After completing our fourth newscast of the semester, it’s hard to believe that we only have one more left! I have gotten more confident each cycle and as a team we are truly getting the hang of producing a great show. For this newscast, things ran a little differently. We had a thirty minute block to fill, instead of our normal 15 minute time slot. This gave each of our reporters more creative freedom to produce longer packages. My fellow sports reporter Andrew and I decided to do our sports segment together this week to give joint coverage on the Mountaineer football team’s spring training.To make sure we had a dynamic package, we decided to each focus on different story angles.
I covered the preparation that went into spring training, and Andrew focused on the quarterback prospects. We quickly checked the practice schedule and payed attention to which times the media was allowed to film. After planning our taping times we started researching stats and facts to back up our story.It was a great opportunity to be able to watch the football players up close at their practice and I made sure to get lots of different angles, natural sound, and tight shots. These elements make a news package exciting to watch and holds the audience’s attention. Right after practice, we headed to film a press conference with head coach Neal Brown.
This was my first sports press conference and I learned a lot about the etiquette and norms that go along with attending one.
Once I got back home it was time to review my footage and pick out the most interesting soundbites for my package. I put together my script and started editing on Premier Pro. I am gaining so much confidence in my editing skills.At the next practice, I filmed my interactive stand ups and SOT TZ’s. Having lots of action in the background is another important element that keeps an audiences attention.A few days later I filmed myself anchoring Andrew and I’s sports block at Reed College MediaInnovation Center Studio B. This was my first time anchoring a “look-live” segment for WVUNews. This means during the newscast, the main anchors will toss the segment to me and it will look like I am anchoring live, not pre-recorded!This story gave me a lot of first time experiences and I gained knowledge. With only one more show left, I’m ready to get to work next week!