You know when you are watching the news and you see a reporter pop up and say something in the middle of the story?
Well, that is called a standup.
News directors like to see those, so we try to put them in our stories when we can and when it is appropriate
As a reporter, when I have a photographer with me and I am doing a stand up, it is no problem, but I rarely have a photographer with me.
Reporters at KTAB are what are known in the news business as a "one man band."
That means we shoot video, we conduct interviews, and we edit and write all our own stuff.
In bigger markets a different person edits the story and reporters work with photographers; not the case here in Abilene.
So, doing a stand up is not always easy.
First, getting yourself in a shot that looks good takes longer, but that is not what bothers me about doing stand ups.
One day I was at Everman Park In downtown Abilene shooting a standup by myself.
The camera was not rolling yet, but I was walking back and forth in front of the camera talking out load, practicing what I was going to say.
An Abilene police officer that I know was passing by, he rolled down his window and yelled, "Do I need to call MHMR?"
It was funny because that is what I feel like when I am doing a stand up by myself: a crazy person standing in front of a camera talking to myself.
What is worse is, when I do a standup, it is usually in a place where they are lots of people around.
Sometimes, I wait till there is the least amount of people around me and then I quickly say what I have to say and hopefully get it right the first time.
When I don't get it the first time, I keep going till I do get it.
If it takes me longer than two takes to get what I want to say out, then I get angry and say things to myself like, "come on Vic'" or, "This time Vic."
Imagine what that looks like to someone who is passing by and sees me getting mad at myself.
Anyway, if you happen to see me out talking to myself in front of a camera, I'm not crazy, just working.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Apparently I have a Twin...
All through life, especially when I first started college, I was told "You remind me of someone..." or "Do you know who you look like?" Of course, the answer to those statements or questions would range from "my brother," "my cousin," to "Jason Biggs (Jim from American Pie)." My "crowning" achievement in life. Haha... And now you realize to yourself, "You know, he kind of does look like Jim..."
Well apparently we can add one more celebrity to the list, Tyler Edwards, KRBC's Weekend Sports Anchor.
"Wait, what? I thought they were one in the same," you say. Answer: NOPE. Two very different guys who happen to have brown hair, names that start with T, and both very handsome. (I'm speaking for myself, Tyler you're on your own.)
So in the year plus that we've been working here, we have supposedly got everyone fooled. From viewers who approach us asking about stories (or sports casts) the other one did, to co-workers who cannot seem to get our names straight, and even all the way up the corporate later to the big boss who tagged a photo of Tyler as...you guessed it...me!
Don't get me wrong, it's quite comical. He and I get a laugh out of sharing stories of the confusion, we've even batted around the idea of a Tim & Tyler Talk Show (if you like it let us know!) However, it is a little concerning because it causes me to wonder if I'm doing a solid enough job to be set apart.
So here's a little "crash course" on me vs. Tyler. I'm a news guy who helps in sports (in the fall), he's a sports guy who helps in news. I'm on at 10 every night M-F, he's only on 10 W-F...see? He's from the Fort Worth area, I'm from the Dallas area. He has blue eyes, mine are brown. I'm a solids and stripes guy, he's a stripes and solids guy. Of course, the biggest difference between the two of us is I'm TIM and he's TYLER!
Well, no big deal, anyway. After all, I've been called Jim from American Pie....wow, that IS low.
Like the blog, love it...Hit me up with comments...And thanks for watching KRBC.
Well apparently we can add one more celebrity to the list, Tyler Edwards, KRBC's Weekend Sports Anchor.
"Wait, what? I thought they were one in the same," you say. Answer: NOPE. Two very different guys who happen to have brown hair, names that start with T, and both very handsome. (I'm speaking for myself, Tyler you're on your own.)
So in the year plus that we've been working here, we have supposedly got everyone fooled. From viewers who approach us asking about stories (or sports casts) the other one did, to co-workers who cannot seem to get our names straight, and even all the way up the corporate later to the big boss who tagged a photo of Tyler as...you guessed it...me!
Don't get me wrong, it's quite comical. He and I get a laugh out of sharing stories of the confusion, we've even batted around the idea of a Tim & Tyler Talk Show (if you like it let us know!) However, it is a little concerning because it causes me to wonder if I'm doing a solid enough job to be set apart.
So here's a little "crash course" on me vs. Tyler. I'm a news guy who helps in sports (in the fall), he's a sports guy who helps in news. I'm on at 10 every night M-F, he's only on 10 W-F...see? He's from the Fort Worth area, I'm from the Dallas area. He has blue eyes, mine are brown. I'm a solids and stripes guy, he's a stripes and solids guy. Of course, the biggest difference between the two of us is I'm TIM and he's TYLER!
Well, no big deal, anyway. After all, I've been called Jim from American Pie....wow, that IS low.
Like the blog, love it...Hit me up with comments...And thanks for watching KRBC.
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Art of the "Perp Walk"
If you do not know, A "perp walk" is when a suspect is taken from one place to another and news cameras are there to shoot that movement.
For example: when an inmate is taken to the Taylor County Court House from the jail (as they often are) when they have a proceeding in one of the court rooms.
The walk from the Sheriff's Department's transport vehicle to the door of the court house is usually a good time for me to get a good perp walk, if I know when that walk will be taking place.
Getting a good perp walk is all about timing, and when we are trying to get a perp walk at the court house you have to time it just right.
First, you have to know when the suspect you are trying to get a perp walk of is going to court.
Once you find that out, which is a process in itself, you can count on the sheriff's department to get that person to the court house 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled time they are to appear before a Judge.
Now, that would be a good time to get the perp walk, but as the Cops and Court Reporter for KTAB, I cover lots of crime, and there are lots of perps (perpetrators).
There are so many I may not remember what the person I am there to get video of looks like, so what I often have to do is go upstairs on the fourth floor of the court house where all the court room are, and sit through proceedings (this also gives me a chance to get more information on a case).
Once the perp I am there to get video of stands before the judge, I am in the court room to see what he or she looks like.
Now, comes the tricky part.
When the perp is done in the court room they often are there with a group of other inmates, and I have to wait till all the inmates are done with their proceedings so they can be taken back to the jail as a group.
Now remember, we are all on the fourth floor of the court house, so what I do is, when I see the Sheriff's Deputies start to take the group of inmates to the elevator to take them back down to the transport vehicle, I run down four flights of stairs, go to my vehicle, get my camera and hopefully I can do all that in the time it takes Deputies to get inmates in the elevator and down to the first floor of the court house and into the vehicle to go back to the jail.
If I time It just right it usually works out.
Today I had to get three perp walks at the court house: Jennifer Ignont, Alehandro Meyer, and George Pence Jr, and had to run up and down four flights of steps twice to get all three perp walks, which took place one right after the other.
The only thing that saved me was they were all in the same court room.
There are four court rooms on the fourth floor of the court house, and it is a whole other story when I am covering more than one person in court at the same time, in more than one court room.
In that case, a perp walk is more about luck than timing.
For example: when an inmate is taken to the Taylor County Court House from the jail (as they often are) when they have a proceeding in one of the court rooms.
The walk from the Sheriff's Department's transport vehicle to the door of the court house is usually a good time for me to get a good perp walk, if I know when that walk will be taking place.
Getting a good perp walk is all about timing, and when we are trying to get a perp walk at the court house you have to time it just right.
First, you have to know when the suspect you are trying to get a perp walk of is going to court.
Once you find that out, which is a process in itself, you can count on the sheriff's department to get that person to the court house 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled time they are to appear before a Judge.
Now, that would be a good time to get the perp walk, but as the Cops and Court Reporter for KTAB, I cover lots of crime, and there are lots of perps (perpetrators).
There are so many I may not remember what the person I am there to get video of looks like, so what I often have to do is go upstairs on the fourth floor of the court house where all the court room are, and sit through proceedings (this also gives me a chance to get more information on a case).
Once the perp I am there to get video of stands before the judge, I am in the court room to see what he or she looks like.
Now, comes the tricky part.
When the perp is done in the court room they often are there with a group of other inmates, and I have to wait till all the inmates are done with their proceedings so they can be taken back to the jail as a group.
Now remember, we are all on the fourth floor of the court house, so what I do is, when I see the Sheriff's Deputies start to take the group of inmates to the elevator to take them back down to the transport vehicle, I run down four flights of stairs, go to my vehicle, get my camera and hopefully I can do all that in the time it takes Deputies to get inmates in the elevator and down to the first floor of the court house and into the vehicle to go back to the jail.
If I time It just right it usually works out.
Today I had to get three perp walks at the court house: Jennifer Ignont, Alehandro Meyer, and George Pence Jr, and had to run up and down four flights of steps twice to get all three perp walks, which took place one right after the other.
The only thing that saved me was they were all in the same court room.
There are four court rooms on the fourth floor of the court house, and it is a whole other story when I am covering more than one person in court at the same time, in more than one court room.
In that case, a perp walk is more about luck than timing.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
News and Weather
News and weather: there has been plenty of both all week.
As you can imagine, we all love to go storm chasing, but sometimes, when those of us who are in the news department are working on the news we have gathered for the day (writing, editing, ext.) and a storm pops up, we can't always go out and chase.
So, when that happens, I watch what is going on and work at my desk hoping I will be done before the storms move on.
Sometimes, I can make it, while other times I just have to watch it on the news as I work.
Still, other times we are told to stop what we are doing and go chase.
That is rare, but it does happen.
What was it like this week?
Well, I had to finish what I was doing before going out to shoot all the rain we had Wednesday.
Today, I had to stay in and finish all of my work.
It is like the rain in Abilene: hit or miss.
On a side note, this is my first blog ever!
Hopefully, I can post something at least a couple of times a week.
As you can imagine, we all love to go storm chasing, but sometimes, when those of us who are in the news department are working on the news we have gathered for the day (writing, editing, ext.) and a storm pops up, we can't always go out and chase.
So, when that happens, I watch what is going on and work at my desk hoping I will be done before the storms move on.
Sometimes, I can make it, while other times I just have to watch it on the news as I work.
Still, other times we are told to stop what we are doing and go chase.
That is rare, but it does happen.
What was it like this week?
Well, I had to finish what I was doing before going out to shoot all the rain we had Wednesday.
Today, I had to stay in and finish all of my work.
It is like the rain in Abilene: hit or miss.
On a side note, this is my first blog ever!
Hopefully, I can post something at least a couple of times a week.
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