Producer's Blog

We have officially gotten through another show for this semester of Mountaineer Playbook. From the start, this show was a lot different than the first two. I got to step out of my usual producer duties to help multiple classmates shoot their packages this week. It felt cool seeing that three of the pieces of content going into our show were partially shot by me, and it made me appreciate the work our ENGs put in a lot more. 

We are officially through show #2 for this semester of Mountaineer Playbook, and I’m really happy with how the show turned out this week. I think my experiences going into show #2 have helped a lot with my growth as a producer, and I believe that comfort will help me do better at every aspect of my responsibilities in the future. 

This week, we wrapped up our first show of the semester for Mountaineer Playbook. I feel like I now have a better understanding of how much meticulous work I need to be doing for this position. In totality, I would say I’m very happy with how everything turned out, and I know this team will be able to do even better things as this semester moves on.  

Directing and producing Mountaineer Playbook has pushed me to grow in countless ways. This week was another testament to that growth.

I feel like I am really starting to find a rhythm in producing episodes for Mountaineer Playbook. Having this flow has paid off tremendously in our latest episode, allowing us to complete the show in just two tapings instead of the usual three. I have learned from previous episodes that strong communication is crucial for a successful production, and episode four really excelled because of it.

Creating episode three for Mountaineer Playbook was an incredible experience. After our second episode, my professors gave me valuable feedback on my scriptwriting. I learned that I needed to structure the script in a way that allowed my main anchors to provide more information while seamlessly setting up upcoming stories. With this new understanding, I approached episode three with a fresh perspective. I felt like I had a much better understanding of scriptwriting and consequently felt more confident in producing the show. For this episode, I had a much deeper connection to the development and preparation of the show.

Over the course of the semester, directing has become something I genuinely enjoy. During our producer meetings on Thursday nights, when we review packages and decide who makes the show, the first thing that pops into my head is how I want to present it. I think through camera cues, angles, effects, and more because I want our shows to be the best they can possibly be. My goal for each show this semester is to become more and more technical. We’re all in college, and this is the time to push ourselves before we graduate in a month and a half.

The second episode of Mountaineer Playbook has been incredibly beneficial for my growth as a producer. The Monday after taping episode one, our entire team gathered to review the broadcast and receive feedback from our professors on areas for improvement. One of the biggest takeaways for me was the importance of properly framing the anchors on set. This was an area I wanted to address for recording days in the future. I made sure to prioritize this by adding it as the first note in my ever-growing to-do list.

My experience directing the first show of Mountaineer Playbook was nothing short of amazing. Serving as both director and associate producer gave me a well-rounded understanding of the show, especially since I was involved in writing it. Once our producer, Sam Nichols, finalized the script, it was go time for me on the director side of things—I had to bring his vision to life.

 The Mountaineer Playbook crew received their roles for the show in late January. I was thrilled to learn that I had been selected as the producer and would be working alongside my friend Tyler Carlbon, the associate producer and director of Mountaineer Playbook. As soon as our positions were announced, everyone got to work on their stories for the first show. While my classmates secured interviews, captured footage, and edited their segments, I reviewed scripts from previous Playbook episodes and prepared for my first producer’s assignment. In the days leading up to our first show, I had several tasks and meetings to complete, including attending writing conferences and production meetings, scriptwriting, making last-minute fixes, and rehearsing with the show’s anchors.