Our highly anticipated trip to NBC started at the break of dawn. With heavy eyes and caffeine-craved bodies, we promptly left the International House at 5:45AM. The metro ride was silent as people slowly adjusted to the early-morning activity. The group arrived to Rockefeller Plaza, just outside the NBC Studio at 6:30AM. After a quick pit stop to fill our empty stomachs with pastries and coffee we met Carleton alum, John Jewczyn, who is now a cameraman for NBC. John bent over backwards for us, meeting with NBC staff and planning whatever necessary to make sure our visit was wonderful. He showed us to our VIP pen outside the studio, an area reserved exclusively for notable persons with class, intelligence and edgy swagger-- clearly we were in the right place. Though it was a cold wait outside, it was well worth it; the CAMS group (along with all of our cameras) made it on television twice and we all saw Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, and Al Roker reporting live on the Plaza.
In small groups, we were taken inside for tours of the studio. There were multiple sets for different shows, all of which used natural light and scenery from Rockefeller Plaza. The control rooms were very technical-- there were multiple computer and television monitors showing different camera feeds, as well as shows airing on competing networks. The directors like to know what other channels are broadcasting to keep up with last-minute news breaks and to keep an eye on the competition.
While on our tours, we were fortunate enough to be on set while Meredith interviewed Kathy Lee Gifford and while Matt interviewed Russell Crowe. Though everyone was very efficient and professional, there was a casual and friendly ambiance in the studio-- producers and cameramen joined in small talk, and anchors joked with interviewees during commercial breaks. After the show, the group of 25 made our way up to Meredith's office-- it was a cozy squeeze. Though her 5 inch heels and heavily made-up face were somewhat intimidating, the on-air personality welcomed us generously and was more than willing to talk with us. Meredith, we found out, wakes up every morning at 2:00AM to allow herself enough time to get ready and read over her stories. Though she tries to get to bed around 10:00PM, sometimes it's just not possible, "I'm a night person," she explained, "I always have been. You can't change who you are." If she was going off only a few hours of sleep from the night before, she certainly fooled us. Our meeting was brief, yet pleasant and fulfilling.
After a reluctant farewell to our new friends at NBC, John lead us across the street to 30 Rock, the other NBC and MSNBC Studio. MSNBC, we discovered, is owned 50% by Microsoft, hence MSNBC. Once we passed through security, our group met a manager who showed us around the NBC News Studio and sets. Because of the economy, she explained, NBC relies upon national and foreign news bureaus for incoming news and information (and vice versa). We learned about a new technology, Liveview, which NBC has exclusive access to for one month. Liveview is a laptop with around eight cell phone feeds that allows for live access anywhere; and so far, it has been a very successful resource. Next week, competing networks will have access to the technology. Our tour continued to Studio 8H, the set of Saturday Night Live. The set was small, with only two stages and seating for an audience of around 150-200 people. It was amazing to experience the set that has produced so many fabulous comedies and hosted such wonderful stars.
Next, we met with the associate producer of MSNBC.com, Victor. MSNBC.com is the number one news sight-- more popular that CBS.com and abcnews.com combined. Part of the success can be attributed to the fact that MSNBC is owned by both Microsoft and NBC. MSN, the default homepage for PCs has a direct link to the news sight, it is part original journalism, part news aggregator. Victor explained where online news and digital journalism is headed; because technology is getting smaller and more compact, producers can more easily shoot and edit their own footage. Because of this, cameramen and editors are learning how to shoot-- as platforms are expanding, skills are needed. Victor then showed us some of his work, an online segment from Making a Difference, Running from trouble. As online competition rises, Victor stressed that "content is king." In opposition to news broadcasts on television that use teases to capture the attention of viewers, online new stories use headlines to nab viewers' interest. Our talk with Victor was right up our alley, he suggested getting our hands on the latest technology and internet trends: blogging, twittering, etc. It was great to see new medias emerging role in the news and broadcasting industry.
Our tour concluded in the control headquarters. The control area was enormous-- workers, lights, monitors, computers, headsets, and gadgets everywhere you turned. Some of the head editors talked to us and explained how intense the control room could be. "Only some people have the stomach for this kind of work," they explained, "It's like the emergency room of the news world." This was an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at just how everything works. People were scrambling to get stories cut and edited on time, other people were reviewing previously aired segments and programs of competing networks, some were giving executive directions about how and what should be put on air. The atmosphere was overwhelming and enthralling. A new appreciation was certainly gained for every minute detail that goes into a successful broadcast and television production. Everything we view on television goes through the hands of these people and this technology. It was amazing.
Ally Weaver
**A slideshow containing more pictures from the day will be added to this post shortly.
Comments