These past two weeks have honestly felt like a whirlwind in the best way possible! I really stepped outside of my comfort zone and tried something completely new by trading in the ENG cameras for a reporting microphone. That shift alone was a big change for me, but it ended up being such a valuable experience. I worked on putting together a PKG about mountain train rides in West Virginia, and I genuinely had a lot of fun with it. It was exciting to be more involved in the storytelling side of things rather than just focusing on visuals. At the same time, it gave me a whole new appreciation for how much work reporters do behind the scenes. The PKG made Best of the Rest, which was an accomplishment.
One of the biggest things I learned during this process is just how fast-paced reporting really is. Everything moves quickly, and you have to be ready to adapt at any moment. On top of that, editing turned out to be way more challenging than I expected. It’s one thing to film content but putting it all together in a way that flows well and tells a clear story is a completely different skill. Even though it was difficult at times, I could feel myself improving and becoming more comfortable with the process.
Another highlight from these past two weeks was helping health reporter Chelsea Mariani film at a WVU baseball game. That experience was both fun and exhausting because we were there for about five hours, which really showed me how much time and effort went into covering a single event. It also gave me more real-world experience working as part of a team in a live environment. Being there for that long required patience, focus, and a willingness to keep going even when things got tiring.
When it came to show day, I felt a lot more confident stepping into my role as Technical Director. Compared to earlier experiences, I noticed a big improvement in how I handled everything. There were very few mess-ups, and even when things got hectic, I was able to stay calm and focused. That’s something I’m proud of because live production can be stressful, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Instead, I felt in control and was able to do my job effectively.
I’m also getting more comfortable operating the switcher, which has been a huge step forward for me. It used to feel intimidating, but now I’m starting to trust my instincts and react more quickly. Even though the show itself was chaotic at times, I didn’t let that throw me off. I stayed composed and made sure everything kept running as smoothly as possible.
Overall, these past two weeks have pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. I tried new roles, faced challenges, and gained confidence in my abilities. It’s been a crazy experience, but a rewarding one. I do plan on finishing out the semester in my ENG role. I am just grateful for the opportunity given to me by the professors to try something new!