Ms. Producer: Worst Case Scenarios

This job is a big ball of pressure. You have to impress everyone: viewers, co-workers, bosses, the whole she-bang. And there is always going to be one person who says you should have done this or you should have done that. It can eat you alive.

But what's worse is when you hear all those things, you just want to go home and not think about work and all you do is think about work. Even better? When you dream about it, which I do all the time.

Let's see. One night I had a dream that everyone's mics stopped working. Literally everyone. Len, the anchor, Sean, the weather man, and Dennis, the sports anchor. Everyone was running around, you could see production crews live as they tried to fix it. Some tried to just yell. It was horrendous. I woke up in a cold sweat because it felt so real.

Then there was another dream where we were opening the show and our lead story had just come on the air. I had a reporter live in the field and then all of a sudden, it went black. It was supposed to be a straight live shot, meaning lots of ad-libbing and no video to show. And it was just a black screen. That was a fun one.

Oh and then there was the dream where everyone got the giggles and could not stop laughing, there was no talking, no words, just laughter. For what I would guess in dream minutes was at least 15 minutes of the show. We didn't get through anything because everyone could not stop laughing. It was a show of laughter. If you had turned us on in my dream, you would have seen everyone with their eyes half open and heard cackles.

But there is a bright spot to all the crazy I dream. The shows thus far, knock on wood, have been nowhere close to that bad. So at the end of the day, my dreams are the ones that make me feel better because I know whatever happened did not involve me not having a show.

Dreams are my worst case scenario.

Ms. Producer: Getting Used to the Crazy

For me, when I think newsrooms, I think people running all around, shouting things left and right, papers flying, etc.

It's exactly that.

It's literally and figuratively day and night during the day shift and night shift. The day shift has everyone, reporters, photographers, anchors, bosses, producers...everything. Then you get to my shift and it's me, the editor, one reporter, one photographer, and one anchor. It's almost, dare I say, quiet. Even with that being the case, night side has seen a lot of crazy itself.

Let's see, we had a major house fire that broke out about an hour before the show began, we've had accidents, break-ins, shootings, jury deliberations, sometimes verdicts, search and rescue efforts, I mean you name it, we've probably had it. But nothing really compared to Election Night.

For the first time since I started producing the 11, I have barely had one live shot. (live shot being reporters on air from somewhere other than the newsroom) But that particular night, specifically two days ago, I had four. Not only that, the bottom half of my show was done by 4:30 or so and then I waited. My entire A-block had no script in. Nothing. Nothing until around 9, 9:30. Talk about crazy.

It was check this, check that, got numbers, what graphic, are we going live, no bring him to the newsroom....it was madness I tell you.

But at the end of the show, I felt a pretty big sense of accomplishment...I mean granted I only wrote a few things in the show....but it went off without a hitch. And that was just one night. The one thing I remember most about my training when I first started at WSET was when someone said, "remember, it is going to be nuts in here, but if you don't stay calm, no one else will either."

That rings especially true for me now that I am a producer. I have to have a handle on things. Otherwise the crazy would bury me. In my short time doing this job, I can't even tell you all that I've learned and am still learning. It's very weird having a job that requires you to have a whole other personality. Like for instance, in real life, I'm pretty go-with-the-flow, but at work I tell you what I want, make the decisions, and don't waiver. It's kind of a nice change...getting that opportunity to really make it your own.

So my advice to those of you looking to enter this crazy business....be prepared for anything, always have back-up plans, and at the end of the day, feel proud you made it through.

Ms. Producer: Put Your Pens Down

From the very first day of my very first broadcast class, I knew things were going to get interesting. The first words out of my professor's mouth: put your pens down.

Now for those of you who went to college, or specifically the SMAD (school of media arts and design) major, you know that is never something you hear. We all got up and went down to the studio. It was a broadcasting studio, tucked in the basement of Harrison Hall. It had a control room, a studio set, cameras, the whole works.

We all piled in, oohed and aahed, and then the words that have never left me: "You will never watch TV the same. Ever." I didn't think there was a way. But believe me, there is.

I went home and cut the television on. I was watching a show and instead of laughing, smiling, even mouthing the words....this is what I did. "That was a jump cut, look at that camera angle, is that a close up or a medium shot, oh the director didn't mean to do that, I bet the prompter messed up.....I was never the same again.

It is still much the same way today....even worse now because I know more than I did then. Instead of enjoying a great show, I pinpoint every thing that went wrong or even looked off. At the end of every show, you get to fill out and tell the whole news department everything that went wrong in your show. Glorious huh? So to appreciate the good, you have to correct the bad.

Tonight for instance...everything was going smoothly....through what I assumed was the worst of it....until we got to the Apple Blossom Festival pictures. My thought process as a producer is, it's always better to have visuals, than nothing. So the only thing I had were pictures I found of the Festival. But the story was about a firework display gone wrong.

Let me stop you there.

My producer thought process was as follows: If we got video of this event....it more than likely would be old video of the festival or generic festival video. So I thought pictures are the same thing.

Well only the first picture that came up was of two zebras. Yes I know zebras....firework story....they don't quite mesh. Especially when your director thinks they are for the wrong story. Even worse, when that's echoed by everyone on headset going, zebras?

Looking back, maybe the pictures weren't a good call. Either way it's live and learn in this business. Lesson learned tonight: zebras, fireworks....confusing to everyone except myself.

The rest of the show was great....but I tell you about what wasn't. Oh the life of a producer.

Ms. Producer: New Beginnings

Ever since I graduated from James Madison University, nearly one year ago, things are the exact opposite of how I thought they would be. I pictured myself, hanging my fancy diploma, getting a few job offers writing for newspapers or magazines, maybe even online.....and not living in Virginia.

I was graduating, it was a new world, and I wanted a change.

Now flash forward to May 2010....I am working as a TV producer....living in a tiny, but very homey apartment with my sister (love you Gwennie!) and in Virginia.

While this might seem disappointing based on my previous statements....it's actually quite the opposite. Things have a funny way of working out, which I believe even more so after all of this.

It was August of last year and I was still struggling to find a job. I couldn't believe how hard it was and how many places I had applied yet still didn't have anything definite. Then I got a phone call from my former internship boss saying a position was open editing, would I be interested?

Now granted, I edited very little in my days as an intern. I was too busy writing and going out on stories.. which at the time I thought was more important. Little did I know, that job would start my career. I took it, after much thought, and said why not? I loved the people there so I knew it couldn't be too bad. I picked up the editing way faster than I thought. My first day of training, I just kept thinking, what did I sign up for?

But a few months later, opportunity came knocking yet again. And yet again it was my boss. This time, as the last, I was caught completely off guard. "What do you think about producing the 11 o'clock show?" My reaction: :o

Of course I said yes, jumping at the chance to be at the helm. And here I am a few short months later....producing television!!! producing television!!! (It needed another for added emphasis)

So this blog will allow me to share what it's like behind the news, in front of the camera, and the drama that unfolds with the unpredictability of this world. It's new for me too, so if you know nothing about it, it's ok...I plan to teach you! If do you know something about broadcast, well you will nod your head and go, yep been there.

Comment, ask, discuss.

It's all welcome here.

Enjoy.