Thursday, November 11

The BC Capstone DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE 2010

The Broadcast Communications Capstone Documentary Showcase
Tues/Nov 16
Two sessions featuring seven digital short documentaries
Mueller Theater, MCC
5:30-6:30...Session I presentations are: Titan Glory: How One Man Changed a Program by Jonathan McAfoos; Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: An In-Depth Look at Ladies of the Dukes in New Castle by Lee Biermeyer; and Life on the Road: The Culture of Motocross by Mike Hazlett. 

6:30-7:00 INTERMISSION with REFRESHMENTS

7:00-8:00...Session II presentations are: Tradition of Coaching Excellence: The Story of Lindy Lauro by Adam Plyler; The Real Work: The Bahamas by Kayla Zoller; A Team by the Bay: The Erie Seawolves by Robert Maleski; and Taylor Made by Corey Emanuele.

The program is free and open to the public.  It is scheduled in two one-hour sessions with an intermission and refreshments at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 31

Titan Terror Project Winners Revealed

October 31, 2010

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.-- More than 125 students, staff and faculty packed Mueller Theater at Westminster College for the first Titan Terror Project Showcase on Wednesday. The standing room only crowd witnessed the top prize going to Broadcast Communications major Alyssa Hanna and her minimovie Independent. Media Art professor Kurt Roscoe and his family received the runner-up prize for a project entitled Red Light.


Audio Visual Services Director Gary Swanson was surprised and pleased by the crowd that turned out for the showcase. AV Services co-sponsored the minimovie competition with Titan Radio and WCN.

"We had an idea that we'd have a good turnout, but never expected that we'd fill the place beyond capacity," Swanson said. "I don't think we even had any standing room left. People were all over the floor and aisles."

Hanna entered the project because she is a student in Brad Weaver's Video Production class (BC 251). Entering the Titan Terror Project was a class assignment. The instructor also made it so the only way a student could get an A on the project was to win the Titan Terror Project.

"I didn't think I would actually win," Hanna reacted. "I knew I would do well enough to make it into the top ten and maybe even 5, but I didn't think I would actually win."

The audience also voted electronically making Hanna's film the fan favorite. Her instructor also informed her she will recieve the A for the assignment.

"I was obviously worried about the grade portion, as that constitutes for a large enough percentage of our final grade, and I take my grades very seriously. I was so worried about the audience award! I think I wanted that more than the other one once I heard that was another prize."

Meanwhile, first-year student Joe Ligo says he was pleased with the audience reaction to his movie, Howard the Haunter.

Ligo entered the competition on his own and his film was featured as one of the top entries. He's a Broadcast Comm major and knows he'll be required to participate when he takes Video Production next year.

"My movie was more like a movie trailer," Ligo explained. "Perhaps I'll shoot for a more short-film like format next time."

Ligo also had high praise for the winners. His movie was the second fan favorite, but he has nothing but congratulations for Hanna.

"Independent was very clever and had a lot of fun people starring in it. Red Light was very clever and suspenseful, and very well edited."

The Titan Terror Project will return in 2011. Organizers say they'll also give competitors three minutes to tell their story instead of the two-minute time limit in this year's event.

"The Titan Terror project has been fantastic, especially in how it connects with our viral video society," Gary Swanson added. "I don't think I've seen so much buzz about something in my 20 years here at Westminster. We definitely want to make this an annual event, possibly opening it up to the community as well."



Watch the Titan Terror Project grand prize winner, INDEPENDENT.

Independent by: Team Alyssa from WCN 24/7 on Vimeo.

Watch the Titan Terror Project runner-up, Red Light.

Red Light by: r2 Independent Films from WCN 24/7 on Vimeo.



Click here to check out all the entries online.

Field trip helps opens the doors for interviews

October 30, 2010

PITTSBURGH-- When English major Matt Bower left the Creative Careers Seminar held at Carnegie Mellow University on Friday, he was heading back to his afternoon classes at Westminster with something most college seniors wish they had, a internship interview. He'll be interviewing with a computer game design firm.

"I got an interview with a game designer," Bower said. "It's a fledgling industry in Pittsburgh and it's a really cool opportunity."

He joined some 30 other Westminster students who traveled to Pittsburgh for the annual event in P where professionals from a number of creative fields come together to speak with students about resumes, portfolios, internships and career advice. Bower attended the Interactive Media panel that included representatives from Schell Games, General Dynamics C4 Systems, Pikimai.com and Etectera Edutainment.

Junior Broadcast Communications major Drew Trifelos also walked away with the door open for an internship interview opportunity with the Steelers Sports Network. This is the second year Trifelos has attended the Creative Careers Seminar. Trifelos explained he say people with resumes and business cards last year approaching panelists and asking about internships and interviews. He took that idea and ran with it as he returned to the CMU campus.

"This year I had resumes and I was prepared to go up and ask the panelists about internships," Trifelos said. "I handed out two of my resumes and they asked me to also e-mail electronic versions.



Trifelos talked David Zema, FUSE-TV, and Sandy Romah, host and producer with the Steelers Television Network. Trifelos is very excited as he has an interview for an internship confirmed with one of them and he says attending this seminar is a huge networking opportunity.

"I met a lot of interesting people including some Westminster graduates in public relations and broadcasting fields," Junior PR major Pat Sylves said. "They told me about some possible internship. I made a lot of contacts. "



The Pittsburgh Arts Employment Partnership (PAEP) a part of a collaboration of 13 local colleges and Universities sponsor the Creative Careers Seminar, which includes Westminster College. Students attending the event pre-register and pay a $5 fee. Some of the other panel sessions included Advertising & Marketing, Design & Multimedia, Arts Management, Film and Broadcast Media, Independent Artists and Performing Art.

Westminster's Career Center organizes a convoy for interested students. Many of those were from Broadcast Communications because instructors encourage them to attend and require the BC Capstone students to participate.

Sophomore BC student Hannah Paczkowski appreciated the Film and Television panel session she attended. She learned she's doing exactly what she needs to to be on track with her resume in broadcast news.


"I'm on the right track on where I want to go with my career," Paczkowski said. "I know where I should be going in the next few years when it comes to internships."



Probably the most common advice given out by the professionals populating the panels was about polishing resumes for specific employers. Pittsburgh Business Times Advertising Director Kimberly Wohlford stressed that people right out of college must make sure the customize a resume for a particular job and company rather than just sending out a generic one. She also warned you should always spend time and editing a resume before you send it.

"It could be a really good resume that shows off some wonderful things you've done, but if there's a typo then I pitch it," Wohford said. "This person wasn't responsible and careful enough and detailed oriented enough to check.

Advice was a big part of what panelists had to offer and for those few with initiative like Matt Bower, they walked away with more than just insight into resume building and networking. He impressed a potential employer he is more than a soon-to-be college graduate.

"This is a great opportunity to network and meet people," Bowers said. "You get to talk to people in a close-knit environment and I got a job interview."



Westminster's Career Center's staff will soon begin coordinating with the PAEP for next year's event. They will coordinate recruitment campaign sometime while remaining hopeful that as many Westminster students will take advantage of it.


More photos from the 2010 Creative Careers Seminar

Saturday, October 30

PCN shines election spotlight on campus

October 30, 2010

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa-- The Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) brought its "On the Road" election coverage to Westminster on Saturday. The College hosted PCN's "On the Road" election coverage of the Fourth Congressional District race. The statewide network telecast live for an hour Saturday afternoon in the Berlin Lounge to gauge reaction during the last days before Election Day.

The network even hired one Westminster student to serve as a freelancer. Senior Broadcast Comm major Lee Bieremeyer gained experience behind the scenes of the telecast with the television crews


The visit to Westminster focuses on the Fourth Congressional District election between incumbent Congressman Jason Alltmire (D) and challenger Keith Rothfus (R). Rothfus participated in the event while Altmire did not accept the invitation.


Faculty members James Rhoads, Ed Cohen and Dwight Castro joined former 4th Congressional District Representative Melissa Hart (R) on he panel with Rothfus.

Joe Ligo, Anthony Tammaro, Mariah Ellis, and Jenna Meighen were among the Westminster student panelists.



PCN officials say one of the reason's the picked Westminster is the ongoing working relationship the cable network has with the Westminster Cable Network (WCN). Each year PCN picks up one of WCN's high school football broadcasts to feature as one of its statewide high school games of the week.


"We were looking at schools in the Fourth Congressional District that had political science departments," Michelle Robinson explained. "I saw Westminster and I knew we had worked with the school's TV crews in the past. We made some calls and it was a go."


Watch our sideshow!


Thursday, October 28

Faculty and Staff Attended Mobile Pedagogy Seminar


October 28, 2010

Andy Borts, Westminster College instructional media technician; Dr. Keith Corso, Westminster assistant professor of communication studies; and Brad Weaver, Westminster lecturer of broadcast communications, attended "The New Mobile Pedagogy" seminar Oct. 27 in Mars, Pennsylvania.

The seminar focused on the use of mobile technology for learning as well as accessibility solutions in classrooms and included extensive discussion about applying the mobility of technology to teaching and learning in higher education. More than 40 participants represented colleges and universities from western and northern Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

"The presentation offered a fantastic exploration of the question of class attendance based on making content available online," Borts said. "If faculty post a variety of content online, the lesson plan could include more ways to create experiential learning based on that content. The students could get the content early and understand it better when the lesson plan is geared toward meaning-making."

"More and more higher education instructors are realizing that there's more to teaching than lecturing for an hour at a time," Corso said. "The mobile technology revolution is opening doors that allow instructors to utilize classroom time in ways that permit students to analyze and apply what they learn instead of just passively receiving content."

"This seminar allowed me to explore how I can adapt the mobility of technology as I work with my students in broadcasting and journalism," Weaver said. "Using smart phones, laptops, digital cameras, and other technologies are great tools for working with students, who can help shape what they learn and how they make sense of it and use it."

Borts is a 2010 Westminster graduate who joined the staff in July.

Corso, a 1984 Westminster graduate who joined the faculty in 2004, earned a master's degree from the University of Akron and Ph.D. from Capella University.

Weaver, who has been with Westminster since 2000, earned an undergraduate degree from Alderson-Broaddus College and master's from the University of Kansas.

Contact Weaver at (724) 946-7238 or e-mail weaverbl@westminster.edu for additional information.

Monday, October 25

Autumn Views: One-room school house along the way

October 25, 2010

WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP (Mercer County), Pa.-- Amish farms and homes line the roads of Wilmington Township in Mercer County where an afternoon drive reveals brightly lit open fields and patches of canopied autumn leaves covering the roadway like a forgotten covered bridge. Driving along Leesburg Road offers views of one room Amish schools. The old ways of the Amish and the modern tractors of the "English" farmers share the road as you pass buggies and large farming tractors heading to fields and farms.



According to the U.S. Census Bureau the 13 miles of the township have 1,105 residents.

City-Data.com reports that more than a third of the people living in Wilmington Township share a German ancestry.

Most common first ancestries reported in Wilmington township (CityData.com):

* German (34.5%)
* Irish (10.1%)
* Scotch-Irish (9.4%)
* English (8.1%)
* Italian (8.1%)
* Pennsylvania German (5.7%)
* United States or American (4.8%)

Enjoy some of the view along the roads running the Lawrence and Mercer county line as WCN 24/7 documents the autumn views in this rural community.

Saturday, October 23

Blown Away

October 23, 2010

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.-- Faded autumn colors fall to the grounds of Westminster creating a new project for Physical Plant crews.

Workers use industrial leaf blowers to gather up the leaves before using rakes.

They then deposit the leaves along borough streets for municipal crews to pick up and haul away.

Friday, October 15

The Campus Orange Tree- It's only temporary

October 15, 2010

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.-- One natural centerpiece on the Westminster College campus transformed this October standing out against the steel and glass of the McKelvey Campus Center. A lone Sugar Maple tree, also known as Acer saccharum Marshall, has turned into an orange tree.

Officials at the Physical Plant Office say the 40-foot tree is about 30 years old. It's proximity to the Campus Center makes it a popular place for students to sit and read or relax.


Wednesday, October 13

First Frost of the Season

October 13, 2010

PLAIN GROVE TOWNSHIP, Pa.-- Early morning risers discovered frost covered windshields on Wednesday morning. Walking along a road side covered with fallen leaves revealed an extra crunchy sound. Dozens of leaves from nearby Maples and Oaks shimmered with what appeared to be a sugar glaze coating thanks to Jack Frost.

The first significant frost of the season ushers in an urgency to the brilliant foliage painting the Lawrence County countryside.

The colorful scenery will soon disappear as will the memory of this first frosty morning of October 2010.

Enjoy our Autumn Views along Reese and Old Ash roads in Plain Grove Township and on Potter Run Road in Washington Township.


Tuesday, October 12

Stacks of Stalks

October 12, 2010

WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa.--Each autumn in Lawrence and Mercer counties means the mulching and plowing under of corn stalks on most farms, but on the Amish farms in the area you'll find those corn stalks piled neatly into what locals call corn stalk teepees.

Johnston says where most farmers discard the old stalks, the Amish see an opportunity to recycle and turn a profit.

"I normally just mow mine down," Johnston told WCN. " But the Amish stack their stalks into the what you call teepee shape to dry out the stalks. It prevents mold and mice from destroying the stalks. They sell the dried stalks as decorations."

Check out our slide show and enjoy the brilliant colors a journey along Wagner and Allen roads in Wilmington Township in Lawrence County.

Thursday, September 16

Capstone Students Blog On This!!!


Lee Biermeyer,
The BC
Conquerer

BC Capstone student Lee Biermeyer took the plunge with producing THE COUNTY LINE this week. However, Lee's role did not end there. He also directed the show and is serving as the show's executive producer this semester.

But wait! Lee even found time to produce a TCL friendly package based on his documentary, The Ladies of the Duke. The TV feature piece Lee put together for TCL about the local restuarant gave us a nice sample of what he'll be serving up with his documentary in November.





BC 602 Blog Prompt for the Sept. 19 Deadline!!!

Tw0 Parts

Part One:
Introduce us to your off-campus expert. Provide a brief professional bio and summarize the person's expertise. Briefly explain why you selected this person and how they can help you in your project. Please also identify how this person can offer you constructive criticism through your production and post-production process. Give a few examples of input they have given you and what you have done with the feedback.
Part Two: Give us an overview of the production process so far in your project. What have you shot? Where have you gone? Have you logged your video? Be specific as you discuss your video and audio and analyze it with a critical eye. What has gone wrong? What has gone right? How will you address any problems? Will you re-shoot? Finally, offer us a summary of your plans for the next few weeks. Be specific when offering insight into when you will be completing a script and rough edit.

Wednesday, September 15

BC Students Freelance VIDEO stories for local newspaper

September 15, 2010

Westminster College students in the spring semester "Broadcast Journalism" course experienced the challenges and rewards of freelance video production.

The junior broadcast communications majors were in a class taught by Bradley Weaver, Westminster lecturer of broadcast communications. "This exercise gave students an opportunity to pitch a story and then deliver it to meet the expectations and promises negotiated with the editor," Weaver explained.

Students met with Tim Kolodziej, editor of the New Castle News, with proposals for video essays they researched, shot, produced, and submitted as freelancers for the paper's online edition. Their payment was 10% of their grade, if the video was accepted by the newspaper. No points were given if the video was rejected.

"That's how freelance journalists make it," Weaver said. "Payday only comes when someone buys your work. This project forced students to tap into their skills as journalists and their skills in presenting and selling their work to an employer."

Six of the nine videos were accepted by the New Castle News.

"We are planning several stories to coincide with the videos we've received from the Westminster students," Kolodziej said. "Our summer intern will review each video and build a more in-depth story by visiting the sites and interviewing the subjects further."

Weaver and Kolodziej have partnered on other projects-most notably, the music on the New Castle News' website during the holiday season and sharing news clips and videos from Westminster's The County Line show-but this is the first classroom assignment they have undertaken cooperatively.

"I enjoyed meeting with Brad and the students back in April," Kolodziej said. "I was impressed by their passion for their subjects and their confidence in pitching ideas. I like Brad's energy and his students are well-prepared for their tasks."

Thursday, September 2

Coming soon...new BC Capstone bloggers

This entry is directed at all new BC Capstone bloggers. It's time to set up your blog, develop your blog persona and start posting.

So what's this blog thing all about?

It's a place for you to reflect and communicate with me and each other (AND THE WORLD) on what you're doing with your documentary. Your BC weblog is also where you will explore what you want to do with a career while also reflecting on your experience at Westminster College.

What should you blog about?
Each week I will prompt you to write reflectively or professionally about a topic or aspect of your documentary, your future plans or some aspect of your college life.

You are encouraged to go beyond the required blog entries. Discuss current events in electronic media or offer your own polished commentary on the industry to demosntrate you're plugged in to the business and issues of electronic media.

I also encourage you to post links to job resources that may assist you in your future efforts.

Finally, keep your capstone blog PROFESSIONAL and on task. It is about your capstone and broadcasting. I encourage you to review the blogs of your classmates as well and engage in commenting with constructive feedback. However, keep personal matters to a private or separate blog.

Monday, August 30

BC Students Freelance VIDEO stories for local newspaper

September 15, 2010

Westminster College students in the spring semester "Broadcast Journalism" course experienced the challenges and rewards of freelance video production.

The junior broadcast communications majors were in a class taught by Bradley Weaver, Westminster lecturer of broadcast communications. "This exercise gave students an opportunity to pitch a story and then deliver it to meet the expectations and promises negotiated with the editor," Weaver explained.

Students met with Tim Kolodziej, editor of the New Castle News, with proposals for video essays they researched, shot, produced, and submitted as freelancers for the paper's online edition. Their payment was 10% of their grade, if the video was accepted by the newspaper. No points were given if the video was rejected.

"That's how freelance journalists make it," Weaver said. "Payday only comes when someone buys your work. This project forced students to tap into their skills as journalists and their skills in presenting and selling their work to an employer."

Six of the nine videos were accepted by the New Castle News.

"We are planning several stories to coincide with the videos we've received from the Westminster students," Kolodziej said. "Our summer intern will review each video and build a more in-depth story by visiting the sites and interviewing the subjects further."

Weaver and Kolodziej have partnered on other projects-most notably, the music on the New Castle News' website during the holiday season and sharing news clips and videos from Westminster's The County Line show-but this is the first classroom assignment they have undertaken cooperatively.

"I enjoyed meeting with Brad and the students back in April," Kolodziej said. "I was impressed by their passion for their subjects and their confidence in pitching ideas. I like Brad's energy and his students are well-prepared for their tasks."

Thursday, August 19

The TItan Terror Project

This fall, the BC 251 mini-movie project goes campus-wide. It's not just for those enrolled in video production this semester.


THE TITAN TERROR PROJECT- Presented by AV Services, Titan Radio & WCN 24/7.

Friday, August 6

Titan Radio shares spotlight with Stanford & Brown universities


NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.-- When The Princeton Review's annual survey ranks Titan Radio among the best campus radio stations in the country, what other schools share the list with Westminster. Here's a rundown of this year's top 20 stations:

Princeton Review's Most Popular College Radio Stations-2011 Edition

1. DePauw University ...WGRE 91.5 FM, Greencastle, IN

2. Ithaca College ...WICB 91.7 FM, Ithaca, NY

3. Emerson College ...WERS 88.9FM, Boston, MA

4. St. Bonaventure University ...WSBU-88.3 FM, St. Bonaventure, NY

5. Brown University ...BSR 88.1 FM, Providence, RI

6. Stanford University ...KZSU 90.1 FM, Stanford, CA

7. Knox College ...WVKC 90.7 FM, Galesburg, IL

8. Howard University ...WHUR 96.3 FM, Washington D.C.

9. University of Puget Sound ...KUPS 90.1 FM Tacoma, WA

10. Carleton College ...KRLX 88.1 FM, Northfield, MN

11. Guilford College ...WQFS 90.9 FM, Greensboro, NC

12. Alfred University ...WALF 89.7 FM, Alfred, NY

13. Siena College ...WVCR 88.3 FM, Loudonville, NY

14. Swarthmore College ...WSRN 91.5 FM, Swarthmore, PA

15. Reed College ...KRRC 97.9 FM, Portland, OR

16. Seton Hall University ...WSOU 89.5 FM, South Orange, NJ

17. Whitman College ...KWCW 90.5 FM, Walla Walla, WA

18. Sacred Heart University ...WHRT-FM, Fairfield, CT

19. Westminster College ...TITAN RADIO- WWNW 88.9 FM, New Wilmington, PA

20. Manhattanville College ...WMVL 88.1 FM, Purchase, NY

Only 2,500 four-year colleges in the country make it into The Princeton Review's annual guidebook "The Best 373 Colleges." The 2011 edition includes detailed profiles of the colleges with scores in eight categories, plus top-20 rankings in 62 categories based on The Princeton Review's surveys of students at each college.

The lists featured in the "Best 373 Colleges" are based on The Princeton Review's survey of 122,000 students, about 325 per campus on average. The 80-question survey asked students to rate their institutions on a number of topics and report on their campus experiences.

Thursday, July 29

Broadcast Journalism for a Newspaper? Students freelance for local online newspaper

July 29, 2010 (story courtesy the Westminster College Communications Office)

NEW CASTLE, Pa.-- Westminster College students in the spring semester "Broadcast Journalism" course experienced the challenges and rewards of freelance video production.

The junior broadcast communications majors were in a class taught by Bradley Weaver, Westminster lecturer of broadcast communications. "This exercise gave students an opportunity to pitch a story and then deliver it to meet the expectations and promises negotiated with the editor," Weaver explained.

Students met with Tim Kolodziej, editor of the New Castle News, with proposals for video essays they researched, shot, produced, and submitted as freelancers for the paper's online edition. Their payment was 10% of their grade, if the video was accepted by the newspaper. No points were given if the video was rejected.

"That's how freelance journalists make it," Weaver said. "Payday only comes when someone buys your work. This project forced students to tap into their skills as journalists and their skills in presenting and selling their work to an employer."

Six of the nine videos were accepted by the New Castle News.

"We are planning several stories to coincide with the videos we've received from the Westminster students," Kolodziej said. "Our summer intern will review each video and build a more in-depth story by visiting the sites and interviewing the subjects further."

Weaver and Kolodziej have partnered on other projects-most notably, the music on the New Castle News' website during the holiday season and sharing news clips and videos from Westminster's The County Line show-but this is the first classroom assignment they have undertaken cooperatively.

"I enjoyed meeting with Brad and the students back in April," Kolodziej said. "I was impressed by their passion for their subjects and their confidence in pitching ideas. I like Brad's energy and his students are well-prepared for their tasks."

Houston, PA
Brittany Grego, a junior broadcast communications major, is a daughter of Timothy and Kimberly Grego and a graduate of Chartiers-Houston High School. Her video essay, "Diversify the Farm with Goats," can be viewed by clicking here. "My topic focused on goat farming and why people raise them. I loved this project! I learned how to make the topic interesting and entertaining through writing and how to bring out more natural sound of the goats. I loved going out, meeting my subjects, interviewing them, learning about their lives, and taking everything I learned to inform and entertain the public. I felt like a real reporter going out on the scene and getting that field experience that will greatly benefit me."

New Castle, PA
Katelyn Altman, a junior broadcast communications major, is a daughter of Weston and Laurie Altman and a graduate of Mohawk Area High School. Her video essay, "Golf Car Supply in New Castle," can be viewed by clicking here.

New Kensington, PA
Bradford Arick, a junior broadcast communications major, is a son of Scott and Janice Arick and a graduate of Kiski Area High School. His video essay, "Family History Detective Work at the New Castle Library," can be viewed by clicking here.

Pittsburgh, PA
Ashley Bishop, a junior broadcast communications major, is a daughter of Robert and Nancy Bishop and a graduate of Baldwin High School. Her video essay, "How Do You Say Volant?," can be viewed by clicking here. The video offers a brief history of the Lawrence County village that is nearly 200 years old. It begins and ends with trying to discover the correct pronunciation of the town's name. Volant resident and unofficial historian Betty Steve is the expert source.

Tionesta, PA
Angela Tucker, a junior broadcast communications major, is a daughter of Mary Tucker and the late John Tucker and a graduate of West Forest High School. Her video essay, "Bingo Night at the Scottish Rite Cathedral," can be viewed by clicking here.

Newark, OH
Drew Trifelos, a junior broadcast communications major, is a son of James and Melanie Trifelos and a graduate of Granville Christian Academy. His video essay, "Bluebird Farmers," can be viewed by clicking here. Blanche and Richard Kind have helped bring the bluebird back to their community by building and maintaining dozens of bluebird houses on their Grassy Crest Dairy Farm in Plain Grove Township. For more than a decade they have observed and recorded the bluebird activity, including how many nests have been built and the number of eggs hatched. "It was definitely a good project, as it was different than what we had been used to. Having it worth 10% of my grade didn't seem too bad until it was made known that we didn't get that if the video essay wasn't used. That kind of put me on edge as I did not know if my work would be good enough. What I took away from the assignment is knowing what can be expected from reporters, not only interviews and multiple shots, but also being able to put it all together so that it flows-which is not as easy as I had thought previously."

Thursday, June 3

Dana's documentary draws more attention


Westminster graduate from Elizabeth produces film that wows British

By Michael Jones
FOR THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 3, 2010

Dana Kerkentzes of Elizabeth Borough wasn't quite sure what would happen when she focused her video camera on a local children's production troupe for her college senior project.

What Kerkentzes found was an inspiring story that landed her 15-minute documentary, "Another Journey to Oz," in a British film festival.

The recent Westminster College graduate spent last summer following the Petite Players as they prepared an offbeat play of "The Wizard of Oz" at the Grand Theater in Elizabeth. The fact that she grew up just a few minutes away from where the group performed made the film a bit more personal.

"I wondered what these kids did and what it was like," said Kerkentzes, a 2006 graduate of East Allegheny High School. "I thought this would be a great opportunity to tell the story about kids doing something they love."

READ MORE including quotes from me!

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_684150.html



WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY BY DANA RIGHT HERE.

Another Journey to OZ from WCN 24/7 on Vimeo.

Tuesday, March 2

ABC sees future & cost savings with one-man bands

NETWORK going to the VJ model...

FROM THE LA TIMES

ABC News sees a digital future



But the network faces a delicate balancing act: the immediacy and cost-savings of such

'backpack' reports versus technical, ethical, editorial and quality issues.













Reporting from New York - Dan Harris, an anchor and correspondent for ABC News, has a firsthand grasp of how digital journalism could transform the future of network news.

Working without a camera operator or sound technician, he and his producer, Almin Karamehmedovic, have used hand-held digital cameras to track American sex predators in Cambodia, sneak up on silverback gorillas in the Central African Republic and document child exorcisms in Congo.

"There's never been once when I missed the bigger crew," said Harris, who lugs equipment and mikes-up interview subjects himself, much as he did when he started as a local reporter in Bangor, Maine. "The level of intimacy you can achieve so far surpasses what you can get with a big team, it's beyond compare."

But even digital journalism acolytes such as Harris caution that the pared-down approach has its limitations.

When he was covering the recent earthquake in Haiti, "I couldn't do some basic journalism because I needed to worry about tech stuff," he said.

"There are enormous benefits, but there are also real concerns that we have to do this wisely."

That's the balance ABC News is wrestling with as it cuts 25% of its 1,400-person staff and halves its ranks of bureau correspondents, replacing them with two dozen digital journalists.

Network executives say smaller cameras and laptop editing software offer them a lifeline as they struggle to contain costs. Instead of relying on different people to produce, report, shoot and edit stories, one or two people with the right equipment can handle those tasks.

In dramatically overhauling its newsroom structure, ABC offers a stark illustration of how the economic squeeze is remaking traditional media organizations and what viewers see on the news. Stories shot with hand-held digital cameras often have a personal, rough-hewn quality familiar to a generation raised on amateur Web videos, and can lack the polished production values that mark network news.

Some veteran broadcasters are skeptical that digital journalists, burdened by so many duties, can effectively cover a story.

While it may save money, "what it is going to do in the process is simply cut down on an individual's ability to tell the story properly and well," said Ronald Steinman, executive editor of the Digital Journalist, a magazine about visual journalism, who spent four decades producing news for NBC and ABC.

That sentiment is shared by many ABC staffers, who declined to be quoted by name for fear of losing their jobs. They fret that the expectations being put on digital journalists are unrealistic.

ABC News President David Westin said the network will still cover the majority of stories with a producer, correspondent, camera operator and sound engineer that make up the traditional four-person crew, particularly newsmaker interviews with politicians and celebrities. But he argued that digital journalism actually gives reporters more control over their stories.

"This is a way to maintain or enhance our editorial footprint and get to the stories that are really important, and in some cases, do it in a more compelling way," he said. "In my heart of hearts, this is really about the journalism, not the money."

Digital journalism is common at local news stations, which expect their limited staffs to multitask. But in recent years, it has also been embraced at the network level.

"A good three years ago, we were like, 'This is the future,' " said Alexandra Wallace, senior vice president of NBC News, who estimates that 20% of the network's on-air stories are digitally produced. "There are huge upsides that have nothing to do with cost."

ABC plans to deploy its digital journalists in two-person teams, but some correspondents function as "one-man bands," such as CBS' Mandy Clark, who just spent two weeks embedded with the Marines in Afghanistan producing her own pieces. CNN has four such reporters working around the country, and Fox News uses solitary reporter-producers in remote places such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Kevin Sites, a former network producer who was one of the first "backpack journalists," said he got the idea while covering the war in Kosovo for NBC. "I remember having to move almost a semi full of equipment into a war zone," said Sites, currently a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. "We were so top heavy."

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