Timing is Everything

My advice to incoming producers is simple, be on time. Whether it's getting your story list in before the morning meeting starts, finalizing your run-down before 5 p.m. or hitting the end of your show at 6:29:30, being on time is crucial to producing a smooth show. 

This goes without saying that you may have planned perfectly, timed with precision and yet, you find yourself in the studio at 5:58 p.m. with the cold open to the show missing. It happens. So now what do you do? 

This brings us to my second piece of advice, always have a plan-b. If you start thinking about the possibility of one of your lead elements not making deadline early in the day, you save yourself from a lot of stress and heartache in the studio. It's nice to imagine a perfect rundown without last minute hiccups or freak-outs, but the truth of the matter is, it rarely ever happens that way. The best way to avoid an uproar of panic and scrambling in the studio when an element misses deadline, is to... you guessed it, have a plan-b.

My third and final piece of advice to all incoming producers is, have fun with the show. We have the opportunity to produce a live newscast to a rather large audience while were still in college.

If you're reading this now, you're probably in the exact same place I was before starting this class. I read past producers' blog posts, trying to get a feel and prepare myself for the whirlwind of 403. I didn't know what to expect and was worried I would be unable to produce 30 minutes of content. If you feel that way now, let me reassure you, that feeling fades fast. The nervousness you have coming into this class, not knowing anything, and hoping for the best, all changes by the end of the semester. After spending a semester in 403, I am confident I have the proper foundation and necessary skills to produce beyond USC, and you will too. 

Here's to a great semester at ATVN! I absolutely loved being a part of Team Tuesday and working with everyone in both the newsroom and the studio. It's kind of hard to believe it's already over.