HEY THERE AGAIN!

I’m just working on my story for tonight’s 10:00 pm news. Have I mentioned that I am really tired? Well in just to give you an idea what my day has consisted of…I’ll tell you and even show you some pictures.

First off…we woke up at 8:00 am. That’ after going to bed at like 3:30. After getting dressed and packing my bag…I headed out of Galladuet University and walked to the nearest metro. That’s right…I don’t have a news vehicle or a driver or anything.

Here I am starting my journey!

Once I arrived at the metro I bought a day pass metro ticket and headed onto the redline. I had an interview set up with some Iowa National at Thomas Circle. So I had to change line twice. I arrived a the McPhearson stop, only to discover it was the same stop we got off at when I was here covering the Pope’s visit in April. The Media center was right up the street. So I walked to Thomas Circle and met up with some of the Iowa National Guard members.

While I was shooting this story many people came up to us. Most to say thank you to the men volunteering their time. Some to ask where the soldiers were from…and yes a few people asking what major network I worked for. HAHA Yes I laughed at them. But when they asked where my crew was I pointed to me and my backpack. People found it facinating that this was how I was doing it all. Shooting, editing, writing and blogging all with a camera on my shoulder and a backpack on my back. Don’t worry I’m just as amazed too. BUT I am also having a great time doing it. I guess when it doesn’t seem like work…it doesn’t matter. right?

Anyway…so after that wonderful story was shot and I asked for the assistance of the national guard PR guy to help me shoot my looklives…It was back to the subway. Time to meet up with a UNI student who was picking up his tickets to tomorrow’s inauguration. Pretty awesome right? But note before I did a LIVE phoner for our noon news telling everyone what things were like in D.C. hahah…look at all the people:

TOO MANY PEOPLE! and that’s just the beginning. It was nearly impossible to cross the street because they already had fences up. So after about an hour and a half the student I was following around…finally got his tickets. And I was off to the Metro again. This time at the Capital South stop. After changing two different lines I was back to my original starting place. Me, my packpack and my camera. And man did I get lucky…one of the Colts volunteers happened to be driving past the station as I started walking towards the school. This backpack journalist got a ride back to campus!

Upon arriving I shot some video and did an interview with the Colts for my 5 pm LIVE SHOT via skype. Then it was back to my edit station:

I know…don’t act like you’re not impressed. That’s my personal laptop…on top of my suitcase (which I packed entirely too much in). I have been feeding my video into my laptop via firewire. Then editing on FinalCut Express and exporting it into a movie file. THEN comes the fun part. Using FileZilla…I’ve been FTPing my video to the station in Waterloo. FTP is basically a really fast way (sometimes) to send very large files (like video) at good quality (nice enough to air on TV).

Somewhere inbetween editing my VO/SOT for 5 and my PAK for 6 I managed to scarf down some food provided by the Colts. I don’t even know how it tasted I just ate it. IT was my first meal all day.

So once my files were transferred to Waterloo…they have trouble getting them to work. At the last minute the files transferred and I set up my live shot. YOu’ll never guess how we made this happen:

using the help of one of the drumline instructors…he held my partable light up so I had some. THEN…I opened up SKype on my computer. PLugged in a microphone. Called KWWL and they took me LIVE via skype from the gym where the Colts were rehearsing.

Here’s what it really looked like on our end:

I was able to hear Ron Steele talk to me and toss to my live shot. We talked back and forth and once I was finished I tossed back to the studio.

AND now I sit here on my laptop…propped up against my lap…and the wall…editing my 10 pm story and writing you this blog.

All in a days work as a one man-band-multimedia- backpack journalist.

Oh and did I mention I’m sleeping on a gym floor? okay? good!

Lauren~

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