This week was one of the busiest we’ve had so far, but it was also one of the most productive. Between helping multiple reporters shoot interviews, adjusting to new cameras, troubleshooting editing issues, and working through the fast pace of Show 1, I felt like I was constantly learning and adapting.
For Korey Moore’s story, I helped shoot his interview with women’s basketball athletic trainer Javiera Gonzalez. Bryce Cohen joined us to meet the two-camera requirement, and we set up inside her office at the Coliseum. What made the setting really unique was the window behind her. You could see the women’s practice court in the background, with players like Jordan Harrison practicing. It added a really cool sense of depth and context to the interview. I positioned myself on the side angle to give Korey flexibility in editing. The lighting was tricky since there was no natural light in the office, so I had to bump up the exposure and carefully adjust white balance to avoid washing anything out.
Korey was extremely prepared. He asked thoughtful, in-depth questions and followed up well, which made our nearly 20-minute interview feel smooth and productive. I did run into a couple of audio hiccups on my end, but I corrected them as we went. Since I sync audio regularly with Creative Media, I offered to help him with that process in post because the mishap was on my camera. It was a small mistake, but it reinforced the importance of constantly monitoring audio levels.
Later that night, I returned to the Coliseum to help Quinn Robie with his Coach’s Corner story about Tim Flynn. Earlier in the day, Quinn and I discussed exactly what he needed. Since the focus was on Coach Flynn, my main priority was to capture as much of him as possible while still getting some match footage. I arrived early to grab generic B-roll like the timers on the mats and wide establishing shots of the competition floor. When the match started, I positioned myself diagonally across from Coach Flynn so I could attempt some creative shots that included both him and the action on the mat.
Shooting on these cameras has been an adjustment. I’m used to using Sony cinema cameras, and these are very different. I started getting frustrated trying to ensure sharp focus during fast-paced wrestling sequences. Eventually, I moved closer to the benches and focused on capturing detailed shots (his hands, feet bouncing, clapping, yelling). I also got a great shot of him throwing the challenge block, which I’m hoping is sharp enough to use. We were scheduled to interview him after the meet, but due to the final outcome, he decided to reschedule. It was a reminder that in sports production, not everything goes according to plan.
On Monday, I assisted Bryce with another interview at the Coliseum. Havannah and I shot it while James observed. I set up the main camera and double-checked framing and headroom with Bryce before we recorded. The interview went smoothly and gave Bryce plenty of solid soundbites. Afterward, James offered helpful feedback. He suggested going a bit wider in interviews and mentioned my headroom was slightly too tight. I’m really thankful he caught that. It’s small technical adjustments like that that elevate the overall quality of a package.
In the editing lab, I didn’t have a major project of my own, but I was able to help several classmates. Andrew was struggling with mismatched microphone tones, so I adjusted EQ settings and clip volume to get them closer. There was still a slight difference, so he re-recorded in the quiet room to fully fix it. I also helped Korey recover his Premiere project after it crashed. He thought he lost everything, but we located his file in the autosave folder, saving him from restarting his entire package. That felt like a big win. I assisted Quinn with resizing a photo in Lightroom for his graphic and showed him how to export it with custom settings. I also put together a quick golf VO package and helped Ben route his audio correctly across channels before I left. My biggest takeaway from being in the field is that I need to take more pictures! I’m so used to being ultra locked in while behind a camera for work, where we are not allowed to use our phones. I need to remind myself to do a better job of capturing these photos for my show #2 blog.
Going into Show 1, I was excited to see how everything would come together. In the camera room, Ashlynn and I communicated constantly about framing and focus. With so many quick camera changes in the first block, Professor Trinone explained the cuts beforehand, and I marked up my script to stay on track. I practiced my transitions a few times before we started taping, which helped a lot.
Working in the control room was brand new for most of us, but it was encouraging to hear how locked in everyone was. Even with a few hiccups early on, each take improved. By the final run, everything felt sharper and more confident. What stood out most to me was how quickly we’re growing, not just individually, but as a team. With how much progress we made in just one show, I’m confident we’ll carry that momentum straight into Show 2.