Keep On Keepin' On
We did it! The last week of the semester is here and we all managed to make it out of 403 alive (provided that we make it through the final exam, of course). Back in February, producing a 30 minute newscast seemed like a task that would be next to impossible. Now ten weeks later, we've all realized we were up to the challenge. I know I've certainly had my fair share of mistakes and learning experiences throughout the past three months, but learning how to produce a newscast has been really rewarding. To all of you future producers, the class will be tough, but it will teach you a lot about news. Here are a few tips to help you have a successful semester at ATVN:
1. Help your MJs and reporters. This is probably my biggest piece of advice, and one that will make your life as a producer a million times easier. It's important to remember that a lot of your MJs are new to ATVN, and things that might be obvious to you aren't necessarily obvious to them. At the beginning of the semester, make sure to take the time to help them learn the basics of iNews, writing, shooting and editing. Don't just assume that they'll be able to remember everything they learned in the workshops! Also let them have a chance to see what you do as a producer and talk with them about how the show comes together throughout the day. Most of the MJs are only in the newsroom for four hours a week and they never have a chance to see the production process from start to finish. Imagine writing one chapter of a book without ever having the chance to see the rest of the book. It's hard to do a good job on your own part if you don't have a good understanding of the final product as a whole!
2. Learn time management strategies early on. 10 hours might sound like a lot of time to put together your show, but trust me when I say that it's not. I remember my first week as lead producer, I thought I had all the time in the world to put together my rundown. Then when 1:30 came around and it was time for the rundown meeting, I was nowhere near close to being done with the rundown. Just remember, the more you can get done earlier in the day, the better. You will need the extra time later in the afternoon in case there's breaking news or any last minute things that have to get done for the show.
3. Don't assume. Unfortunately this got me in trouble a few too many times at ATVN. You're going to have a lot of things on your mind as a producer, and it can be hard to keep track of everyone and everything in the newsroom. Never just assume that someone has set up an interview, written a story or edited video correctly. Mistakes can happen, and it's always best to at least look over everything in your newscast yourself.
4. Communicate with everyone in the newsroom. This is something that Team Monday has definitely been trying to work on throughout the semester. Producing your newscast is definitely a team effort and you won't be able to get it done by yourself. Make sure you have team meetings with your other producers every hour or two throughout the day just to check in to see if anything new is in house. It's also really important to communicate with your MJs. Tell them exactly what video they should try to shoot and double check that they have a good understanding of the story they're working on. It also helps a lot to set mini deadlines for them and have them update you on their progress every 30 minutes or so.
5. Try to be flexible. Things are going to change throughout the day. Like it or not, interviews will fall through, stories will be floated and breaking news will happen. Things will still be changing just minutes before your show airs and the best thing you can do is try to stay calm. This is a lot easier said than done. Try to be open to other people's suggestions and don't be frustrated if you have to make changes to your show. In the end it will all come together even if it seems like it won't at times.
You're not going to have a single show that's perfect, and that's just the reality of live TV. Don't beat yourself up over little mistakes, and know that you will improve throughout the semester. Remember, this is a class and the point of a class is to learn. No matter how frustrated or tired or stressed you may feel throughout the day, it's always a great feeling to see your show come together on the air.
