*Insert Apple Ringtone “Radar” sound here.* I startle awake to my 3:40 a.m. alarm Monday morning. Slightly dazed and confused, I check my phone and remember it is time to shoot for my documentary. Jordan’s schedule is crazy, so if she can get up three days a week at this time, I can do it too!
I love shooting my subjects in their natural environments. It was truly a “Monday”. Jordan shared with me she intended to wake up early, around 3 a.m., to get ready, but she kept hitting the snooze button. While she showed up looking fabulous and representing her alma mater Sacred Heart University with a baseball hat, the shoot captured what it was like to be her in that moment.
The glitz and glam of cameras and perfect lighting was replaced with cleaning products and computer work. Anyone can tell you Jordan is more than a television anchor, but it's another thing to see her connecting with “the regulars”. She could complain, but doesn’t.
Shooting footage in a gym is difficult because you can only show someone walking on a treadmill once or her mopping the floor once. Why should you shoot things more than one time then? It is important to try to gather sequences and interesting angles. Mopping is not the most interesting or visually intriguing task from eye level, but what about the mop’s point of view? This is when you “take the camera off of the tripod” as my professor always says.
In this shoot, I tried to be as creative as possible while emphasizing Jordan’s role in the community. She has told me many times she uses her extra jobs as time to “meet the people”. By meeting the people, she becomes a three-dimensional person for them. As journalists, we know the importance of networking within the industry, but Jordan taught me it is equally as important to network with your community. Often, you are reporting in a new place where you have never lived. Jordan and I are both from Central Connecticut, so it is important for us to integrate into our new town, Elmira, N.Y., to understand the stories and what is important to the audience.
Stay tuned for more behind the scenes blogging and stories. The title of the documentary will drop soon... any guesses what it might be? Tweet me your answers @18NewsTara or leave a comment below!