Monday…

On Monday, the planning for newscast two started. The pitches came in, and the stories were selected. Professor Dahlia wasn’t there for guidance, so I did my best to help everyone with their questions. Before I would tell them I didn’t know how to help, but after some experience with the first newscast, I was feeling more confident in giving them good advice. 

Thursday…

I sat in on them while Kassy reviewed all of the packages. I was trying to take mental notes of all of her feedback, because I knew later that night, I was going to be the one critiquing them. The first time around, not only was I uncomfortable giving constructive criticism to my own classmates who are at the same level as I am, but I wasn’t educated enough to be able to find the mistakes. Professor Dahlia wanted me to improve on this, and I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to do a good enough job. I went through and watched every package at least three times. My critiques were longer, so I knew I was getting better and that made me feel good. Professor Dahlia still caught a lot of things I didn’t though, so I still have work to do. After staying up until 5 AM, the critiques were done and the script needed to be written.

The weekend…

Now it was time to write my second script. I felt a lot of pressure because my first one was pretty good, and I was hoping that wasn’t just a one-time thing. I struggled with the rundown again, but I can tell I’m understanding it more, especially now that I know the camera and monitor placements. I also had to learn how to write VOs for the first time. I finished it up on Sunday and sent it off with my fingers crossed.

Monday and Tuesday…

On Monday, Professor Dahlia and I reviewed the script. Her feedback helped a lot. I improved on the format, but struggled with the content. The biggest problem was that I wrote too much information this time – but at least it was an easy fix. Tuesdays rehearsals went great, and we were ready to go.

Show day…

I couldn’t wait to produce the show again. Honestly, the show went pretty bad. We had to edit it afterwards for the first time, which really disappointed me. The show was also too long. Was it my fault? I was disappointed. The anchors did really well, but we were struggling in the control room. Lindsey and I work great together, but I think we could communicate better to ensure the cameras are framed up good. We also had people taking on new positions, and were on a tight schedule, so next time, I know we will improve.

Professor Dahlia had a talk with the reporters on how to improve their stories, which mainly involved learning how to plan ahead. Everyone really took in her advice, and I can’t wait to see them improve even more next time around. They’re teamwork is awesome, and their drive to be successful and make show is there. I love getting to be their producer, and I’m excited to see what’s in store for newscast three.