Week Six

Tuesday I went into the station on my off day to ride with Ashley to get more video and another interview on the developer story. We were given a tour of one of the finished neighborhoods from the main saleswoman in the company. We got some b-roll video of the neighborhood and an off camera interview. It was interesting to hear the other side of the investigative story. After returning to the station, the saleswoman sent us documents to back up the information she provided for us.

Wednesday I got to the station at my usual five am hour. I helped Allyson as she produced the morning show. We had multiple interviews on the show which made it one of the more stressful days. After the show, I was able to get some practice anchoring with Tim, the morning anchor and meteorologist. My first try was a little shaky, but practice makes perfect. My second go around was much smoother. I am getting more comfortable behind the camera, but the desk still makes me a little nervous. At the morning meeting, I learned I was going to get another package on air! I went to Wrightsville Beach with Ryan and another intern to learn more about International Surfing Day. An organization at the beach was giving a free surfing lesson, and I was volunteered to catch some waves with the instructor. First I did my stand up in the ocean (IT WAS SO COLD!). Then I got in a few interviews before the class began. On the beach, I learned all about how to surf safely and got assigned to a surfboard. I practiced in the sand for a few minutes before hitting the water. I had a rough start, but the third time was the charm! I managed to briefly stand up which was my goal for the day! It was so cool and such a thrill! Once all the surfing fun was over, we snagged a quick lunch to go and raced back to the station. There we were quickly able to pull together my package for the beginning of the five o'clock show and create a VOSOT for the six. Everything came together amazingly! I loved getting another story on air. To watch my package click here.

Thursday was another early day. I helped out with the morning show by writing a few scripts and checking supers. Again I sat with Allyson and helped with the production of the show. After the show, I looked for stories to pitch for the day and helped find events to include in the what's happening package. I was again able to get practice mock anchoring the A block of the morning show with Tim. Its so exciting to be behind the desk. I can definitely tell I am getting better with every practice run. After mock anchoring, it was time for the morning meeting. We talked about the vision of the newsroom, and it was interesting to hear what everyone had to say about the future of the show and the station. After stories were assigned, I went with Cliff and one of the other interns to cover more surfing events at Wrightsville Beach. We interviewed the co-founder of the second largest surfing competition on the East Coast about the event being cancelled for the year and got video inside his surf shop. Next we went onto the beach to get video of a national children's surfing tour. We were also able to get an interview with one of the directors of the event. We finished off our beach outing by getting some stand ups in the sand. Before leaving Wrightsville, we got a quick interview with the mayor about the economic impact the cancelled surf competition would have on the community. After lunch, we went back to the station where the other intern and I put together a VO and VOSOT. We rendered out our stand ups and called it an early day. To watch the package on the surfing competition cancellation click here.

Friday I went in for the morning show where I again helped with writing and production. At the morning meeting, I volunteered to go with Asha on a story about the closing of a historic store closing. We got a lot of b-roll of the store and a few great interviews with the owner and costumers. After getting all the video we needed, we went outside to get a stand ups. To watch Asha's package click here. We got a quick lunch before Asha taught me more about filming and using the camera by getting video of a bridge that was going to be closed for the weekend. I was able to get some really cool driving shots before we pulled off to the side so I could get shots of cars driving over the bridge. The video turned out really good with Asha's helpful tips. I was so excited to have gotten all of the video myself and the VO turned out great. Before going home for the weekend, I went out with Cacky to get b-roll of an old bookstore for one of her stories on amazing people in the community. It was so interesting to see the way Cacky worked out in the field. She definitely attracted more attention from people who walked by us. The experience was extremely interesting. I was happy to have gotten the chance to watch her work before leaving to enjoy my weekend.

Week Five

Wednesday I went into the station for the morning show. I helped Allyson with the production. I learned more about stacking the show and keeping up with time. I answered the phone for the trivia question and met with the guest for the show. Producing is definitely a stressful job, but I enjoyed learning more about life on the other side of the camera. After the morning show, we had a quick office meeting where the majority of the newsroom was sent out to the funeral of a police officer. The station had a reporter in a small plane to get aerial video, a reporter on the ground covering the procession, a photographer to help with live shots and editing, an anchor at the funeral and reporting live, and multiple interns to help with everything.  It was an insane day watching everyone try to pull together the most respectful story in honor of the event. I learned more about official burials. Two of the horses that pulled the officer to his final resting place also carried Ronald Reagan at his burial. The entire procession was extremely moving. I got teary-eyed at one point while helping to get video and photos. While covering the funeral, one of the officers told me that he was so grateful we were covering the event. I was happy that our video meant a lot to them at such an awful time. To watch some of the video click here. After a long day, we were awarded with a free dinner in Elizabethtown before heading home. 


Thursday I was able to drag myself out of bed and get to the station for the morning show. I was again able to help Allyson with the production of the show. We had an interesting nine year old guest on the air to talk about a music video she had created as an anti-bullying campaign. After the show, I was able to help Allyson put together a VO of the interview. At the morning meeting, I volunteered to go out with Cliff, one of the reporters, on a story about a man who was being sentenced for killing his own father. The story was crazy! The guy had gotten into an argument with his father over money and killed him. He then stole his father's wallet and used the money to take a cab to buy beer at a gas station. On the ride home, the man refused to pay his cab fare. Police were called and the man met them on his front porch with a shotgun in hand. The police arrested the man after finding the body of his father inside the house. At the sentencing, we were not able to bring the camera into the courtroom, so I stayed outside with the equipment while Cliff took notes from inside the courtroom. We were allowed to get video of the empty courtroom after the sentencing and an interview with the assistance DA. Through the interview, we learned more about the case and the plea bargain  the man took.  The killers father had been an attorney opposed to the death penalty, so the wishes of the family were met when the man was only given a minimum of twenty years! After finishing all of our video inside the courthouse, we went outside to record our stand ups. It took me a few tries but practice makes perfect. Having all we needed, we headed back to the station where I watched Cliff write and put together his package.  It was extremely interesting to see the way another reporter worked out in the field. Cliff was very big on writing everything down which made a lot more since to me coming from more of a writing background. To watch the story click here. While Cliff was working on his story, I was asked to voice a VO for six oclock show. To watch the video click here. As I was editing my own mock package, a breaking news report came into the station. A helicopter had crashed at one of the piers which became the lead story of the show. As one of the interns, I was assigned the task of calling every business possible to get a possible on air phone interview and get pictures of the crash. The feeling in the newsroom was extremely charged and exciting. I was thrilled to see breaking news in the process. After a long day of work, I went home for the night.

Friday, I got to the station at a normal hour of nine in the morning just in time for the morning meeting. I was assigned to go out into the field with Asha, another one of the reporters, who was covering a story on the changing gun laws in North Carolina. The story had been reported originally by USA Today, and the main person the story revolved around was from our viewing area. After a little research, we went to the courthouse and the police station to get more information on the man from the story. Our research took us first to the house the man had lived in before he was sent to jail for inaccurate charges where we were able to get some b-roll and practice stand ups with the consent of the current owner. The video Asha took was all done from a creative stand point, and I learned a lot watching her get video. Next we went to the ex-girlfriend's house where the arrest had been made. We were surprised to discover the house was still occupied by the ex-girlfriend, her children, and her sketchy current boyfriend.  A little bit of awkward conversation led to an on camera interview with the ex-girlfriend. We were also able to get another round of stand up video before rushing back to the station to put together the package. To see the final product click here. Around the time the show began, Laura, my favoritest tv producer ever, stopped by for a visit. I was so happy to see her and get the chance to watch some of the show with her. All in all it was another amazing week of interning.

Week Four

Wednesday was another long day of work at the station.  I came in at my usual time of 5 am to work on the morning show. After the show I went out with one of the morning anchors, Ashley, to get interviews and a stand up about using sunscreen at the beach. We were able to get an interview with a father and his little girl, who was appropriately wearing a protective sun shirt. Then we did stand ups. It was very interesting to watch the way another reporter worked in the field. I appreciated getting the chance to watch someone with a different experience preform behind the camera. Ashley's ideas for stand ups used different camera techniques than what I had been seeing. It was awesome to practice my stand up after watching Ashley's from the other side of the camera. To see the sunscreen story, click here.  On the way back to the station, we passed the location of the story idea I was planning to pitch at the morning meeting. I wanted to do a story about the hands only CPR training the hospital was offering throughout the week. Ashley called back to the station and got the ok to get some video. We stopped and took some b-roll of the training bus before heading inside to talk to some of the EMS team. I was able to get an awesome interview with the captain of the fire department. Next, I was trained to preform hands only CPR which I used as a clip for my standup. It was definitely great practice in front of the camera. After getting all the video we needed and signing the visitors' book, we headed back to the station where I began putting my package together. That afternoon, I went out with Ryan, the photographer, and a few of the other interns to get video and interviews for a story about the head football coach at ECU, Ruffin McNeill, giving a speech for a fifth grade graduation. It was so strange to be inside an elementary school again, and I discovered that interviewing children is definitely not my specialty. After getting all the video and interviews we needed, we went outside the school to practice stand ups. I got the special honor of having Coach McNeill watch my stand up. It was slightly nerve wracking, but really awesome. A thousand stand up takes later, it was out to a quick lunch and back to the station to finish work on my CPR story. I was able to get practice writing scripts and editing video by putting together a VO and a SOT for the evening shows and a package for the 11 o'clock show.  It was amazing to see my work on air! To watch my package on hands only CPR click here.

Thursday, I was back at the station early for another eventful day. I researched a story for later that day before watching the morning show from the production booth. After the show, I went out with Ashley again to get an interview with the mayor of Sunset Beach for a story on a shady developer, who owed the county millions of dollars after swindling hopeful homeowners out of their life savings. The interview was very informative, and we were able to get some awesome sound bites. After the interview the mayor drove us to the site of the unfinished development where we were able to get some video. While at the site, I noticed a man on the property near the only house on the development. I approached the man and discovered he was the only home buyer who had a good experience with the shady developer. We were able to get an interview with him before heading back to the station. Not long after arriving back, I went out again for the day with Katie to cover a story on the clarification of a gun law that allows people who go to a church that also serves as a school to bring their guns to church as long as a school function is not in progress. We were able to get some b-roll, and I got more practice shooting stand ups. Once we got back to the station, I watched Katie edit some of the video before going out again with Ryan to attempt a live shot from the Wrightsville Beach town hall meeting.  I was able to get in more practice in front of the camera before heading home for the day. 

Friday, I was back at the station for the morning show. I watched the show from the studio, and after the show I was able to get some practice anchoring. It was very interesting to watch myself from behind the desk. After the morning meeting, I was sent out with Ryan and another intern to get a package on World Oceans Day at the aquarium. We were able to get an interview with the education curator of the aquarium to learn more about the importance of conservation of the oceans. After that we got some video before I was able to practice interviewing more kids. After interviewing a few kids, I was slowly getting better at asking easy questions that did not give children the choice of yes or no answers. Getting all that we needed and a quick tour of the aquarium, we headed outside to shoot stand ups, and many takes later I was good to go. We snagged a quick lunch on the way back to the station. Once back, I began to write, edit, and track my package with a little help from everyone working. It was a success and aired at the end of the A block of the 5 o'clock show. To watch my package click here. It was super exciting to get something on air although it was very strange to see myself on TV. After cutting some more video and writing a quick script for the later show, I left the station feeling very accomplished for the week.

Week Three

This week was all about waking up early to work on the morning show.  Wednesday the studio was in a frenzy over tropical storm Beryl. A reporter was assigned to the morning show to report live on the storm from Wrightsville Beach. It was so thrilling to watch the newsroom prepare and execute the live shots throughout the show and teases. Storm coverage was definitely one of the more exciting aspects of tv news. After the show was over,  I went into the field with the producer of the morning show, Allyson, and another intern, Ashley, to work on a VO about a cruise ship called the Queen of the Mississippi that had been forced to dock in Wilmington due to the storm. The ship had been in Maryland for renovations and was on its way back to New Orleans. We were not able to get on the ship, but the video we got of the outside was really cool. Back at the station, we were able to quickly edit the video and write the script before calling it a day.

Thursday,  I was up again at 4 am to help out with the morning show. I answered phone calls for trivia, ran the prompter, and learned more about working the huge cameras in the studio. After the show was over, I got some practice reading the teleprompter and working with the green screen. I loved getting experience working in the studio. At first, I was a little nervous, but spending more time practicing in front of the camera is definitely helping me get more comfortable. Once I spent some time in front of the camera, I got more practice writing for the show. I was given the task of writing a spelling bee trivia section of the Friday show. I really enjoyed getting more experience learning to write in a fun, conversational tone. During the day side shift, I went out with Katie to cover a story on the computer software updates at the New Hanover hospital. The media relations for the hospital was extremely nice. She set up interviews for us with important people within the hospital staff and led us to a vacant floor where the nurses were practicing with the new software. Katie and I were able to film many stand ups in one of the empty rooms. Although I stumbled over my words a few times, I was able to come away with some awesome clips. To watch the story on the hospital click here. We got a quick lunch at Chickfila after leaving the hospital, and then headed over to an old cement plant in Castle Hayne for another story. A source had given the station a tip that the cement plant had been used as a filming location for the end of Chernobyl Diaries the movie. Katie and I went to get some b-roll of the plant. I was able to learn more about filming and using the camera. As we were about to leave, Katie gave me an extremely exciting opportunity! She called the station to ask if I would be allowed to front the VO. After all was approved, we quickly typed up a script in the car and shot my stand up. It was a fantastic experience. Sadly, an expert on the story was unreachable, so the story fell through. I was still very happy to get the practice and extremely excited to be considered ready to be aired on the show.  It was an amazing day of work!

Friday was a slower day for me. I went into the station to work the morning show. I  was excited to see my Spelling Bee trivia on the air. I got to answer phones at the end of the segment to find a winner. It was wonderful to watch my work come together on air. After the morning show, I pitched my ideas at the morning meeting, and I was assigned to go out with Ryan and another intern, Ashley, to cover a story on a high number of sea turtle nests. The story was very interesting, and I was able to get a very long, detailed interview with a member of the Turtle Watch. After the interview, we shot some b-roll of the beach before heading back to the station to load the video onto the computer. Once the video was saved, I left the station having wrapped up another wonderful week of work.