I Held a Emmy that Wasn't Mine, OH The Agony!!!

    Just capped off an amazing weekend with the station. I worked the Midwest/Emmy's. It was a long process leading up to that Friday and Saturday, but it was worth it.

photo courtesy of WYCC-TV

 

 

   That Friday I was in the office with the associate producer making sure that all of the scripts and rundowns were correct. I've learned that a script is never finish, and it should go through multiple people's hands to make sure there are no errors. I found a few myself. I think what was exciting about this part of the show was that I had the opportunity to see and know what a lot of people didn't. It was like I was sworn into a media cult or something.

 

Picture Courtesy of Courtney Brown 

   Saturday was the day that everyone was waiting for, whether they were waiting to see celebrities and an amazing show, or just waiting for it to be over. I witnessed stress levels of almost everyone in the station go up the week before the show. The morning of the show was pretty laid back. Everyone was basically setting up for what was to come. I personally wanted to help with grip and utility, though I didn't get that opportunity until it was closer to the show. I'll admit, the first hour I was there I did nothing but look at observe. I was trying to figure out who was who on the production side of things, and when I should approach them. as the show got closer I found out that I would be needed more than I thought I would. I found myself on the top of a ladder running cables, and helping set up cameras. The freelance videographers seemed more inviting than I thought they would be.

 



So many Opportunities

   So many opportunities have come my way since last week. I've been given the chance to produce a feature story for "In the loop", asked if I wanted to floor direct for WYCC's Mystery Marathon, given contact information for the United Center's in-house media team, and worked with the producer of the Chicago/ Mid-west Emmy's. It has been tough to juggle all of these things, with school and work being they way they are. I work at night five times out of the week, intern Monday through Friday starting at 9 in the morning, and I also have two online classes. Sometimes I wonder what I got myself into. I barely get sleep now, but my grandmother told me that it's not the time to get comfortable, and she's right. I'm already half way through my intern hours, and my school work hasn't dropped off either.

   As far as the opportunities at the internship, I've learned how to multitask them. I give myself a moderate amount of time to at least start on each project. Those that are more time sensitive I push towards the front. I give myself deadlines before the producer's deadlines. The feature story that I get to produce I'm thinking about going after a tap dance instructor that I worked with before. The only thing is that he hasn't responded to my messages yet, and I need to get something in the can, or bottle in my case. I've also been working on finding tidbits for the Mystery Marathon shows that are airing in November. The work that I did for Buddy Guy's Legends is really helping Ricardo, the Senior Producer for the show. Though I'm just transcribing, I know that it's benefitting.
   This week has been tough, but the more opportunities that I'm being given, the more I can see my work ethic goes appreciated.

The Experience of interning

Another week down for me, and I have to say that it could've have gone any better. Like usual I worked on ITL (In The Loop). This week's show was on cancer survivors. I did a lot of transcribing and logging for this show. I was also given the chance to propose a topic for a upcoming show. What the producers wanted was a topic that was a twist on a older show that they did. I was shown how they wanted it structured and formatted.  I also worked on a Malik Yoba interview that involved Robin Robinson. She interviewed Yoba for a promotional show on his new series called Empire.

This week I just tried to work as hard as anyone else. I wanted  to really show them that I'm able to multitask, and be effective at all times. I can improve on making myself more available. I think that there's a certain few people that I always give my assistance to, and I should be asking everyone in my opinion. This week we have call backs for the upcoming season of The Professors.

"Hurry up and wait!"

As I continue on interning at WYCC, new opportunities come my way. Last week I was able to go out with senior producer Mario Tharpe, to conduct man on the street interviews for the show in the loop. It was pretty cool, not including the fact that a lot of people are try to get just walked past me. Last week show dealt with child sex trafficking, and our panel was spot on with the responses. On Monday I went out with the crew to the Auditorium Theatre that is located in the Roosevelt University. We were shooting footage for the upcoming clarets that WYCC has to do. To be around the camera and the and the lighting in the equipment was very fascinating for me because those are things I want to do. Felix and Rossmoe help me to understand was needed to actually put together a production, and I realize that it's of the longer to set up than actually shoot the production. Everything had to be precise, and the lighting was the most important thing. We were in old building that had special lighting installed in the lighting actually didn't help us so they had to bring their own equipment. It took probably an hour along to get the lighting together. Actually just finished up transcribing for that shoot, and associate producer Meghan Etlinger, asked me to think like a producer for this. To come to take down notes of anything that I thought was interesting, how they reacted to one another in the body language things of that sort.

Breaking into Freelancing

Once again recorded another week at WYCC. I have to say each week that goes by brings reasoning to why I'm actually doing this. Like every week so far, I started off with my research on Monday. The sites that I am to look at are the Chicago Tribune, TimeOut Chicago, and HuffingtonPost Chicago. I try to find articles that will help with upcoming " In The Loop" topics, or just something that might be used sooner or later. After that I went into the production meeting with the crew; we had a conference call with the hosts' of the show, Chris Bury and Barbara Pinto. The guest for this week's show were Christian Farr (Reporter at NBC5), Lissa Druss Christman (STRATEGIC PARTNER

SERAFIN AND ASSOCIATE), and Johnathan Eig (Author). After the meeting concluded I started on some transcribing for a series that is starting in October on the station entitled Buddy Guy's Legends, and for a interview that one of the producers did for new week's show.

I think the most exciting event from this past week happened on Friday when I had time to sit and talk with Ms. Toni Reed. Once I found out that her, as well as Senior Producer Mario Tharpe had lengthy experience on the Documentary side of media, I just had to pick her brain. What I got from that conversation is way more than what I was expecting. She was explaining information to me that is still being processed in my brain today. I haven't been able to do anything else but, think about the things she was telling me. She even gave me Chicago's Production Bible; to say the least I've read it five times already since that day. I have a spark for media again. I mean the spark that I had when I was first given a tour of the media department when I was 18 entering Kennedy-King College.

The Tough First Entry

This is the tough first entry. Why is it tough you say? Well starting this blog about my time as a intern for WYCC brings a few challenges, like getting viewers attention long enough to read the blog. If you've gotten this far I applaud you. I've been interning with WYCC for two weeks now. It's located in the Englewood area of Chicago,Il. The reason why I chose wycc for my internship is because, I've shadowed at the station numerous times. Each time that I've been at the station, I've been welcomed and learned new things. I felt like the network that I had with the station was good enough to make the transition into my internship smooth, and it worked. These two weeks have been something to remember. I started with a tour of the station as well as a brief overview of the assignments that I will be doing. Each Thursday there is a program called In The Loop, what I've done with this show is prepared the guest changing room, or what we call it the greenroom, I've also assisted the floor director by making sure that the guest got onto the set. Once the show started I waited for the stage directed to let me know if she needs anything else. After the show I assisted guest back to the greenroom to get the thing so that they can leave. Through this process, I networking with some of the producers, directors, are videographers, that might help me with my transition into my actual career. I've also been working on logging and transcribing. Blogging is when you actually take a a clip and change the name to give it a description that helps the editors find it at later times. Transcribing is when you look over a show or program and type out word for word what each person says. The transcribing that I've done so far is of a Anita Alvarez interview on child prostitution, as well as performances for the station's Buddy Guy legends program that they are starting in October. In the upcoming weeks feel like I will learn three times as much as I've already had. I've become more comfortable multitasking and getting things done before the due date. The staff here has been very welcoming and has helped me with everything that I needed. Hopefully I will gain some insight on where to next with my career.