I’m sure there are song lyrics in there – put to the tune of Santa Claus is Coming to Town – but it’s late and I don’t have any creative juices left tonight.
An email from my old “roommate” Bob Davis (of WCAX-TV) reminded me of the Northern Short Course this weekend in Fairfax, VA. Being just outside the beltway from DC, I’m looking forward to making a run out there to see some old friends and maybe learn a thing or two…
Let me know if you’re heading to the NSC…
Hyatt Fairfax at Fair Lakes
12777 Fair Lakes Circle,
Fairfax, Virginia, USA 22033
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Come join us for great workshops and see wonderful storytelling at the NPPA’s Northern Short Course Education Conference, Thursday thru Saturday, March 8-10th in Fairfax, VA. Still and multimedia training workshops run Thursday and Friday in basic storytelling, Final Cut Pro Editing, audio, lighting and business practices. The TV program starts on Friday night, with tape critiques and welcome, starting at 8 PM. The Saturday TV lecture series offers a full day of sessions with the best TV storytellers in the business. This is excellent professional development for a great price. Walk-ins are welcome.
How will you adapt to new technologies, new audiences, and new demands on your skills? Get a fresh perspective on the building blocks of TV news storytelling and learn how your professional peers are surviving and thriving. Diversify your skills to be a better job candidate and team leader in today’s newsroom. Watch outstanding stories by great photojournalists, learn some new tricks.
Visit the conference website for complete workshop and lecture descriptions and all registration information:
http://www.northernshortcourse.com/
Questions?:
Bob Davis- TV Program Co-Chair, WCAX-TV, (802) 343.7197, davisb@wcax.com
Sean Filburn- TV Program Co-Chair, RTV-Washington, (410) 322.2218, sfilburn@gmail.com
Thursday/Friday Multimedia Workshops Highlights:
Intro To Video Storytelling with Melanie Burford. For the still photographer who wants to shoot video. How do you begin, what are the basics you need to know to get started? This workshop will cover the basics of crafting a story in video. Melanie is a photojournalist and multimedia video journalist, was part of the team of Dallas Morning News photographers who received the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
Tips & Tricks for Final Cut Pro 7 with Bethany Swain , CNN photojournalist.
Do you “J-K-L” and “⌥⌘T”? Bethany shares her favorite Final Cut Pro 7 short cuts in this workshop with tips to help be more efficient and effective, whether editing breaking news or feature videos. Come talk video storytelling and take your pieces to the next level with FCP7. Bethany has been a photojournalist for CNN for more than 9 years, and a versatile member of CNN’s team since 2002.
Introduction to Audio Recording. Rob Rosenthal. Great audio drives multimedia shows. Bad audio drives people away. The two-part workshop is an introduction to gathering & editing compelling, storytelling sound. The workshops will focus on best practices for recording, and what makes an audio driven story. Rosenthal is a freelance radio producer. He’s produced audio tours, documentaries, podcasts, public service announcements, and commercials.
Friday Evening Tape Critiques
Bring your stories and a willingness to learn from each other and the best in the business. We look forward to a lively tape critique session on Friday night. Tape critiques will be available Friday evening and throughout the conference on Saturday. Arrangements will be announced at the start of the program.
Saturday TV Program Highlights:
Editing Great Photography into Great Storytelling, Lance Ing, WTTG-TV-Washington
Ing will help you understand how to edit more efficiently and effectively in order to maintain award winning standards on news deadlines. Lance Ing is a nationally recognized and award-winning television Photojournalist/Editor/Producer. Lance works in WTTG’s Special Projects/Investigative unit. He has covered stories all over the country always trying to make his stories memorable and unique. http://www.myfoxdc.com/
Doing it all Digitally, Scott Broom, WUSA9- Washington, D.C.
WUSA9’s Digital Correspondent Scott Broom is a new breed of electronic journalist. After 26 years as an Emmy Award winning traditional “coat and tie” TV reporter, he is now tasked with accelerating the television news industry’s shift from traditional broadcasting to high-volume web-based, video, and text communications. Scott is an expert in how digital media are changing the local TV news landscape. His work is now featured at the Newseum as an example of the dramatic changes occurring in the media business. “The crew is gone,” Scott explains, “I work alone, shooting and editing my own video. I write and deliver content on all platforms all the time. I file text, video, and photo updates to the Internet throughout the day via wireless broadband. Scott will share his work and tips and tricks for managing the workload of an assignment desk, producer, photographer, editor and correspondent while getting it all done on tight deadlines.
In Focus, Bryan Barr, Chief Photojournalist, WBFF-TV Baltimore
From chaotic breaking news scenes to long format pieces, calm calculated shooting will always stand out. Easier said than done, but with a few tips from veteran photojournalist you’ll be on your way. Bryan Barr has been a Chief Photojournalist longer than he hasn’t. If it’s a story that’s newsworthy chances are Bryan or his staff have shot it, edited it, taken it live, and won an award for it. Bryan will be sharing his work, and work from his colleagues at WBFF while giving us a better understanding of how to stay focused while on assignment. Bryan started his photojournalist journey in 1996 at the CBS affiliate in Harrisburg, PA. After many years and many teachable moments (mistakes), he moved on to the best little TV station in the country…WBFF FOX 45. There, Bryan learned from the some of the best visual journalists in the land what it takes to tell great TV stories. After a brief ”vacation” at another great TV station…WHTM, Bryan is back at WBFF in Baltimore. He is currently the Chief Photojournalist of a staff of 12. Bryan lives in Towson, Maryland with his wife and 2 kids.
Defining Your Own Destiny In the Newsroom. Stan Heist, University of Maryland, Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
It’s easy to fall in a rut, chasing story after story under an unforgiving deadline. Stan believes in controlling your own destiny and turning each and every assignment into an opportunity to become a stronger storyteller. You start with building credibility in the newsroom. A former chief photographer and the 2005 NPPA Ernie Crisp National Television News Photographer of the Year, Stan coaches everyone on finding, pitching, and winning with YOUR Ideas.
Stan Heist is a veteran of broadcast newsrooms having worked for network affiliates in Dayton, Ohio, Richmond, Va., Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. As a photojournalist, editor and newsroom manager, Stan has developed many paths for finding success. Stan teaches at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. He has received ten regional Emmy awards for his work, is a two time National Press Photographers Association Regional Photographer of the Year. He teaches video journalism extensively to professionals, students, and the military in the United States and abroad. Stan is the co-director of the NPPA’s annual News Video Workshop at the University of Oklahoma. And he keeps an eye on the weather too, serving as a Skywarn weather spotter for the National Weather Service!
Your Dime Their Time: Your time and with Lance Ing, Scott Broom, Bryan Barr, and Stan Heist.
What can I do to be more efficient in the edit bay? How do I find stories on my own that my station wants to cover? What do you think of my reel? Is there anything I should change to make my resume more appealing? How can I monitor a scanner, listen to news radio, and talk to the assignment desk on my cell phone while eating fast food, taking notes, and driving.
Bring your reels, resumes, and any questions you ever wanted answered about the news business or anything else. This panel of some of the best in business is all ears, and eager to offer their suggestions, advice, and maybe even witty quip or two.
Tape Critiques
Bring your stories and a willingness to learn from each other and the best in the business. We look forward to a lively tape critique session on Friday night. Tape critiques will be available Friday evening and throughout the conference on Saturday. Arrangements will be announced at the start of the program.
http://www.northernshortcourse.com
Bob Davis- TV Program Co-Chair, WCAX-TV, (802) 343.7197, davisb@wcax.com
Sean Filburn- TV Program Co-Chair, RTV-Washington, (410) 322.2218,sfilburn@gmail.com