Blog

We have now made it through the first show of WVU News for this semester, and my first in-studio experience as the producer for this class. Last semester, I had the privilege of beginning my producing journey with Mountaineer Playbook. That experience changed a lot of what I believed about myself, my passions, and what I wanted to find myself doing after my final semester on campus comes to an end. 

Director and Assistant Producer Ava Bartnicki, standing, in the control room during Show 1 of the semester.

Our last edition of WVU News is a special edition magazine show. We pitched our ideas and voted on the theme as a class. Immediately, I wanted to do a story focusing on the first 100 days of Trump’s administration to see how federal changes affected West Virginians. I am glad that my idea was the winner because I felt it was an opportunity for the class to connect with the community even more than they already had. Over the past few weeks, I could see everyone put so much effort into telling these stories, and it was amazing to get to see that growth from the reporters. 

This week, I have tried to focus on improving my preparation before we begin taping a show. This starts by getting to the studio before everyone else and adding last-minute notes to my script. I then meet with my director, Sean, to go over any production needs we’ll have for the crew. 

This show was packed with shoots, and each presented unique challenges that pushed me to improve as a videographer. With my final show coming up, I wanted to take every opportunity to sharpen my skills and learn from past mistakes, such as battling tricky lighting, getting creative b-roll shots, or adapting to unexpected restrictions. 

After putting together a package for show three, I returned to videography work for show four, and this show really feels like everyone is working as a unit, churning our high-level stories. We had a little extra time to put show four together, thanks to our university’s spring break, and that time allowed me to reach out and help more people than in previous shows. 

This was the first show I got to write a block of the script. For show 4, I wrote the B block, consisting of Dakota’s story about Ramadan and Regan’s about the health benefits of spending time outdoors, along with the C-tease. I will say that it took me forever to actually gather my thoughts and write cohesive lines between the two anchors that were conversational, concise, and, most importantly, kept viewers engaged. 

These past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with ups and downs that have in the end helped me grow. At the beginning of the semester, I started with one goal: to be on camera and really dive into broadcast reporting. However, by the second show, I quickly realized that it wasn't the right fit for me. It was an eye-opening moment, and it made me reflect on what I truly enjoy and value in this field. I have come to appreciate the love I have for writing but also the role of a videographer in a newsroom. I have learned that being behind the camera is just as important as being in front of it and that reporters depend on the videographer's skills to bring their stories to life. 

These past few weeks have been one of my busiest and most rewarding experiences as a videographer. I had the opportunity to assist multiple reporters with their packages and each presented unique challenges and learning experiences. I encountered various obstacles that tested my adaptability and problem-solving skills. While many things went well, there are always areas for improvement that I will carry with me for the rest of the semester.

Our anchor rehearsal on Monday is the first time that all of the on-air talent gets to go over the show script together. Even with the group having very little practice time ahead of our meetings, they typically go smoother than it went this week. For some reason, the crew was just needing some extra coaching this week to prepare for show three. We rehearsed the script three times during the Monday meeting, but there was a lot more work that needed to be done before Wednesday.