By Paige Sutherland
BOSTON (AP) --Don't let the powdered wigs and oil paintings fool you: Samuel Adams, John Hancock and the other eventual Americans who changed the course of history were a ragtag band of secretive and sometimes mischievous young radicals.
Just ask Paul Revere, aka actor Michael Raymond-James, who's part of the cast of "Sons of Liberty," a new miniseries premiering in January on the History Channel.
There was more to Revere than his famous ride of April 18, 1775, to warn the colonists the British were coming.
"He was so much more involved than that. He was a major operative and a huge thorn in the British crown," Raymond-James said, sipping a pint of beer during an interview at the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston's North End — a favorite meeting place of the revolutionaries.
"Sons of Liberty," a three-part, six-hour series that airs starting Jan. 25, tells the back stories of the Founding Fathers and their furtive efforts to turn a colony into a country.
Freedom didn't come easily, said Dirk Hoogstra, History's general manager.
"Most people think of this time as a bunch of guys in wigs who got in a room and wrote up the Declaration of Independence, but it is so much more than that," Hoogstra said.
"I'm not sure people really understand how crazy it was to make the decision they made to go to war with the most powerful military in the world, being untrained and unorganized," he said.
Actor Ben Barnes plays Sam Adams, who led the rebellious gang and was known for his tenacity and fearlessness. Barnes, who is British, said the experience gave him a new appreciation for America.
Contrary to what some grammar school history books might suggest, the revolution didn't happen overnight.
"There is this 10-year buildup sparked by this urge for equality that leads them toward independence," Barnes said.
The renegades didn't openly oppose the Crown at first — they built forces and devised their plots in the shadows through secret meetings and whispers.
Few knew that Sam Adams and his cousin, John Adams, were prominent members of the group of agitators who eventually came to be known as the Sons of Liberty. Though both spoke up against British taxes and laws in numerous published articles, they hid behind pen names while publicly claiming to be loyal to the Crown.
Dr. Joseph Warren, who cared for British General Thomas Gage and his wife, also hid in the shadows. By gathering intel about the British Army's whereabouts and supply chain, he helped his fellow comrades plan attacks.
The group's facade kept the revolutionaries under the British radar — allowing the colonists to grow stronger and better prepared, Barnes said.
The miniseries was filmed in Romania. But Raymond-James, the Revere actor, marveled at the history evoked by the Green Dragon Tavern.
"To come and be able to sit here — it's incredible," he said. "I'm sitting where Paul Revere used to come with his fellow Patriots to devise their plan of attack. You can't recreate this feeling — it's like grasping at smoke."
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTEยฎ,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
โSMPTEโs membership has spoken,โ said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann DโAmato. โThese officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!โ
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More