It was THE WEEK of Final Presentation Night! I can not possibly put into words how incredible my ISM journey has been. From last year, studying criminal justice, to studying investigative journalism this year, I have learned so much about the professional world and myself as a person.
Cold calls, driving to interviews, and conversing with professionals were at first terrifying ordeals that I would never consider myself capable of. Now, I have spent hours in the Channel 8 Headquarters and have learned how to present myself professionally and confidently.
More than that, however, this journey has opened my eyes to who I am and what I will pursue in the future. I know for a fact that I will continue pursuing a life of service abroad. I do not know yet exactly what I am going to do with my future, but I know that I want to live my life verse John 15:13, "Greater love has none than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." I would love to pursue journalism or diplomacy focusing in on the Middle East, and later enter the FBI, CIA or some other government agency.
Final Presentation Night was a huge success! My presentation was perfect, lots of people came, and my mentors loved it. Byron was so blown away by the program that Channel 8 is now going to be covering a story over the ISM Program! The night was a perfect conclusion to a year of hard work and incredible learning experiences.
My mentors were truly amazing. I will never be able to thank them enough for opening my eyes to the world of investigative journalism and for helping me learn so much about myself. Jason was always enthusiastic and ready for an adventure, and Byron always had pieces of wisdom that never stopped blowing my mind. They made this year the experience of a lifetime.
I am beyond ecstatic for what the future holds and to see where God will lead me in the future. With everything, I plan to live my life verse and my ISM quote from the year:
""Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world... would do this, it would change the earth."
-William Faulkner
Friday, May 22, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Week 36
This week I finally finished my Final Product! My mentors from Channel 8 News, Investigative Reporter Byron Harris and Investigative Producer Jason Trahan, made it possible.
At the beginning of the week, our story was planned out, we had audio, and all we needed to do was put everything together and film the intro and tag. The intro and tag are the parts of the story filmed in the news headquarters as an intro and conclusion to the story. The package is the story itself.
We ran into a small hiccup however. Somehow, my audio file was deleted from the file at Channel 8 News database, and I had to go down to the news station on Tuesday night to record it again. Everything worked out, however, and the package, the body of the story, was ready by my mentor visit on Thursday.
On Thursday we filmed the into and tag of my story, and left it with the editor to put everything together. He was a great help in the completion of our project because he put everything together for us.
The story run about six minutes and reveals several months of work. I am extremely proud of all that we accomplished this year.
Click here to view the story
At the beginning of the week, our story was planned out, we had audio, and all we needed to do was put everything together and film the intro and tag. The intro and tag are the parts of the story filmed in the news headquarters as an intro and conclusion to the story. The package is the story itself.
We ran into a small hiccup however. Somehow, my audio file was deleted from the file at Channel 8 News database, and I had to go down to the news station on Tuesday night to record it again. Everything worked out, however, and the package, the body of the story, was ready by my mentor visit on Thursday.
On Thursday we filmed the into and tag of my story, and left it with the editor to put everything together. He was a great help in the completion of our project because he put everything together for us.
The story run about six minutes and reveals several months of work. I am extremely proud of all that we accomplished this year.
Click here to view the story
Monday, May 11, 2015
Week 35
This was probably one of the most exciting weeks yet in the Independent and Final Mentorship Program. We are getting down to the very end of planning and execution, since Final Presentation Night is on May 19th. This week I handed out invitations and made great progress on our story. We had an extra long mentor visit and the WFAA-TV (Channel 8) Headquarters, in which we wrote the entire script of the story based off of the two skeletons that Jason and I created. It took a long time to make everything sound just right and to find the perfect sound bites to fit each part of the story. Our final result is fantastic, however. The story is engaging and exciting, and all we need to do now is piece everything together and film the anchor intro and the tag.
After we finished writing the story, Byron Harris looked over it and gave us some tips on how to make it even more engaging. He also gave me tips on how to mark up the script to help me know which words to emphasize and where to leave dramatic pauses. I then recorded the voice over in the WFAA-TV recording studio. It was exciting to use the equipment from the station and feel like an actual reporter.
All we have to do now is film the opening and closing comments, edit the clips and piece everything together. I am so excited to see how the story turns out!
After we finished writing the story, Byron Harris looked over it and gave us some tips on how to make it even more engaging. He also gave me tips on how to mark up the script to help me know which words to emphasize and where to leave dramatic pauses. I then recorded the voice over in the WFAA-TV recording studio. It was exciting to use the equipment from the station and feel like an actual reporter.
All we have to do now is film the opening and closing comments, edit the clips and piece everything together. I am so excited to see how the story turns out!
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Week 34
It was another incredible week of exciting accomplishments in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program! The main accomplishments of the week were printing the invitations and beginning the delivery process, and continuing the planning of the story.
As far as the planning of the story goes, we now have the basic skeleton of what we will be writing about. We have a flow to the story and a plan of transitions from one main point to the next. My mentor, Investigative Reporter Jason Trahan, looked over the intro I wrote and said that he loved it. His one problem with it was the opening sentence, which is a cliche phrase. He explained that while cliches are catchy, they do not sound intelligent and often annoy the viewer. We looked at other videos of coyotes loose in New York, and have decided to pull in some of this footage in an attempt to show the universal nature of the problem.
By the time I have my next mentor visit next Friday, I will have finished writing the story. He will then look over it and we will decide on what changes need to be made. We will then film the intro to the story in the WFAA-Channel 8 studio and will begin recording the voice overs.
As far as the planning of the story goes, we now have the basic skeleton of what we will be writing about. We have a flow to the story and a plan of transitions from one main point to the next. My mentor, Investigative Reporter Jason Trahan, looked over the intro I wrote and said that he loved it. His one problem with it was the opening sentence, which is a cliche phrase. He explained that while cliches are catchy, they do not sound intelligent and often annoy the viewer. We looked at other videos of coyotes loose in New York, and have decided to pull in some of this footage in an attempt to show the universal nature of the problem.
By the time I have my next mentor visit next Friday, I will have finished writing the story. He will then look over it and we will decide on what changes need to be made. We will then film the intro to the story in the WFAA-Channel 8 studio and will begin recording the voice overs.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Week 33
The Independent Study and Mentoship Program is amazing and has been rolling right along. This week we began preparation from writing the story. Byron Harris showed me some scripts from previous stories he has written and explained the basics of the writing process.
When writing a story, it is important to define the point you are trying to make. It is easy to get lost because numerous interview can sometimes cloud and change your idea of what you are trying to write about. Bryon Harris explained the process of creating a "three-word slug" which will define everything you are trying to encompass in the story. This is the incredibly important first step because it helps you decide what direction the story is going to take, what quotes are most important, and how you will begin writing.
Another important step is to look at all the interview footage you have gained, finding the quotes and sound bites that will be most influential to the story.
Once you have a basic idea of the story's flow and direction, it is vital to create the most attention-grabbing and riveting first seven seconds you possibly can. In order for the audience to be hooked, you have to reach out of the television and grab their absolute attention in the first seven seconds. Otherwise, they will continue flipping through the channels without a second thought.
Creating a strong metaphor that can be utilized throughout a story is also an important tool. Metaphors can bring ideas to life and help the viewer truly understand the topic. They are a good way to give a story continuity by relating to the metaphor again and again.
The brainstorming has begun, and I can't wait to see where this story goes.
When writing a story, it is important to define the point you are trying to make. It is easy to get lost because numerous interview can sometimes cloud and change your idea of what you are trying to write about. Bryon Harris explained the process of creating a "three-word slug" which will define everything you are trying to encompass in the story. This is the incredibly important first step because it helps you decide what direction the story is going to take, what quotes are most important, and how you will begin writing.
Another important step is to look at all the interview footage you have gained, finding the quotes and sound bites that will be most influential to the story.
Once you have a basic idea of the story's flow and direction, it is vital to create the most attention-grabbing and riveting first seven seconds you possibly can. In order for the audience to be hooked, you have to reach out of the television and grab their absolute attention in the first seven seconds. Otherwise, they will continue flipping through the channels without a second thought.
Creating a strong metaphor that can be utilized throughout a story is also an important tool. Metaphors can bring ideas to life and help the viewer truly understand the topic. They are a good way to give a story continuity by relating to the metaphor again and again.
The brainstorming has begun, and I can't wait to see where this story goes.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Week 32
It was another exciting week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program.
This week I visited the WFAA-TV (Channel 8) headquarters in downtown Dallas. Jason Trahan, one of my mentors, was not there because he had a project to work on. My other mentor, investigative reporter Byron Harris, looked over my portfolio while I was logging video footage. The video footage I was logging was from my interview with Janet Evans Webb last week.
Logging the video was very exciting because I realized that my mentor had taken several incredible panning shots of nature in Frisco. He also took shots of a construction site nearby, which will be very helpful in describing the urbanization of Frisco.
While Byron Harris looked over my portfolio, we also discussed the fact that he went to George Washington University for grad school. We talked about what it is like to like in Washington D.C. and if the benefits of going to George Washington outweigh those of going to The University of Texas at Austin. Byron also explained that being in DC is an incredible opportunity because of everything you will be able to see. He was there during the Watergate Scandal and was able to see the importance of investigative journalism first hand.
This was an awesome visit because it has helped me continue to define my journey for the future.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Week 31
It was another great week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program. One of the major highlights was the fantastic interview we had on Thursday. Jason and I interviewed Ms. Janet Evans Webb, a Frisco resident running for the Frisco City Council, about her position on the wildlife issue.
It was great to hear the perspective of a woman who believes that the city has not done enough to protect the wildlife in the area. Ms. Evans Webb is a prime example of someone who recognizes a problem and is doing everything she can to make a difference. During our discussion, we talked about the new Walmart that is being build on beautiful land in the area, the exciting side of seeing wildlife in the area, and the damage that has been done to their habitats.
Ms. Evans Webb's main point throughout our discussion was that the wildlife was here first. We have invaded their land so it is only natural that they should still be around. She adamantly desires that Frisco take more tangible steps to protect the nature and wildlife in the Frisco area.
At this point, we have had interviews with a resident who is frustrated with the lack of government regulation on wildlife, an expert urban wildlife biologist who knows the facts behind why wildlife is highly present in Frisco, a neighborhood director who deals with the wildlife issues when they arise in her neighborhoods, and a woman who adamantly believes that the city should take better care of the wildlife in the area. We have the foundation for our story and now we just need to fill in the gaps and piece it all together.
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