Production Review: Healthy Eating

In an earlier blog post, The Perks of a Positive Production, I was able to thoroughly document the process of putting together a television program in a short amount of time. As leader of a group of students working on a Healthy Eating round table discussion program, there were several things to consider as I helped my peers move from creating the idea, contacting guests, selecting jobs in studio, and recording our show.

It is nearly impossible to think of every complication that could crop up during a studio production, and if there was a foolproof way to be prepared for every potential obstacle -- chances are there simply wouldn't be time. Even working as a team, as students of production we are still growing and developing our skill set while operating on a tight schedule.

As I look back on the program we created, there are things I have identified as problems, and some things I think went smoothly.

THE GOOD

Guest Selection: Our two guests, Patrick Fore and Dr. Androzzi, both displayed knowledge of the material discussed. Though Patrick was a student, not an expert, he brought a fresh and interesting perspective to the conversation and understood the facts that Dr. Androzzi brought to the table. Both guests were able to speak in a fashion that everyone could understand, not just those who are already informed of healthy eating issues and strategies.

Adaptation: Although there were some technical difficulties while in studio, our director was able to think quickly and adapt to not being able to see shots before they were taken. Our host managed to keep discussion flowing naturally when the guests ventured slightly off the original topics that had been prepared. As producer, I was able to keep the guests comfortable when we experienced delays. Our group continued to work as a team in spite of any problems, which really helped the production overall.

THE UNFORTUNATE 

Technical Difficulties: I do wish that there had been more of an opportunity for our group to set-up the studio before recording our program. Because of some issues with the computer, the first half of our program was only recorded on VHS tape, potentially lowering the quality of our video when compared with the other groups. There was also something wrong with the monitors during the shoot, so only one camera was able to be seen in the booth and the other was taken blind.

Shy Team Members: It was clear throughout the process of contacting potential guests that some of our team members were too shy to reach out through telephone. It is possibly a side-effect of growing up in the computer generation, but the habit of email-only contact is something I think we could all benefit from breaking. What we perceive as the 'best method' of reaching out, might not actually be the potential guest's preferred method of speaking.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

I believe that the program we put together was incredibly strong for a first effort. In the future there are things we could improve, but I was proud of the way my team managed to adapt when problems arose instead of panicking and letting the production suffer. The discussion turned out to be informative and interesting, and I hope I will be able to work on similar programs as I move forward in my career path.