Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Playing with a Handycam

I've had the opportunity recently to get my hands on a Sony VX 2100 for a project I've been working on. It's a cool little camera and it's been great for what I've been doing. But I wanted to strecth it's legs a little so I shot a bunch of off the cuff stuff yesterday and came up with this...












What I'm hoping to do now is talk my wife into getting one of my very own...with one difference...I'm going for the HD version.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Fire in the Neigborhood

Usually it's the desk calling to let me know that there's a fire for me to roll to.

Randolph Fire (9)

This time, however, it was my 12 year old step son (the one who wants to grow up and be a TV Photog too) who made the announcement.

Randolph Fire (7)

He saw the heavy black smoke across the woods and came running in the house, out of breath and trying to spit out the pertinent information. I ran to get a look and I knew I'd better drive first and ask questions later..

Randolph Fire (15)

The smoke was billowing black before I arrived so I knew the fire department hadn't had time to put much water on it yet. What I didn't know was what was on fire.

Randolph Fire

I arrived to the scene in just 4 minutes. The fire was closer to my house than the roads I had to use to get there but the flames were at their peak when I arrived.

Randolph Fire (5)

Another Photojournalist from my station arrived at the same time I did. Joe Avery had just finished his shift and saw the same smoke I did on his way to his house.

Randolph Fire (3)

Since he was still in work mode I let him take the lead, but I popped off these pix for his posterity and because it was a helluva fire.

Randolph Fire (6)

Preliminary reports are that it's an unnoccupied dwelling and by the looks of it, quite old as well. The tax value on the house and the 6 acres it sits on is listed by Randolph County as only 99-thousand dollars.

Randolph Fire (4)

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Jerry Falwell Dies

It's only about 150 miles up the road to Lynchburg, Virginia so when I heard that Jerry Falwell had passed away yesterday I knew I better be ready to head that way. It wasn't long after that thought passed through my head that I got the call to pack a bag.

Memorial

Bob Buckley and I met up with our Satellite Truck and our co-workers on the scene just 15 minutes before the start of the 5 o'clock news.

Leah Smiles

Reporter Leah Beno and photojournalist Brad Ingram had a half hour jump start on us and had a package ready for air at 5 about a local guy changing a marquee to reflect the moment.

Lynchburg (7)

To help Brad out while he finished up the edit I jumped in, set up and shot the live shot at 5 for Leah and then for Bob at 5:30.

Bob Live

Leah Waiting

Bob and I also had extra duties besides just turning stories for our station. We were charged with providing our sister stations across the nation with Live reports at 5, 6 and 10 on Tuesday night. (Our 10 PM Story Tuesday)

Leah Live

Bob Live

After doing live shots until 11:05 (the last one was for WTTG) our plan was for Bob and I to get to the hotel and sleep so we could also do the morning lives for our station and our affiliates.

Bob Waiting for Live

With wakeup time at 3-30 AM we made the most of getting to bed just before midnight and getting up was just as tough as you might think.

Sunrise over Lynchburg

We went on the air at 5AM and did 19 Live Shots right up to 9 AM.

Bob Thinking

After the morning show we found the man who spent time with Jerry Falwell in his last living Moments. Ronald Godwin had breakfast with Rev. Falwell on Tuesday morning.

Dr Godwin

For the noon news we did a Live Shot with Godwin's thoughts. (That Story Here)

Bob and Background

Leah and Brad worked the dayside part of this gig staying in Lynchburg through at least the 6 and possibly the 10 tonight.

Satellite DanJoe

Major Kudos to our two Satellite operators Danny Spillane and Joe McCloskey for making all the things happen that must happen (including getting other sat trucks off our designated satellite at the last minute) for these liveshots to be coordinated for each TV Station down the line. As of 6 O'Clock Wednesday the live shot count was up to more than 30.

Lynchburg (15)

And of Course we weren't alone in Lynchburg (well, our local market competition wasn't there...???).

Lynchburg (14)

TV Stations from across Virginia filed in one after another and all of the Networks were present and accounted for.

This was the CNN Set up.

CNN Setup

CNN Chick

CNN Setup

CNN Chick

The Fox Truck from DC came down.

Fox Truck in Lynchburg

NBC was set up next to us but there shots were cancelled unexplainably.

NBC Setup

CBN made an appearance and we watched some of their coverage. They captured some good elements but it was shot a little sloppy.

CBN Sat Truck

I will say that the staff, students, members, mourners and everyone we came across while we gathered all of our video and sound were extremely cordial and inviting. That can be tough under such circumstances.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Help Wanted:
NASCAR Team

Good Looking, Highly Popular and Talented Superstar Racecar Driver in search of a NASCAR Team willing and ready to seriously compete for Nextel Cup Championship.

Must have fast cars, powerful engines and qualified teamates.

Excellent restrictor plate program a must.

Prior Championships preffered.

Will provide own Sponsorship, Crewchief and PitCrew.

Salary negotiable but must be 8 figures.

Call Junior at 338-8338.*

Ford, Dodge, Toyota need not apply!