Videography Blog

Our second show is now in the books. I had much more fun with this week's show, and I felt more comfortable throughout. Show 1 was definitely a little hard, getting my feet on the ground, but since then I've been more purposeful with my work both in and out of the studio.

Over the past week, while working on our first show, I was able to capture moments and shoot interview segments with my classmates. Also, I am the video playback operator behind the scenes in the control room. I helped film interviews, b-roll, SOT-teases, and standups at the Hope Coliseum, shoot interviews at Morgantown High School, and I also went to a club ultimate frisbee team practice to help shoot interviews and extra b-roll.The first thing I did was help Kam film interviews at the Coliseum with Blue and Gold Enterprises and the Mountaineer Athletic Club. He asked questions about the new patches and what the Antero and Monster Energy patches are doing for the conference and program as a whole. I wish I had pinched in a little more on framing for the second interview because I thought it was too wide. We also filmed his standups and SOT-teases outside of the coliseum, since we were already there to shoot the interviews.

It was an interesting start to the week as I had to find my footing for the first show. I am glad to have started this off with volleyball, as the repetition of sets and similar plays over and over gets you comfortable with the camera, being in that environment, and grabbing different footage than just the play on the court. Being able to start with that helped because the challenges that you face in volleyball that might make you miss a point or two are not as big of a deal compared to later in the week when I filmed something like football. The interview spot with volleyball was also harder, so going through it in that environment was definitely good to get it out of the way and learn from my mistakes.

We just finished taping the first show of the semester! I will say I'm proud of this accomplishment, I'm grateful for the position I'm in, and I'm enjoying getting to learn and work with my fellow classmates. With that being said, there is some stuff I need to work on. I think we did a good job as a group of finding unique stories for our audience to watch.The thing I've struggled with the most is finding stories that not only apply to me and my job, but also have a strong newsworthy focus. Outside of the studio, I want to build more self-confidence, and I know as time goes on that will happen. I think I struggled because my plan was all over the place, and I was not confident in what I was doing, which reflected on the level of my final product. Through the filming of my beat and having self-reflection, I underestimated the level of work for even a story about bikes. I knew what I had planned in my mind, but I was not prepared and did not have a solid plan in place for the unexpected. Following a group of bikers in my car made for some cool b-roll, but it's all I was able to do. Aside from very few nats and incorrect framing, I was at their mercy. I also realized that not being on camera meant I had to ask questions differently to explain the importance of the story through their voices instead of mine.

I am trying to think of words to say for my final blog to describe how I feel, but all I have so far is “wow’. But because I need to meet the assignment requirements of 500 words, I guess I’ll say a little more than that. I find it so hard to believe it is all over. Not just Playbook, but college in general. I try not to think about it too much, or I’ll cry, but this past semester has been the best semester of my life. One I’ll cherish forever. All because of my time spent as an ENG and technical director with Mountaineer Playbook. 

After what felt like the blink of an eye, Show 5 has come and gone, and my time with Mountaineer Playbook is officially over. Seeing how much I’ve learned and grown has been a remarkable experience, one I’m not quite ready to give up on yet. 

Going into Show 5, everything felt a little different knowing it was our last show. At this point, I feel like I’ve really settled into my role and don’t have to overthink every decision the way I did at the beginning of the semester. Instead of just focusing on getting usable footage, I’ve started to naturally think about storytelling, variety, and how my shots will actually help the final product come together. 

I feel a bit emotional writing this blog as I only have one more left before the semester is over, and graduation takes place. Filming for Show 4 started off on an interesting note because I traveled up to Dunbar, Pennsylvania, to help our adventure reporter, Andrew Hartlove, with his story on the club equestrian team. Now, you may ask what made this trip interesting... well, everything went smoothly up until we realized Andy was allergic to something in the barn. We are still unsure if it was the hay, the horses, or everything combined. His face broke out in a rash, and his eyes were almost swollen shut! He did have to leave halfway through filming to find some medicine at a nearby store. Despite the adversity, I feel that I was able to get a good amount of b-roll for his pkg. The story turned out to be one of my favorites, and a memory where we can all look back and chuckle

The process of preparing for Show 4 was filled with some of the most unexpected, challenging, stressful, and rewarding moments throughout my time in Playbook so far. Not only did I learn and grow as an ENG, but even more so in my new role as director. 

Going into Show 4, I feel like everything started to come together in a way that felt more natural and confident. At this point in the semester, I’m not just thinking about getting the shot anymore, I’m thinking about how everything connects, from filming to editing to how it will look in the final show. Show 4 really pushed me both creatively and technically, especially with trying new things and stepping into roles that made me a little nervous.