Under Pressure...

"Pressure pushing down on me. Pressing down on you no man ask for. Under pressure..."

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines...it's the nature of the broadcast business. Reporters, producers, and anchors are always under this kind of unnerving pressure to get the story out fast...before anyone else leaks out the details. Each station wants to be first and to be the best. While this is kind of sad...it's the reality of the media world today...as viewers and listeners expect immediacy.

I felt the pressure of the deadline this week when I completed my deadline project for my BC 312 TV Reporting class. One of the assignments for this class required every student to find a TV story, shoot the cover video and the interview, to capture the footage, to write the script, to edit the package, and to dub the story onto an air tape....all in one day (actually in approximately 10 to 12 hours I think...)

The idea behind the assignment was to have each student experience the pressure of the deadline like any reporter would in a real TV market. Needless to say...I felt the stress and the pressure (partially because the computers decided to act up)...but overall I was happy with how my story turned out in the end.

I chose to do my TV package on the IRS Criminal Division. A group of their special agents came to my school this past Wednesday for the "Westminster College Project," a simulation day which allowed 18 students to take on the role of a special agent for the day.

I called the head IRS special agent Andrew Hromoko the day before the event to set up an interview time. He was very helpful...Mr. Hromoko gave me a tentative agenda for the day and told me what to expect throughout day.

I woke up early that morning and got to the campus center at 8:30. First, Mr. Hromoko showed me the three different cases the students would be working on and where to get the best video. Then, I interviewed Mr. Hromoko. I learned later he was rather impressed with the questions I asked him. The filming went extremely well...the agents even set up a fake drug bust on campus which was the best part of the day. I loved filming this because it made me feel like I was on the scene filming breaking news. In fact, one of the Youngstown TV stations, WFMJ, was there to film for that part of the day.

I also got to film the F.A.T.S. training simulator, where the students were put in a variety of hostile situations and had to decide whether to shoot with their fake gun or not. This device is used to train federal law enforcement officers.

After I got some more cover video and shot my stand up with Chuck's help, I set off to edit...I screened my video and captured what I needed....then I sat down to write my story. This had to be the hardest part...I was already pretty tired, and I really wanted to use the diamond effect in this story. Thankfully, one of the students I interviewed was thinking of becoming an IRS special agent, so I worked that into my story.

The only main problem I encountered was when I went to add in my VO parts to the story, and the computer would not recognize my hard drive (or anybody else's, believe me I tried...) Chuck couldn't figure it out either, but thankfully after I restarted the computer a couple of times...it worked! I finished my editing...and called my professor to tell him my story was done.

I just felt good that I could do it...that maybe someday I will be able to make it in this broadcast world...plus Mr. Hromoko gave me his business card, and Chuck told me my package and the raw footage from my story is going to Washington, D.C., to the headquarters of the IRS! It's been a very exciting week...