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.
One of the highlights was assisting Mercedes Dykes with her package at Snowshoe, a ski and snowboard resort. Her story focused on how tourism at the resort boosts the local economy and creates jobs. We secured a strong interview with the public relations director and positioned him in front of a stunning mountain backdrop. A challenge arose during an interview with a visiting skier. While his responses were good, I felt they lacked depth regarding the economic impact. To make sure Mercedes had enough soundbites, I stepped in and asked an additional questions which resulted in a more well-rounded response that strengthened her overall story.
When it came time for Mercedes’ stand-up, I realized her script was too short and did not transition between key points. Thinking quickly, I suggested a rewrite that incorporated props such as a snowboard and a locally made mug to visually represent both tourism and local business. This creative adjustment helped bridge her story in a more effective way.
I also assisted Conor White with his package at Snowshoe, which followed the USASA youth league competition. One of the main challenges we faced was audio interference. The wireless microphones were picking up unwanted feedback, and after attempting to troubleshoot, we learned that nearby walkie-talkies were on the same frequency. By moving away from the source of interference, we were able to get clearer audio.
Despite that setback, filming Conor’s stand-up went well. Timing was the most important thing. We incorporated movement by having him walk into frame while showing different sections of the ski course while the young skiers were in action. This added not only visuals but the natural sound of the skiers shredding the snow.
Sunday’s work took me to the WVU women’s tennis match, where I helped Brian McQuillan with his package on the international players. Arriving early allowed us time to film stand-ups and interviews, but we faced some restrictions on where we could shoot the b-roll. We were told to stay behind a curtain, which limited our ability to capture quality shots. Instead of accepting this limitation, I repositioned myself near the fans which gave me better access to the action. I focused on capturing tight shots such as hands gripping the racket, sneakers on the court and players hitting the ball. However, the nature of tennis made it difficult to avoid repetitive shots.
Another challenge was the long wait to interview the coach and unfortunately not being able to secure a player interview due to time constraints. This experience reminded me of the importance of patience in sports videography.
As I was wrapping up at tennis, I received a call from Jackie Guenther, who needed to reshoot an interview and stand-up for her robotics club package. The biggest challenge was finding a quiet location in a noisy competition environment while respecting the privacy of the children participating. Our interviewee suggested using a robotic dog for the teases and walk and talk, which added a great visual element.
As for the studio show, everything went really well. We had three really strong takes and any of them could have been chosen as the best one to submit. I felt that I did a better job at taking control of the control room as we didn't have many distractions or noise this week. I was able to direct the show with full attention so I didn’t miss any important cues. I will continue to mark up my script before the show and come into show days ready to direct to the best of my ability.
Beyond my work with WVUNews, I also had the opportunity to travel to Tampa with my high school’s broadcasting program for the Student Television Network competition. There, I helped and taught high school students many of the skills I’ve developed through my work on the Mountaineer Playbook and in WVU News. It was an incredible experience to be in a mentorship role, passing down my knowledge and seeing students grasp many new concepts. Watching them apply creative stand-ups and capture different b-roll angles and movements reminded me of how much I’ve learned over the years. It was truly rewarding to give back to the program I helped create and see how much it has grown.
Overall, I am proud of how I adapted to different situations, whether it was adjusting interview questions, troubleshooting audio problems, or coming up with creative stand-up ideas. There are always areas to improve and focus on, such as anticipating potential audio problems or making sports footage more dynamic by incorporating different angles and movements. Moving forward, I will take what I have learned and continue striving for excellence in every shoot I am a part of for the rest of the semester.