of Four Thirds Creative – a woman-owned production company focused on creating videos with social and emotional impact.

“Four Thirds Creative will provide an overview of the post-production process at the end of the camp and is charged with editing the participants’ hard work into a documentary,” said Karen Ryan, Post Master General at Four Thirds Creative. “The final piece will be shown at the Lone Star Film Festival in November.” 

The camp will be held at Wings of Hope Equitherapy in Cleburne, Texas.

“One of the founders of Wings of Hope, Margaret Dickens, is a Museum Hall of Fame Honoree,” said Vela. “We honored her due to her non-profit work with equitherapy – at a time when very few were doing it. We wanted to highlight the incredible work of Wings of Hope while also allowing the girls an opportunity to learn filmmaking skills.”

Wings of Hope provides equine-assisted activities for children and adults with unique physical, mental, and emotional challenges. 

“Our mission is so out of the ordinary, and we live outside of the box, so this was a perfect fit for our organization,” said Allison L. Gross, Development Director for Wings of Hope. “Our goal is to best serve individuals with disabilities and challenges through the partnership of a horse, so any time we can collaborate and stretch that service it allows us to enhance our mission.” 

Four Thirds brought MPS on as a sponsor, and MPS’s own Executive Vice President, Meredith Stephens, will be volunteering both days of the camp to mentor the girls. “It’s exciting that MPS gets to be a part of the inaugural year of the Cowgirls with Cameras camp, and we hope the collaboration will continue for years to come.” 

“Once we complete this camp, we will evaluate it and hopefully begin planning for 2019,” said Mathews. “Depending on the success of this year, expansion is definitely something we are very interested in exploring.”

MPS is honored to be a part of this community rising together, working in tandem to support and promote area organizations and the growth of the next generation of filmmakers.

ABOUT MPS STUDIOS

For nearly 40 years, MPS Studios has provided the equipment and support services to production companies making movies, commercials, and television shows. A staff of highly specialized, factory-trained, and industry-savvy technicians provide world-class service to clients around the corner and around the globe. The company offers cameras, lighting/grip/electric, sound stages, and lighting repair. Inventory includes ARRI, RED, Canon, Panasonic, and Sony cameras, along with, hundreds of lenses, and thousands of filters. Lighting inventory includes ARRI SkyPanels, ARRI M-series HMI’s, Kino Flo, Mole Richardson. Contact MPS Camera & Lighting Austin, MPS Studios Dallas, or MPS Denver to have a rental package customized for your next project. www.mpsfilm.com