Show 4 felt like a complete turnaround from where we were in Show 3, and honestly, it was a better experience overall. You could tell right away that everyone came in with a different mindset. Instead of being disconnected and in our own heads, it felt like we were actually working together again. Communication in the control room was much smoother, and people listened to and responded to one another rather than just focusing on their own roles. That alone made a huge difference in how the show ran.
While we were all in a better mindset, we did still have some setbacks with tech. We all learned new things about the board and the playback system that will help us prevent issues in the future. Even with the setbacks, the energy stayed positive, and we persevered. I think my communication with the anchors was good, but I can still work on being more direct when things need to get serious.
I also felt a lot more confident with my script this time around. I really tried to stay focused while writing and not let myself get distracted as I did before. I made sure to go back through everything and double-check that I wasn’t missing anything. Professor Trinone still helped polish things, but I didn’t feel like I was relying on that as much, which was a good step forward for me.
Producing night also continued to go really well. It felt like we’ve found a better rhythm as a team, and we were able to stay on track without falling behind. I was able to watch a few packages ahead of time again, which I think is super important because it gives me the chance to give feedback in addition to what my professors say. Reporters also seemed more on top of things, which made the whole process smoother. I want to keep pushing that moving forward because it makes such a big difference in the final product.
Another thing I tried to improve on was communication, especially outside of just the required meetings. I made more of an effort to check in with people and create a space where they felt comfortable asking questions or bringing up concerns. Even small conversations seemed to help people feel more supported, and I think that translated into better teamwork overall. It’s something I definitely want to keep doing because it helps build trust and keeps everyone on the same page.
Overall, Show 4 just felt good. The energy in the studio was way more positive, and even when small issues came up, we handled them a lot better than before. Nobody panicked, and we were able to stay calm and work through things as a team. It really felt like we took what went wrong in Show 3 and actually learned from it, instead of repeating the same mistakes.
I’m really proud of how everyone bounced back, especially the anchors for keeping their energy up and staying professional the entire time. If we can keep this same level of preparation, communication, and teamwork, I think we’re in a really good spot heading into the final show.