Last week I was given the opportunity to attend another shoot with Jennifer Lewis and Craig Marble. Prior to the shoot I sat with Jen and observed the way she forms her scripts/packages. Although my goals are not to become a reporter; I enjoy shadowing Jen Lewis because she is traditional in terms of formulating her packages. If I were a reporter I am certain that the process in which I would generate stories would closely mimic hers.
The shoot that I went to last week was held at the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. The discussion during the interview heavily revolved around the question “Does Tamiflu really work”. During my first shoot with Jen I observed everything going on throughout the shoot. However, for this shoot I wanted to focus more on her technique as a reporter. In my opinion, already having her questions written down allowed her to keep track of the information she needed and prevented her from forgetting questions that she may have had before entering the interview. I also noticed the way in which she guides the speaker back on track if they tend to stray from the main topic. Another thing that I noticed was the way that she produces the shoot; knowing exactly how she wanted things set up.
Camera Operator Craig Marble left me with advice on the importance of reading each client (observing if client is a mover or stays in one spot). This helps with knowing whether or not the camera can remain in the same area or if it needs to be moved more frequently. I was also able to apply new knowledge about lighting during this shoot. As I watched Craig set up, I was able to look for things such as the amount of indoor lighting there was and decide on the light setting for the equipment. As time goes on I become even more interested in camera operation. I hope to eventually be able to operate a camera for one of the jobs at the station before leaving.