Ava Bartnicki prepares to direct her third newscast as the crew sets up in the control room.
Over the past two weeks, I have experienced both notable challenges and meaningful growth in my development.
My field production skills, in particular, have improved significantly. I have become much more confident in identifying the types of shots I need, understanding what to look for while on location, and preparing pre-scripts in advance so that I approach each shoot with a clear plan. Since the first show, I have made a deliberate effort to capture a wider variety of shots, including close, medium, and wide angles, which has strengthened the overall visual quality of my work. Additionally, I have grown more comfortable conducting interviews, both in terms of communicating with subjects and framing effective questions.
I also had the opportunity to produce the C block again for this show. While I believe my formatting remained strong and consistent, I was less satisfied with the content and overall quality of my writing compared to my previous effort. This decline may have been influenced by the disruption of spring break or simply a lack of focus during this production cycle.
I made a conscious effort to read my scripts aloud to ensure they would sound natural when delivered by the anchors. However, I think I became overly focused on perfecting individual lines, which led to overthinking and difficulty making decisions. At times, I found myself juggling too many competing ideas, which ultimately made the writing process less efficient and, in some cases, less effective.
One key issue I identified is that I focused too heavily on individual stories and packages, rather than considering how they would come together as a cohesive block. In doing so, I lost sight of the broader objective: ensuring that all elements of the show flow smoothly and logically from one to the next. Moving forward, I need to prioritize the bigger picture and approach the script with a stronger sense of overall structure and continuity.
In addition, I recognize that I need to improve my approach to copyediting. Currently, I tend to edit reporters’ scripts while simultaneously writing the show script, which can lead to missed errors and inefficiencies. A more effective strategy will be to review and edit each script as it is submitted. This approach will not only save time in the long run but also ensure a higher level of accuracy and consistency across all content.
Lastly, I have continued to grow into my role as director on show days. I feel more confident in my abilities because I have a clearer understanding of how the show should run and what is expected.
During this most recent broadcast, the cameraman and I successfully executed a slow zoom at the top of the show, adding a dynamic element that is not commonly used. However, I also identified an issue with one of the final camera shots, where part of a monitor was unintentionally visible. In the future, I will be more thorough in checking camera framing before going live.
Overall, I am encouraged by the progress I have made, while also recognizing that there is still significant room for continued improvement and growth!