Counting Down

It feels like the semester flew by. Thursday was the second to the last show of the semester, and I think it was the most relaxed show of the semester.

Last week, I got a chance to sit in the control room and see the show from a different angle. The control room is all technical. It’s where the teleprompter operator sits, and where the executive producers sit and run the show.

I’ve been interested in how shows run since I had a production internship two years ago. I look up to the producers who know a control board or a ‘switch’ board like the back of their hand. Control rooms can be intimidating, but they can also be a lot of fun, and can be a learning experience.

Being versatile in the media industry and related fields is a bonus. Having the ability to be the talent in front of a camera or sit in the control room as the audio operator gives a person options. Having many skills is always best and opens the door for more opportunity.

In Metro Minutes, we were forced to take on different tasks. Students were their own producer, their own assignment editor, and their own videographer for each of their news pieces. We still had our professors or editors, to guide us and give us advice and suggestions on our stories to make sure they were doable for the show. The independence gave us responsibility to get our pieces done.

Although the producers didn’t sit in the control room for every show, we got a lot of experience putting together each show, making scripts, making sure that everything went smoothly while taping, and taking feedback from the executive producers on what went well, or could be better on previous shows.

All in all, I valued this semester and the opportunity to be part of Metro Minutes. Even as a grad student with prior broadcast experience, I appreciate having to juggle being a producer and reporter. It was a lot of work, but it was fun work. With the last show being the cable show, I know the Fall 2010 Metro Minutes team will set the bar high.