Today I ran into chuck and he gave me a grievance about where my documentary was going. I stopped by to fill out my time sheet and he told me “Listen, this thing has to be about Titan Crew…not me” in his gruff voice. He sounded…well…pissed about what I was doing. This kinda of discouraged me. Not him saying that, but him not appreciating what he has done for so many people who have come through this major.
I told him “Well this documentary is about Titan Crew…and the only two things that have been consistent with it over the years are the truck and you.” He still didn’t seem very excited about it even after that, but how do you tell someone that they are a mentor whenever they don’t want to hear it? Easy! I had other people do it for me. I simply think it’s vital to document the his importance to a select group of people, even if he doesn’t want to see it. Also, Chuck is a behind the scenes type of guy and doesn’t like to be put on camera, and I respect that because I am kind of the same way. But what exactly is wrong with me putting him as the focal point to a group of people. Every crew needs its captain and Chuck is Titan Crews, plain and simple.
Aside from that, I need to think of some sort of title for this damn thing. I started out with Life with Chuck in the Truck, but now I think I want to call it Titan Crew…Join at your own risk. I think it really compliments the fact that no one expects it to be what this activity becomes to you. Titan Crew is kinda your dysfunctional family, and of course in a good way.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Capstone Continued
As I continue my journey down this path known as Capstone a.k.a the most stressful thing I have ever done in my life, I have begun to slowly feel more comfortable with what I’m doing. I have put together a mental timeline of how I want this documentary to go.
I am going to start off with two things, though I haven’t decided the order. I will have answers to the question of “Who is Chuck Chirozzi”, then “What is Titan Crew” both montage style with one person who repeated the question and then some answers. I chose this because I feel it gives a good introduction to what I am trying to accomplish of what Titan Crew is, but still keeps the audience interested in what is to come. Also there are a lot of interesting emotionally charged answers to it which will trigger responses, or at least I hope, from people who don’t even know what Titan Crew is or who Chuck is by relating the answers to people or situations they know of.
After that I am going to start off with a timeline of how the Titan Crew has gotten to the point that it is now over the past 20 some years. Here I will use a lot of Chuck’s interview stuff so people understand how and what it is today. I feel this is important because a lot of people just see it as being “Here”, which isn’t the case. Also in this section, which will be the main course of what I’m showing, I will include a story or two from alumni that I interviewed. This again is a good way to appeal to people’s emotions because of how they can relate to what crazy stories there are.
Finally, I am going to end it with why Titan Crew is so important to the major. A lot of people overlook the practical real world experience that you get from being in it. And, as has been stated by many people, it’s nothing like The County Line or Titan Radio. We are a dysfunctional group of people that somehow have a blast while doing something tangible. I am fearful that Titan Crew will disappear without chuck, and that is the last thing I or the current/former members would want to see. It would be like watching something that you created die, or get torn down.
So that’s my timeline…Lets just see how well I can portray it.
I am going to start off with two things, though I haven’t decided the order. I will have answers to the question of “Who is Chuck Chirozzi”, then “What is Titan Crew” both montage style with one person who repeated the question and then some answers. I chose this because I feel it gives a good introduction to what I am trying to accomplish of what Titan Crew is, but still keeps the audience interested in what is to come. Also there are a lot of interesting emotionally charged answers to it which will trigger responses, or at least I hope, from people who don’t even know what Titan Crew is or who Chuck is by relating the answers to people or situations they know of.
After that I am going to start off with a timeline of how the Titan Crew has gotten to the point that it is now over the past 20 some years. Here I will use a lot of Chuck’s interview stuff so people understand how and what it is today. I feel this is important because a lot of people just see it as being “Here”, which isn’t the case. Also in this section, which will be the main course of what I’m showing, I will include a story or two from alumni that I interviewed. This again is a good way to appeal to people’s emotions because of how they can relate to what crazy stories there are.
Finally, I am going to end it with why Titan Crew is so important to the major. A lot of people overlook the practical real world experience that you get from being in it. And, as has been stated by many people, it’s nothing like The County Line or Titan Radio. We are a dysfunctional group of people that somehow have a blast while doing something tangible. I am fearful that Titan Crew will disappear without chuck, and that is the last thing I or the current/former members would want to see. It would be like watching something that you created die, or get torn down.
So that’s my timeline…Lets just see how well I can portray it.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Last Leg
I have finally finished up my interviews and have begun working on putting it together. I suppose the toughest part is figuring out how to put it all together in some sort of meaning. I have currently logged 91 gigs of interviews, about 12 people ranging from 20 to 40 minutes in length…and somehow I am supposed to get it down into 5-7 minutes in length. I believe that I have gotten myself into something I was somewhat not expecting, but at the same time I decided to do a documentary on the Titan Crew because of how much it means to me. It’s kinda like that project that you do the hard way because you think you’ll enjoy it more since you did it your way, until you are actually doing it and you keep asking yourself exactly why you decided to do it? If there is one thing I have learned from projects like that is that it's eventual outcome is your best and most fulfilling work.
Since this is something that is near and dear to me, I know that I will figure out some way to do this in a respectful and professional manor. The only problem is how? How do you do something a specific way without having any prior experience in it? How could I expect myself to succeed with something if I have never learned from my failures? I suppose the answer to that is…work. I will just have to dedicate myself to feeling the right way during this process. Till the finished project do we part. Now is the time where I have to begin thinking of how I want to cut around 4 hours of footage into 5-7 minutes… Let the games begin eh?
Since this is something that is near and dear to me, I know that I will figure out some way to do this in a respectful and professional manor. The only problem is how? How do you do something a specific way without having any prior experience in it? How could I expect myself to succeed with something if I have never learned from my failures? I suppose the answer to that is…work. I will just have to dedicate myself to feeling the right way during this process. Till the finished project do we part. Now is the time where I have to begin thinking of how I want to cut around 4 hours of footage into 5-7 minutes… Let the games begin eh?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
My Minds Plasticity
The title was inspired from my psychology class, which taught me that your brains plasticity is how it takes your experiences and allows your brain to store them as knowledge for what to do in situations. I was hoping that by using it would make me seem more intelligent, but make your own assessment on that. With that said, I continue what Titan Crew has taught me.
Being director of WCN's live broadcasts has taught me that I can lead a group. When playing high school football, I was the leader of my defense, although my damn coach gave the pre-snap play calling to a brown noser, but I knew that I was always prepared to put those other 10 boys on the field in the right position to make the play. Titan Crew has helped me bring that ability into my broadcasting tool belt. Every Saturday, I have to be the guy that calls someone out for slacking, inspire them to make it through the game sometimes and make the executive decisions of what shots to take and when to run different stuff. At first, I was scared, I won’t lie. I was a junior when I started directing and my experience doing so was zero. As I continued to do it, I got a feel of what should be expected of each and every broadcast, and now that I am a senior, I feel more confident that the decisions I made are more often times than not the correct one.
Secondly, I have learned that this is my passion. As stated many times before, I love sports. I could go into news, or radio, but sports broadcasts are what I enjoy doing. I even love to shoot camera, which I was able to do 2 weeks ago. Football more than any other sports, there’s a bit of respect I have for the preparation put into every season, game, and play. Men sacrifice their lives in the weight room, while their coaches are cutting film for the next week’s opponent. There is a lot of work put into every game, whether it be football or another sport, and I feel that our job is to broadcast it the best way possible to the fans at home. That is my passion, and hopefully what I am doing after my tenure here at Westminster.
More to come, and hopefully it is good news. Goodnight and good luck…
Being director of WCN's live broadcasts has taught me that I can lead a group. When playing high school football, I was the leader of my defense, although my damn coach gave the pre-snap play calling to a brown noser, but I knew that I was always prepared to put those other 10 boys on the field in the right position to make the play. Titan Crew has helped me bring that ability into my broadcasting tool belt. Every Saturday, I have to be the guy that calls someone out for slacking, inspire them to make it through the game sometimes and make the executive decisions of what shots to take and when to run different stuff. At first, I was scared, I won’t lie. I was a junior when I started directing and my experience doing so was zero. As I continued to do it, I got a feel of what should be expected of each and every broadcast, and now that I am a senior, I feel more confident that the decisions I made are more often times than not the correct one.
Secondly, I have learned that this is my passion. As stated many times before, I love sports. I could go into news, or radio, but sports broadcasts are what I enjoy doing. I even love to shoot camera, which I was able to do 2 weeks ago. Football more than any other sports, there’s a bit of respect I have for the preparation put into every season, game, and play. Men sacrifice their lives in the weight room, while their coaches are cutting film for the next week’s opponent. There is a lot of work put into every game, whether it be football or another sport, and I feel that our job is to broadcast it the best way possible to the fans at home. That is my passion, and hopefully what I am doing after my tenure here at Westminster.
More to come, and hopefully it is good news. Goodnight and good luck…
I am Ron Burgendy?
Well slowly but surly, these wheels have been lubed up and churning. I have finally finished, for the most part, my questions for this documentary...and I am not talking about me asking myself why I felt this would be a great idea.
It took me half of my Psychology class but them damn questions are finally done. It took me so long because when writing interview questions, it is vital to ask a question that will pull some sort of specific response from the person being interviewed. This whole documentary is based on what the people did in Titan Crew, how they remember both it and Chuck and how it has effected them and prepared them for whatever career they are in. So I had to kind of look at myself and ask what the heck I've pulled out of 2 and 1/2 years of Saturdays spent watching our barely average Titans battle other meat heads, but I came up with a few.
I have learned to double task. Sometimes when directing, I have to be telling one person to change their shot, while following what the other camera's are doing, request for a replay, and tell the computer graphics girl to find the graphic for whoever made the play. That's a lot for a brain to handle, and even when, hypothetically speaking, the brain may be moving slower than normal..for numerous reasons. But seriously, it has taught me to trust my instincts and go with what I have learned from working it over the years from my many mistakes. It doesn't really hurt either that I spent 10 years of my life playing the sport. That, combined with all my knowledge on what to and what not to do, I feel that doing the Titan Crew has taught me a lot about myself, and the career choice I have made.
It took me half of my Psychology class but them damn questions are finally done. It took me so long because when writing interview questions, it is vital to ask a question that will pull some sort of specific response from the person being interviewed. This whole documentary is based on what the people did in Titan Crew, how they remember both it and Chuck and how it has effected them and prepared them for whatever career they are in. So I had to kind of look at myself and ask what the heck I've pulled out of 2 and 1/2 years of Saturdays spent watching our barely average Titans battle other meat heads, but I came up with a few.
I have learned to double task. Sometimes when directing, I have to be telling one person to change their shot, while following what the other camera's are doing, request for a replay, and tell the computer graphics girl to find the graphic for whoever made the play. That's a lot for a brain to handle, and even when, hypothetically speaking, the brain may be moving slower than normal..for numerous reasons. But seriously, it has taught me to trust my instincts and go with what I have learned from working it over the years from my many mistakes. It doesn't really hurt either that I spent 10 years of my life playing the sport. That, combined with all my knowledge on what to and what not to do, I feel that doing the Titan Crew has taught me a lot about myself, and the career choice I have made.
Its all in the Background
MAJOR STEP ALERT: I have decided to use a black background for my interviews conducted at the television studio. Why black you ask? For drama. I've watched numerous documentaries, or even documentary related material before I finally decided on the background. I was watching a documentary the other day, and it finally caught my eye. I have seen pretty much every color imaginable as background's along with settings, but the black was the most dramatic for a few reasons.
One reason that black is the right choice for me is because it solves my dramatic look problem I have been suffering from. As stated previously, I have been in search for a background that would give my documentary that intense touch to it. Black is the right choice because, as I have noticed, it makes the person being interviewed stand out. Blues can sometimes blend the interviewee in with the background and other colors, like green, can take the main focus away from the person being interviewed. Black is the absence of color, and it is exactly what I needed. Now this isn't intended to be a tear jerking documentary, but maybe a first person feeling would be nice. This is going to be intended for people related to Titan Crew so when they watch it, I want them to feel like they are back there, in their golden hay day with their old crew, horsin' around and remembering the fond memories of one another, Chuck and the Truck. With this background, it will help to give it that feel.
At this point, it's back to the grind. Trying to pull up some gumption to get this thing rollin. Good ideas and execution seems more difficult than it should, but with every thing that I finish, I begin to feel a bit better about how this is going to come together.
One reason that black is the right choice for me is because it solves my dramatic look problem I have been suffering from. As stated previously, I have been in search for a background that would give my documentary that intense touch to it. Black is the right choice because, as I have noticed, it makes the person being interviewed stand out. Blues can sometimes blend the interviewee in with the background and other colors, like green, can take the main focus away from the person being interviewed. Black is the absence of color, and it is exactly what I needed. Now this isn't intended to be a tear jerking documentary, but maybe a first person feeling would be nice. This is going to be intended for people related to Titan Crew so when they watch it, I want them to feel like they are back there, in their golden hay day with their old crew, horsin' around and remembering the fond memories of one another, Chuck and the Truck. With this background, it will help to give it that feel.
At this point, it's back to the grind. Trying to pull up some gumption to get this thing rollin. Good ideas and execution seems more difficult than it should, but with every thing that I finish, I begin to feel a bit better about how this is going to come together.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
In need of a miracle
Well one disaster averted...I found my camera I had lost since late last week. I wasn't freaking out or anything, since it had 4 hours worth of filler shots on it...no I just knew it would turn up. Wanna know where it was? In my hamper...Yeah when you live in a fraternity house you resort to all measures so your stuff (**Cough Cough** Rock Band Guitar) doesn't get jacked by an idiot freshman or an ignorant independent up to ruin your house. Needless to say, although it was rather unorthodox it got the job done. So now I continue with my Capstone saga.
Another thing was pointed out to me this week about capstone...and that is the fact of me needing to start doing some work with it. This is the part I have been dreading, and it's collecting the interviews. After all this good stuff, you know begging people to please get me their tape or to finally sit down for 5 minutes and answer questions, is to somehow figure out some way to put this stuff in an order that doesn't leave the viewer scratching their head asking what they just saw. As I have stated numerous times before, I am nothing more than an amateur film maker with enough experience to hopefully fall into a successful outcome. Somehow, even with experience, I am kinda freaking out for two reasons.
1. This is the accumulation of everything I have been taught at Westminster. It is supposed to be sparkling clean and up to professional standards. Oh, did I mention that if I mess it up then I will have to retake the class and stay a 5th year? So now I know exactly what your asking (going out on a limb and guessing that more than just my Capstone Professor reads this) Why would I choose something that I pretty much have no idea on how to do as this project...Well because Titan Crew is, in its own pathetic way, my life. I played football or 10 years, baseball for even longer, and have dabbled in almost every other sport. There is nothing out there better than sports, so if I'm going to have to do anything in this major, it's going to be something I enjoy
2. After this, I'm pretty much done. Real world check, and a lot like this capstone project I have no idea what the future holds for me. I could try to do news right? There is nothing I enjoy less than news, holidays and weekends of work, bitch work for entree level positions, snobby on air talent in small markets, and the packages are usually something less than interesting. Why would I do any of that and hate my life when I chose this major to make a difference and enjoy every second of it?! Now many would disagree with me (citing back to my Capstone Professor) but I'd prefer not to compromise for a paycheck (which who knows, I may have to do, just not right out of college hopefully at least). I could go out west, sneak onto a movie lot and pretend like I work there until somebody realizes and either keeps me or kicks my ass out. Exciting, but expensive and unrealistic. Now sports broadcasting, that's what I wanna do. The only problem is a majority of them are freelance. It may be difficult to pay of school loans while being "On Call" at all times.
The only thing I have realized about both those points is, they are just like my life. Flyin' by the seat of my pants, having no idea where exactly I am headed, but making the most of the present and hoping for the best in the future. It has gotten me into a college that was way too prestigious for my high school transcript, and accidentally, for numerous reasons, to this point. So you know what, I may not win the lottery...ever. But, let it ride...
Another thing was pointed out to me this week about capstone...and that is the fact of me needing to start doing some work with it. This is the part I have been dreading, and it's collecting the interviews. After all this good stuff, you know begging people to please get me their tape or to finally sit down for 5 minutes and answer questions, is to somehow figure out some way to put this stuff in an order that doesn't leave the viewer scratching their head asking what they just saw. As I have stated numerous times before, I am nothing more than an amateur film maker with enough experience to hopefully fall into a successful outcome. Somehow, even with experience, I am kinda freaking out for two reasons.
1. This is the accumulation of everything I have been taught at Westminster. It is supposed to be sparkling clean and up to professional standards. Oh, did I mention that if I mess it up then I will have to retake the class and stay a 5th year? So now I know exactly what your asking (going out on a limb and guessing that more than just my Capstone Professor reads this) Why would I choose something that I pretty much have no idea on how to do as this project...Well because Titan Crew is, in its own pathetic way, my life. I played football or 10 years, baseball for even longer, and have dabbled in almost every other sport. There is nothing out there better than sports, so if I'm going to have to do anything in this major, it's going to be something I enjoy
2. After this, I'm pretty much done. Real world check, and a lot like this capstone project I have no idea what the future holds for me. I could try to do news right? There is nothing I enjoy less than news, holidays and weekends of work, bitch work for entree level positions, snobby on air talent in small markets, and the packages are usually something less than interesting. Why would I do any of that and hate my life when I chose this major to make a difference and enjoy every second of it?! Now many would disagree with me (citing back to my Capstone Professor) but I'd prefer not to compromise for a paycheck (which who knows, I may have to do, just not right out of college hopefully at least). I could go out west, sneak onto a movie lot and pretend like I work there until somebody realizes and either keeps me or kicks my ass out. Exciting, but expensive and unrealistic. Now sports broadcasting, that's what I wanna do. The only problem is a majority of them are freelance. It may be difficult to pay of school loans while being "On Call" at all times.
The only thing I have realized about both those points is, they are just like my life. Flyin' by the seat of my pants, having no idea where exactly I am headed, but making the most of the present and hoping for the best in the future. It has gotten me into a college that was way too prestigious for my high school transcript, and accidentally, for numerous reasons, to this point. So you know what, I may not win the lottery...ever. But, let it ride...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
And so the story goes
Hello out there...whoever may be reading...
I continue to update about my lack of progress with capstone here on my blog. For better or worse I have yet to officially capture any video, although I have shot good filler video for the documentary, I haven't gotten any insight from former or current members. I have been watching documentaries from all different aspects. So therefore I have made some progress about it, in some aspect, and that is I am beginning to slowly mentally piece together how I would like to see this thing completed.
When I started I wanted to have some sort of time line within it along with interviews, which may be possible after I begin conducting interviews, but as of right now that has been put on the back burner. If there is one thing I have learned about documentaries is that you cant bull shit 'em. The best one's I've seen are ones that bring out some sort of emotional response from the viewer. No body wants to sit down and watch an hour about something they are mildly interested in, they want something to capture them and make them need to know more. Although they don't necessarily pertain to what I doing, I have seen a decent amount of this one series on the biography channel entitled "I Survived". It dimply interviews and re-enacts life or death events that make you say "I have no idea what I would do..." or "That simple would be a horrible way to die". One was about these guys shipwrecked on an island somewhere near California with no food or water for three days. Another was a guy who's neighbor said he had to borrow something from the guy and then closed and locked the door and said "God told me to kill you"...What kind of response do you even have to that? But still the worst one yet was some lady who was beaten nearly half to death by someone, I believe her husband (I came into it about a quarter the way into the show) and then shoved into a trash container. The way she was shoved into it she couldn't escape for some 24 hours, during the winter. I'm getting off topic a bit but the moral of the rant it, if I want this to be any good I need to find a way to appeal to peoples emotions. Not like the show "I Survived"...But somehow, when people who know what it's like watch it, just laugh and say "Haha yeah I remember that", or "Yeah that's typical of those titan crew people. But the question continues to beckon me....How.
Progress will be made, not a question of if but when. More happy blogs to come!
I continue to update about my lack of progress with capstone here on my blog. For better or worse I have yet to officially capture any video, although I have shot good filler video for the documentary, I haven't gotten any insight from former or current members. I have been watching documentaries from all different aspects. So therefore I have made some progress about it, in some aspect, and that is I am beginning to slowly mentally piece together how I would like to see this thing completed.
When I started I wanted to have some sort of time line within it along with interviews, which may be possible after I begin conducting interviews, but as of right now that has been put on the back burner. If there is one thing I have learned about documentaries is that you cant bull shit 'em. The best one's I've seen are ones that bring out some sort of emotional response from the viewer. No body wants to sit down and watch an hour about something they are mildly interested in, they want something to capture them and make them need to know more. Although they don't necessarily pertain to what I doing, I have seen a decent amount of this one series on the biography channel entitled "I Survived". It dimply interviews and re-enacts life or death events that make you say "I have no idea what I would do..." or "That simple would be a horrible way to die". One was about these guys shipwrecked on an island somewhere near California with no food or water for three days. Another was a guy who's neighbor said he had to borrow something from the guy and then closed and locked the door and said "God told me to kill you"...What kind of response do you even have to that? But still the worst one yet was some lady who was beaten nearly half to death by someone, I believe her husband (I came into it about a quarter the way into the show) and then shoved into a trash container. The way she was shoved into it she couldn't escape for some 24 hours, during the winter. I'm getting off topic a bit but the moral of the rant it, if I want this to be any good I need to find a way to appeal to peoples emotions. Not like the show "I Survived"...But somehow, when people who know what it's like watch it, just laugh and say "Haha yeah I remember that", or "Yeah that's typical of those titan crew people. But the question continues to beckon me....How.
Progress will be made, not a question of if but when. More happy blogs to come!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Capstone...The Begining
Well, another semester at school, and being a senior brings its responsibilities...and that responsibility is called capstone. Senior capstone, for those of you random readers whom aren't aware, is a class seniors must complete in order to graduate. This class, a lot like a senior project in high school, is supposed to be the accumulation of all that I (the student) have learned throughout their tenure here at Westminster put into a project, paper, etc. to prove to the faculty within the major that we are prepared to move onto the real world. My capstone project: documentary.
I have yet to formally begin my 5-7 minute documentary (in which I have little to no experience creating) about our live sports remote broadcasting truck and its ever excitingly fearless leader, Chuck Chirozzi. Chuck is our department's chief engineer/schools jack of all trades. Now why would I be as foolish as to pick something that I have no experience, credentials, yadda yadda yadda with? Very simple, because Titan Crew, as we refer to it, is my life. For better or worse, almost every Saturday morning at 9 I roll out of bed, in my drunken/hung over state and prepare to go to work. I direct the show, involving around 9 people to successfully complete, and I am going on my second year of doing so. This has been the greatest experience of my short career in communications, and for some odd reason...I love it. Now if you refer back to the aforementioned chief engineer, he is going to retire after this school year. Whether you like him or not, he is a large part of both out department and our school and not one thing has been done to record this or honor him, however you would like to refer to it, and I think something along those lines is in order. The only problem is...where the hell do I begin?
I begin this Saturday, shooting footage, figuring out how I will get interviews, and pulling my hair out to complete this. Needless to say...lets hope I graduate. Stay tuned for my saga. All the ups, downs, and hopefully completed project...
I have yet to formally begin my 5-7 minute documentary (in which I have little to no experience creating) about our live sports remote broadcasting truck and its ever excitingly fearless leader, Chuck Chirozzi. Chuck is our department's chief engineer/schools jack of all trades. Now why would I be as foolish as to pick something that I have no experience, credentials, yadda yadda yadda with? Very simple, because Titan Crew, as we refer to it, is my life. For better or worse, almost every Saturday morning at 9 I roll out of bed, in my drunken/hung over state and prepare to go to work. I direct the show, involving around 9 people to successfully complete, and I am going on my second year of doing so. This has been the greatest experience of my short career in communications, and for some odd reason...I love it. Now if you refer back to the aforementioned chief engineer, he is going to retire after this school year. Whether you like him or not, he is a large part of both out department and our school and not one thing has been done to record this or honor him, however you would like to refer to it, and I think something along those lines is in order. The only problem is...where the hell do I begin?
I begin this Saturday, shooting footage, figuring out how I will get interviews, and pulling my hair out to complete this. Needless to say...lets hope I graduate. Stay tuned for my saga. All the ups, downs, and hopefully completed project...
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Magna Cume O'Brien
Tonight he had Mike Tyson as a guest and I tuned in for two simple facts
1: I am an avid Conan fan and have yet to see host the Tonight Show, so NBC was still on from when I was looking for the Eagles game so I could see Michael Vick play for the first time in two years, but good timing I saw the show had just started and I wanted to watch to see how it was.
2: I did a presentation and wrote a paper about the FCC Regulations in high school and I know that commercial broadcasting regulations are a lot more lenient after the hours of 6 A.M. (I believe to help control the morning news shows i.e. Howard Stern) to 11 p.m. after the blocks of high rating shows for major television corporations. Conan used to be aired on NBC if I remember correctly off the top of my head around 12:35 and now I believe he starts around 11:35 though the regulations wouldn't really constrict the making of the show, It still is for competing for the end of the previously stated time slot audience and the beginning of the late night audience so I was intrigued enough to see how the show would be broadcasted and shown.Conan had a pretty large fan base before moving to a new time slot so I was interested in how the show would change.
I have always respected the show, from a very amateur standpoint, in writing and so forth, but tonight it went to another level. They showed an interview with Mike Tyson for two segments, and it was the most brilliant idea that I have ever seen in broadcasting...even better than Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. The first half of the interview was introducing you to Mike Tyson and the second was hard hitting journalism. Conan, being the distinguished Harvard product that he is, always has a knack for pleasing numerous genres of audiences simultaneously and tonight showed his brilliance during the interview. He asked very intelligently devised questions to pull more information to avoid one word answers and pull emotion straight from the screen into yourself. Above all that, the production crew was the most surprising of all, they switched camera angles during the second half of the interview to make the questioning more intense, showing Conan asking Mike Tyson the questions to his face a bit more from Tyson's point of view, and used the usual audience point 2 shot to zoom in on Tyson's upper body to show more emotion within the answer. This is where I knew that Conan would go down in history as the Greatest Talk Show Host of All Time. From writing, producing and executing, it has, and will, always be the total package.
I write this because I got into this field to change lives, one chuckle at a time. I know there is no greater feeling than leaving a movie and feeling like the main character, or listening to the radio to hear your favorite song. There is nothing else like it in the world. Couples dance for the first time together as an official couple with a song that tells their attraction...their greatest, deepest feeling in the world. This industry is one in which can take someone who is stuck in traffic, or having one of the worst days of their lives and put a smile on their face and help them cope through their monotonous lives. When I got into my major I wanted to do something that makes a difference, and although I have had a great education, I still need to teach myself how to improve to get to the point where I am satisfied...wherever that may be. This was an amazing piece of cinematography and keeps me continuing down a path that, more times often than not, seems to lead to a cheezy reality show ratings getter. Maybe one day, I'll be fortunate enough to make it into a situation that lives with someone past their half hour of zombie mode....
1: I am an avid Conan fan and have yet to see host the Tonight Show, so NBC was still on from when I was looking for the Eagles game so I could see Michael Vick play for the first time in two years, but good timing I saw the show had just started and I wanted to watch to see how it was.
2: I did a presentation and wrote a paper about the FCC Regulations in high school and I know that commercial broadcasting regulations are a lot more lenient after the hours of 6 A.M. (I believe to help control the morning news shows i.e. Howard Stern) to 11 p.m. after the blocks of high rating shows for major television corporations. Conan used to be aired on NBC if I remember correctly off the top of my head around 12:35 and now I believe he starts around 11:35 though the regulations wouldn't really constrict the making of the show, It still is for competing for the end of the previously stated time slot audience and the beginning of the late night audience so I was intrigued enough to see how the show would be broadcasted and shown.Conan had a pretty large fan base before moving to a new time slot so I was interested in how the show would change.
I have always respected the show, from a very amateur standpoint, in writing and so forth, but tonight it went to another level. They showed an interview with Mike Tyson for two segments, and it was the most brilliant idea that I have ever seen in broadcasting...even better than Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. The first half of the interview was introducing you to Mike Tyson and the second was hard hitting journalism. Conan, being the distinguished Harvard product that he is, always has a knack for pleasing numerous genres of audiences simultaneously and tonight showed his brilliance during the interview. He asked very intelligently devised questions to pull more information to avoid one word answers and pull emotion straight from the screen into yourself. Above all that, the production crew was the most surprising of all, they switched camera angles during the second half of the interview to make the questioning more intense, showing Conan asking Mike Tyson the questions to his face a bit more from Tyson's point of view, and used the usual audience point 2 shot to zoom in on Tyson's upper body to show more emotion within the answer. This is where I knew that Conan would go down in history as the Greatest Talk Show Host of All Time. From writing, producing and executing, it has, and will, always be the total package.
I write this because I got into this field to change lives, one chuckle at a time. I know there is no greater feeling than leaving a movie and feeling like the main character, or listening to the radio to hear your favorite song. There is nothing else like it in the world. Couples dance for the first time together as an official couple with a song that tells their attraction...their greatest, deepest feeling in the world. This industry is one in which can take someone who is stuck in traffic, or having one of the worst days of their lives and put a smile on their face and help them cope through their monotonous lives. When I got into my major I wanted to do something that makes a difference, and although I have had a great education, I still need to teach myself how to improve to get to the point where I am satisfied...wherever that may be. This was an amazing piece of cinematography and keeps me continuing down a path that, more times often than not, seems to lead to a cheezy reality show ratings getter. Maybe one day, I'll be fortunate enough to make it into a situation that lives with someone past their half hour of zombie mode....
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Double Take
ESPN’s First Take is a morning sports talk program on ESPN2 every morning for two hours from 10 a.m. till 12 p.m. The show, formally known as Cold Pizza, First Take is actually a joint merger of two different shows 1st and 10 and the show it took over Cold Pizza. With the length of the show, there are many different segments within the show.
1st and 10 is a segment that is intertwined with the program that shows up 4 times in the show, called downs, and 10 overall topics. The main host of the show itself mediates analyst Skip Bayless and guest analyst’s daily. The segment is also aired separately on ESPN2 in the afternoon at 2:30 p.m. The Top Story is at the beginning of the show when they go in-depth about a developing story and discuss it with insiders on the situation. Within the other aspect of the show is very interactive with it’s viewers and offers a poll called Sportsnation poll of the day. It is a multiple choice question which allows viewers to vote on the question of the day and the results are announced at the end of the program by the main host. Coaches Call is a segment where the show has every Tuesday during the NFL season a former NFL head coach analyzes and dissects decisions made by head coaches from the previous Sunday’s games. Cover Two is a segment where they are joined by two NFL columnists from all over the country to discuss different news and notes. This segment is also called cover Three when there are three columnists. Full Court Press is when they are joined by a NBA columnists from all over the country to discuss different news and notes. MLB Doubleheader is when they are joined by two MLB columnists from all over the country to discuss different news and notes from the MLB. Morning Headlines This is a segment where an anchor runs down the biggest headlines in newspapers around the country. Cover Two is when they are joined by two NFL columnists from all over the country to discuss different news and notes. This segment is also called cover Three when there are three columnists.
One thing that draws viewers to the show is how diverse and sometimes downright funny the show can be from their segments. Couch Potato is a segment, where ESPN's trivia guru talks about the weekend's sports games and television shows as he rates the weekend's overall event lineup on a scale from 1 - 10 bags of chips. Francis the Cat is a segment when a cat, owned by an ESPN employee, is given a choice of two bowls with food inside. Whichever one he eats represents his prediction for the next Monday Night Football game to be shown on ESPN. He made his debut during the college football bowl games in 2007–08. Diagnosis NFL is a seasonal segment that analyzes the effect of player injuries on NFL teams. And finally Quick Takes, a segment which is a spin-off of the former Cold Pizza segment Morning Slice where the hosts discuss an odd or wacky story in the world of sports.
The show is enjoyed by viewers because of how it focuses on a wide variety of different aspects of sports, as opposed to ESPN sporting news program Sportscenter. Since is as intense and views the stories from a different view point it makes both the avid and not so avid sports fan.
Muting Reali
At 5 o’clock in the afternoon, ESPN plays a show called Around the Horn, another of ESPN’s afternoon sports talk show. The show is set up with one host, Tony Reali from Pardon the Interruption (see earlier post), and four sports journalists as they argue about the sporting worlds hottest topics of the day. Filmed in Washington D.C. this half an hour sports talk show stands as a bridge between Jim Rome is Burning and Pardon the Interruption. The show itself starts off with the four journalists but as the show continues on they are evaluated by the host as they discuss headlines and over the 30 minutes they are slowly eliminated until the end of the show and only one remains.
The journalists, together able to argue with one another via satellite on large televisions, argue on ten topics in front of the host who has joysticks where he can award points at his discretion for good answers, take points away for answers that he doesn’t like, and can even mute the journalists for whatever reason he feels. During the introduction Reali introduces the panelists and foreshadows the topics to be discussed. The first segment is called “The First Word” where the panelists discuss the first two topics on current sports headlines. After the commercial break the next segment is called “Buy or Sell” where the panelists have to buy or sell, be for or against, one of three topics from the sports headlines. After this the host cuts the panelist with the lowest number of points. In the event of ties Reali breaks the tie with miscellaneous things such as who has the nicer shirt, or who said something Reali didn’t agree with. After the first cut and commercial break then comes the next segment, “Out of Bounds” includes one topic and it is a more serious topic that is indirectly related to sports. After, the three panelists that are left are cut down to two, another commercial break follows and then the final segment “The Showdown”. Depending on how much time remains, this is consisted of two or three topics, each of them lasting for anywhere from 20-40 seconds. The panelist who makes the best argument on the sports topic gets one point per topic, and the one who has the most points gets 60 seconds to themselves called “Face time” where they can talk about whatever they want.
After face-time they bring back all of the contestants, talk for a little bit and then Reali says “We’re on a 23 ½ hour break”, and then tosses his paper at the camera. This show is popular because of the usual panelists and the host himself. It is a laidback atmosphere and overall humor of the topics keeps people interested and continually viewing in.
Putting out Jim Rome
In the next time slot on ESPN’s afternoon sports programming is called Jim Rome is Burning. This show set at 4:30 is a sports opinion show closely related to Pardon the Interruption (See Earlier Blog) but Jim Rome has a much more macho-man style than other sports opinion shows. Rome first started out on Fox Sports Net on the show The Last Word but moved to ESPN with a show named after himself. Jim Rome also hosts a sports talk radio show in California and is rated one of the most influential men in sports radio. The show itself has been around since 2003 and has produced over 600 episodes. The segments, based off of Rome’s personality, are consistent and well named.
The show begins with a segment called “Rome is Burning” where Jim Rome talks about four or five different topics that is headlining the sports world news. He starts the segment off by saying “Here is what I am burning on” and is usually based off of his sports talk show from earlier in the day. After the commercial break the next a segment is called “Alone with Rome” where Jim Rome interviews a person from the sports world, usually relevant to the current sports world status. The interview can take place both in the studio or it can be through a T.V. via satellite. Another segment that he has in that slot sometimes is called “Correspondents” where an athlete or coach, anyone in the sports industry, takes the audience on a trip through their teams training facilities, a day in the life of, or anything related. The people who appear on that segment are said to get “Jim Rome is Burning ‘Karma’” and have good luck afterwards. He ends the show with a segment called “Forum” where he invites two people, be athletes, former athletes, talk show hosts, columnists, etc. as they discuss and usually argue some of the top sports stories in sports.
The first of many sports talk shows, Jim Rome is Burning, in a grouping of shows referred to ESPN Original Entertainment the show is played Monday through Friday in the time slot it was introduced in 2003 called “Rome is Burning” in the 7 o’clock timeslot, but was canceled for a short amount of time until it was re-introduced as Jim Rome is Burning in the time slot it sits at today. People enjoy his style of “Talking Smack” and overall mocking demeanor.
NFL Live - The Opinion Through the T.V.
NFL Live is a 30 minute show, Tuesday through Friday at 4 in the afternoon that updates NFL fans of what is going on around the National Football League throughout both during the season and the off-season. Hosted by Trey Wingo or Suzy Kolber it features several analysts on the show, usually former football players, and has numerous reporters that travel to teams and even expert analysts to report on breaking news. The show is only one of the two on television that offers coverage solely on the NFL; the other is NFL Total Access on the NFL Network that is not included in many cable packages. The show may be in a 30 minute time slot but it offers many separate segments within the show.
To begin the show they do a segment called “NFL Live Wired”, which offers breaking news within the NFL society. Next, they have the Opening Drive which takes an important topic from within the league, usually from the “NFL Live Wired” segment, and talks more about it and has the former professional players discuss, argue, and usually do anything but agree. Both the segments are offered all year long, but then these upcoming segments are only offered during the season. There is “What Were They Thinking” where they discuss bonehead moves or plays from the previous weeks games, “Drive of the Week” where they break down and discuss a very successful drive from the previous weeks games, “Off the Mark” where Mark Schlereth talks about something that got his attention, and “Fantasy Five” Where the host and two anchors pick 5 players (Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End and Kicker) that they think will perform well in the upcoming week. During the offseason they generally just focus on topics and don’t have a large variety of segments. They always finish the show with “The Hurry Up Offense” where analysts have a given number of time to discuss given topics.
This show is widely popular due to the immense popularity of the National Football League and the overall success of the channel ESPN. Their choices of analysts is spectacular, choosing players from all positions and beliefs, and their main anchors are very charismatic and likable. Since the original show aired in 1998 they have gone through over 25 former player analysts and has only grown in popularity. Besides the analysts the segments, stated above, are enjoyable to watch and keeps the viewers attention. With their main competition being on a pay channel, their lack of competition helps their somewhat monopoly of the NFL Information show, but they never stop improving their layout.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Pardon This interuption
Pardon the Interruption (PTI) has revolutionized sports discussion shows since its conception in 2001. With hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, both sports journalists with opposite viewpoints on many of sports topics, viewers tune in for the good cop/bad cop arguments on all topics in the sports culture. The show itself has helped recreate the formula sports discussion shows, inspired new ones and the visual set up has even changed how sports center is viewed in the mornings.
First off, the way the show is set up into specific segments in-between commercial breaks lets the view know what to expect when watching. They start off covering the hot daily headlines within sports, and then a majority of the time the second segment is “Good Five Minutes” where they interview a sports figure (player, coach, former play, fellow sports journalist, etc…) to ask questions and give the viewer a different perspective of their interviewee’s standpoint. The third segment is where the show gets creative. Every day the show uses a variety of creatively designed segments ranging from “Good Cop/Bad Cop”, where the hosts take turns taking sides on issues in sports, “Psychic Hotline”, where the hosts take turns putting their hands on a plasma lamp and pretend to predict what will happen in the future of the sports topic, “Over under” where the hosts are asked a question if an athlete or team will get a certain amount of something (i.e. if a certain baseball player will get over under 40 home runs in a season, win more or less than 9 games in the season), and “Role Playing”, where the hosts take paper cut outs of sports icons faces on popsicle sticks and pretend to talk from their perspective of an issue. Their final segment is “Happy Trails”, where they wish people happy birthday, happy retirement, goodbye, etc., then they go to “stats boy” to correct any mistakes they have made throughout the show. This character Tony Reali also keeps their odds and became host of “Around the Horn”, a related sports discussion show because of his role in PTI.
The segments and the chemistry of PTI are unmatched in any sports show, and the visual set up of both the broadcast and the set make it fun to watch. Since they began showing the rundown on the right side of the show, its popularity has helped make it move to Sports center’s morning versions to help keep people watching and interested in what is coming up. The set itself is set up with their Role Playing masks from throughout the season and other sports memorabilia. As stated before, the show has revolutionized sports talk shows because of the fact that the hosts are not reading off of que cards but instead are legitimately arguing points, their chemistry when on air, and the overall creativity ranging from the hosts themselves, to the writers, producers, and so on. The show has flourished because they are not afraid to take chances and try new ideas to keep the show exciting and fresh for viewers to watch. I have been watching since about 2005 and can never get enough of it. Just like “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report”, I trust my news from a more satire set up because of its blunt truth and overall honesty. Also, the show is never the same set up two days in a row, which makes it fun and interesting to view into. From the visual run down to the original segments, PTI sets the bar high for other sports news discussion shows and will continue its success because of the intelligence and stubbornness of its hosts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)