I Am Not Crazy

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.