Throughout my time in Comm 465, I have taken some significant strides in my ability to be a reporter in many different facets of the industry. While doing so, I have had the opportunity to learn from a great mentor in Dr. Z and analyze not only my own personal material, but that of my classmates. Each time we were to present a project/news story, I would be able to absorb more and more information on how to make my own projects better. Whether it be a more creative stand-up, focusing on a proper camera white balance, or just writing better scripts, I was able to grow as a reporter each time we turned in a project.
Entering this class, I was extremely excited to immerse myself in the knowledge it takes to become not only an efficient and effective story-teller, but also artistic when selecting camera angles, lighting, and coloring. In the area of story-telling, Dr. Z did a fantastic job of clearly stating the importance of setting up your story. For example, I have learned that it is extremely vital to always match your script to the shots you provide. It makes zero sense to be highlighting the beauty of Old Main on campus while showing pictures of the Palmer Art Museum to your viewers.
Also, when opening up your story, the location is not necessarily the most important aspect to show to viewers first. In my project 2, outlining the volunteer work done at Abba Java Coffee House, my opening shot was of the street sign that dictated where in fact Abba Java was located. In order to make a more captivating story and set up the importance of the coffee house, showing a footage of students walking outside in the cold, rainy weather while the voice over says, “As the summer months move away and students begin to face State College’s brutal fall and winter weather, one particular coffee house opens its doors to a warm and inviting atmosphere.” This method creates curiosity in the viewers brains just 5-10 seconds into the story instead of merely displaying the location of this random coffee house.
Another immensely important skill that I was able to develop in Comm 465 was the ability to use the video editing software, Adobe Premiere. Entering 465, I was only familiar with Hindenburg and Adobe’s audio editing software. Thanks to my partner Tyler Zulli, Dr. Z, and the staff on hand in the Lubert building, I was able to learn the basics of Adobe Premiere and construct visually appealing news stories and projects. Even though I have a strong grasp of Adobe Premiere’s functions, I feel that there is much more to master moving forward into next semester’s Centre County Report class.
Ultimately, I have extremely enjoyed my time in Comm 465. Dr. Z was an extremely motivating instructor that pushed us to create inspiring and interesting content. I understand that 465 is a mandatory class for broadcast majors but I would recommend Dr. Z to any prospective broadcast major because of the combination of fun and learning I was able to gain from his instruction.