That Other News Show

Hey guys, when trying to think up a topic to write about this week, I couldn't really think of anything. But then I thought "Hey, I can shamelessly plug the show I worked on this semester!" and all became right in the world. So That Other News Show is an ICTV show which just began this semester and provides the news, along with sketches and field packages, and delivers them in a humorous way.

Think something along the lines of The Colbert Report or any of the various late night shows with (insert host's name here). I was actually recruited onto the show last semester when it was still being planned, and went through this season as the head editor. I don't mind editing, some people do, but I don't and I have gotten pretty alright at it, so for this semester I became head editor on two shows and it's been pretty cool. The only issue with editing this show? Our turnaround time was seriously tight, having it due at noon on Monday and only being able to begin editing at 3 on Sunday. Since I didn't want to throw my Sundays away every week, I typically started editing after midnight and would stay up all night to finish it. Due to this, there are a few slip-ups here and there that with a little bit more time, I could've ironed out. Anyway, I got off track.

Now that the season is done and everything is up on the website, I recommend checking it out, everyone pull a lot of heart into it and I think it's come out pretty good. Plus, it'll give you the chance to see what some of the people in our class worked on.

Vice Media

For as long as I have been watching TV I have always had a dislike for news stories. Fictional stories just have always appealed to me more. I feel entertainment should be a way to escape from reality, and news just brings all of the troubles of the world right into your living room. However regarding news there is one magazine that I can stand and that is, Vice. Vice is a magazine company which puts an entirely different spin on the news. I am a big fan of the videos that Vice Media produces and puts on their YouTube Channel. The type of videos that are produced are features about a lot of different, risqué material. There are a lot of different stories about drugs, violence, even cannibalism. What I like about Vice so much is the fact that the staff really puts themselves out there to be able to tell the story in the best way possible. For example one video I watched was an interview with a Hitman for hire. The interview consisted of the staff from Vice filming the Hitman in the back seat of a car and asking him questions about why he kills people for a living. To be in the same car as a professional killer must not be the most comfortable situation one could put themselves in, but Vice did to cover the story not matter how unsettling it is. I really suggest you watch this, it is much different then what you see on CNN every night.

 Vice recently also started to make what are called "Vice Shorts." Vice shorts are more on the side of fiction rather than non-fiction. Like the news that Vice covers these videos are a little bizarre but are put together well and very interesting. The first short that I saw was called "The Ellington Kid." The first thing I saw was that at the beginning of this short it says based on a true story (sort of). I thought this was very cool considering what we are doing in class. I believe that this video was inspired by a new story/urban legend. It not only sparked some ideas but it is also an interesting story. Please take some time to watch this video, and also subscribe to Vice, the company produces some really awesome things.

New Project

I'm really excited for this new project. The idea of using a story that was in the news and making a short film with it is interesting and has the opportunity to be so creative and dynamic because you can approach it at some many angles. My idea of using the story of the Empire State Building shooting can be spun in so many directions. I can write a story of the life of someone who survived the shooting or a bystander, a relative of the shooter, relative or someone who has died in the shooting, a cop who worked that day, so many places I can take this story. I like the other ideas shared in class too, I voted for the the story about the gun in the book, but I'm still debating about doing my own project. I know how difficult it can be to try and assemble a team and do a production, which is why I voted for the story about the gun and the book, which is the story I will most likely do. Im excited for this project and working with other people from the class. Should be fun!

We Are Interesting! Hey! Look!

Okay, now that I have your attention: No, llama! NO!

That's a llama driving. And no, I didn't draw that.

Progress with the group's Very Special Project is going smoothly. We've shot quite a good amount of footage, and Monday seemed to start off well in terms of knocking off scenes. Soon (and by soon I mean now) we'll start working on some post-production material, such as text and experimenting with color. Alex has a 3D title in the works. Everything so far is going according to plan, so there's no reason yet to worry.

Also, if any of you guys are taking Thesis next semester, I would suggest utilizing the Actor's Workshop Of Ithaca. The actress that we used did a great job on Monday and always responded to emails, so if you're looking for a dedicated actress for your projects, look up Elissa Klie. I'm sure that she'll be happy to help. She might want money, though. (Reminder to self: Pay actors/actresses in money and/or soul.)

And now a note that only applies to Parkies: If you guys need to extend a reservation, don't try to do it at the counter. The PPECS employees won't do it. If they do, they'll get fired. Instead, you need to talk to both Arturo and Ellen and have a really good excuse for why you need to extend. It's inconvenient, but if you plan well enough, you'll be able to pull it off. This is just a reminder so that you don't get your Park cards taken away.

Good work so far, guys. To play me out, here's a new animation.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

For Fall Break, I went to visit my friend who is studying abroad in Montreal and awkwardly tagged along with her class when they went to visit the CBC, the main broadcasting company in Canada, acting as the national radio and television broadcaster. It was formed in 1936 and is the longest running media corporation in Canada and hosts the most radio and news shows, airing in both English and French.

To start off the tour, we had to put on a fake newscast in a very realistic studio setting. They had students working in the control room and being both news anchors and reporters, the recording lasted about 20 minutes and had 5 segments. Unfortunately, I somehow got roped into being a reporter (because you can't just hang back when a frenchman calls you out) and ended up reading on camera as an automotive expert, and Shanghai reporter, Wong Lee. Complete with fake backgrounds, scripts and external video, it was a completely student run "broadcast" (Sorry for the bad quality of the pictures, they were taken from a phone).

After stumbling our way through that, we took a quick tour of the building, starting off with the main newsroom. They have approximately 200 people constantly monitoring news around the world and maintaining the CBC social media. In the same room they were filming a splitscreen for that evening between an anchor and a reporter on the other side of the room. We then went to go check out on of their main radio studios where they usually air live music and group interviews. While one of the guides played some dramatic background music on the piano, the other explained how the uneven stature of the walls prevented echos and created a very clean and quick sound. The very last stop on the tour was to their main television studio, which is the third largest studio in North America (about 6 times as large as Studio A here, minus the green curtain). They tend to film live studio shows here with an audience, but even then, they only take up about three fourths of the studio. They also mentioned that even with platforms or rugs down, the never show the floor in their studios, and thats how you tell if shows, especially soap operas, are filmed in a studio.

It was very similar to the BBC, which I toured when I studied in London, except the BBC put much more emphasis on their fiction shows, whereas the CBC is mainly news and radio. Also unlike the BBC, CBC employs commercial advertising in addition to it's federal funding, with the exception of radio. The building itself is a very prominent figure in the landscape, with a very futuristic feel to it on the inside.