On portfolios

Not only did I finish re-working my CV/Resume this weekend, I also (finally) put my extended demo reel up on YouTube.

This is the demo I created just over a year ago as I was applying to certain journalism jobs. I had just discovered that my external hard drive, which I thought was safely in a friend's possession, had been stolen when her apartment was broken in to about a year before that. That hard drive not only contained my only high-quality copies of all the broadcast work I had done throughout school, it also had all the raw import footage I had captured. The plan, of course, was that some of this raw footage could be re-purposed for other works, like, for example, a demo reel.

Working under a time crunch, I found the next best thing. Our TV shows were consistently uploaded to YouTube by the department, so I entrepreneurially downloaded the pre-edited, pre-produced footage of each and every published show I had worked on and tried to make that work.

The end result, if I do say so myself, is pretty good! For my techies out there, the pre-packaged footage was shot on PD-170s (SD) and edited with Final Cut Pro. The demo reel itself was edited using Adobe Premiere. Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Enjoy!!

On California and NASSS

Last week, I escaped the cold winter temperatures of Kingston, ON and made my way to sunny California with a couple of school colleagues. We spent 2.5 days in Los Angeles, and stayed with my family in their gorgeous new house I'd never before seen. Located in a gated community at more or less the highest point of the San Fernando Valley, the house offered a great view of the sunrise, which I enjoyed on my full first day in LA. It was absolutely amazing to wake up with the sun, and thankfully, I could enjoy it without being completely exhausted. Yey for reverse jet lag!

Tuesday was also a full day of outlet shopping, which was both fruitful and exhausting. Also, I had an In-N-Out burger... sorta. I panicked upon hearing "Thousand Island spread" and opted for ketchup and mustard instead. To use a Twitter term, #FAIL!

On this day, I fell in love with Charlotte Russe (the store) and I'm planning on visiting the Watertown, NY location as often as I can! That night, I went out for sushi with my cousins. Instead of stuffing our respective faces with yummy raw fish rolls, we ate well and were just as full. This place was so great! In fact, we had our meal next to Nicole Richie and Rachel Zoe... You can check off "celebrity encounter" on the LA dream vacation list!

Wednesday, we did a quick Hollywood/Beverly Hills/celebrity homes tour, which was both dull and interesting. It would have been much more fun to see places where shows and movies were filmed rather than where the actors and actresses live. Or rather, the shrubbery and gates they use to keep the paparazzi out. Then, we caught the train to San Diego for the start of our NASSS (North American Society for the Sociology of Sport) experience. Fortunately, we missed the train we wanted to take and saw the sun set over the ocean on the way. Absolutely stunning!

From Thursday to Saturday, I spent most of my time doing conference stuff, from attending sessions, events, and activities to meeting and speaking with some very interesting people across the various sport studies disciplines. I was especially thankful to meet some great people in Sports Management, as well as some key names in the study of hockey. Hopefully, we will stay in touch and our relationships will be fruitful for both sides. I'm looking forward to catching up with some of them in June at the NASSM (North American Society for Sport Management) conference in London, ON.

Though our hotel was far from the main touristy areas, I did take some time to explore Old Town (though mostly at night), the Gaslamp Quarter (again, at night) and downtown/Horton Plaza, as well as the NBC building across the street, where I caught a local newscast from the studio/control room.

Yes, there was lots of shopping on this trip. I spent way too much money getting things that I've been wanting or needing for a while, like a winter jacket or that camel-coloured purse I've been searching for, as well as key basics that are impossible to find at decent prices in Canada. Needless to say, I'm really going to enjoy those Watertown shopping trips, and I'm going to take them more often than not when I'm looking for something specific and can't afford to pay out of my eyeballs for it. It doesn't help that I have issues with paying more for something than it's actually worth. It's why I have such a hard time resisting sales, like the deal I got for 2 pairs of sandals at $21 (one at $10 and one at $15 PLUS 50% off when you buy two pairs) or the JC Penney "Buy one, get one for $1" doorcrashers deal I encountered on Saturday. Simply amazing.

Even though one of my goals was to make it to the beach and swim in the ocean again, I didn't quite get to do that. I did walk briefly in the sand at Pacific Beach - so soft! - but my ocean experience was limited. Time was too short and distances were too great, though one can argue that they're much greater now. We did make it to the San Diego Zoo, however, and I spent the whole day wandering around feeling both thrilled and sad. Some of the animals I was seeing for the first time; others, like spider monkeys, are favourites I love to visit at the zoo. However, despite all its conservation efforts in the wild, the SD Zoo does a very poor job at providing adequate space for the animals to live, and I was shocked to see how little some of the mesh cages were. Because even though they didn't have solid bars, they were definitely cages. And some animals were certainly bummed by the knowledge that they couldn't thrive. It was especially noticeable in the eagles and some of the monkeys. Plus, all the big cats were pacing back and forth. This could have been feeding time anticipation, but I observed this behaviour throughout the day. It almost made me cry to see them that way. Overall, the Zoo is worth a visit, especially to see more unique animals for our climate, like the koalas and pandas, but I'm much more likely to re-visit the Toronto or Granby zoos, which at least provided ample space for the animals to flourish.

Despite a few not-so-positive experiences throughout the trip - scamming cabbie, hotel location, jet lag on the way back - the only true negative is the frustrating cab ride on our last night in San Diego, which I will not get into because I'd much rather forget it happened. No one got hurt - except for our wallets - but it was not an enjoyable experience at all. Lesson learned: triple check that the driver has understood where you want to go and is not taking you where he thinks you want to go and carry a map so you can point out that the error was much more costly than the fare originally would have been. Insert Twitter tag: #LAME!

I'm proud to say that given the relatively low cost of flying to California from Syracuse Airport, I'm more likely than not to make a repeat trip in the coming years. Plus, San Diego seems like my kind of town, even if it doesn't have an NHL franchise. My NASSS experience was wonderful too, and I can't wait to (hopefully) present a paper at next year's conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which, by the way, is an excellent hockey town.

Stay tuned...

On the Future of TV News

With reports of journalism jobs being hard(er) to find and discussions at conferences like the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications's annual convention, people in the news industry can't help but wonder about the future. Not just their individual futures but their industry's future.

It's a discussion we've had before, on various platforms and from various points of view. The conclusion remains that we don't know what the future will look like. We just know that it will be different.

I'd like to take a look at what is commonly referred to as journalism's main enemy: the Internet. Why does it work? Because it's customizable. It's targeted. Similarly, which TV stations/networks/coverage tend to make the most cash (and therefore survive longer)? Specialised stations and shows. Things like live sports, or channels dedicated to a single interest, like home design and renovations or fashion. These networks survive because they've found a niche market and they're feeding off of it, both in terms of ratings and ads - it's a targeted "sure thing" investment opportunity.

How does this apply to TV news? Journalists usually agree that all consumers should have access to a source of news that will educate and inform them as well-rounded citizens. In other words, just because your main interest is the stock market doesn't mean you shouldn't know what's going on in Parliament. But let's be honest. After the first five minutes or so of political news, you'll probably switch channels. A good news network will try to keep you watching despite your lack of interest, by using teases, for example. But that's not a commercially viable long-term strategy to retain your attention.

The only way TV news is going to survive in a future overtaken by the Internet, PVRs and "On Demand" is to give consumers what they want, and now. That, for lack of a better word, is what they want. So why not give it to them?

It's not just sports or specialised channels that draw audiences in. News events do the same. Remember #Obamawa? What about the #H1N1 scare or #Haiti aid or, the latest big issue, the BP oil spill? What do these things have in common?

People want to know. They want to know everything and they want to know it now. They just can't get enough coverage and they'll watch several news cycles on several news networks to get their fix. This effectively creates a niche market for information on this issue. But after a day or so, most of the viewers think enough is enough.

What is the future of TV news? Feed the monster. But only if it's hungry.

Every time an event or issue temporarily overtakes the news market, create a specialised "On Demand" stream that will broadcast anything and everything that has to do with the subject. Whether it's NASA's latest space mission or Canada Day, a natural disaster or a political faux-pas, create an individualised stream and feed the monster.

Most of the networks already do it online. Those who know about it and have access to the Internet at the peak of their interest will routinely stream press conference feeds or sporting event coverage. Currently, the networks offer these services for free, mostly because consumers won't pay for a service they're already paying for, whether they consider that to be their cable TV or Internet. Also, most people aren't comfortable paying for any kind of information on the Internet because they're certain they can get it somewhere for free.

But can anyone guarantee a high-quality, uninterrupted, 24h specialised stream? Not on the Internet. Not yet, anyway. But on TV? They've pretty much got it down.

My suggestion - and I want to note that I haven't crunched the numbers on this since broadcast finances are not something I'm familiar with - is to provide that specialised stream on cable TV. Users with a digital box can simply call up their provider (or use self-serve menus) and add CBC News Network 2 or 3 or 4 (for example), depending on which major news story they would like to follow non-stop. The subscription would automatically expire once the story and coverage dies down, or the user could call and cancel it at any time. Set a one-time subscription fee of under $5 per story/stream - my suggestion is somewhere around $3 plus any applicable taxes - and a minimum subscription period of 48 hours, and I'm sure people will pick up on it. I would.

The network would have to broadcast several signals, but since we're switching to digital anyway, it probably wouldn't put too much of a dent in the budget. Getting CRTC clearance is another story.

And what kind of coverage would our reduced newsrooms offer to their new avid customers? Live streams of any of the gazillions of press conferences going on about the topic, interspersed with airport-style "breaking news" segments recorded in a centralised studio, potentially by anchors assigned only to that specific developing news topic or perhaps by the anchor on shift recording for all the specialised channels. You could also throw in live hits from the network reporters on location assigned to the story, interviews with experts and people affected by the story, and related pre-packaged reports - which you're producing anyway. Add in re-packed news conference highlights - longer than the ones played in the main network's news cycle - and boards showing upcoming events related to story, and you've got a nice loop-able mix of non-stop coverage on the news event du jour for the modern news junkie.

In terms of staff, the only extra hires would be technicians to monitor the various streams and editors to package and produce the stream's content. Current online editors would be perfect candidates for this position since they already understand the technology and short attention span of today's news audience. Most of the content is already coming in for the 24h news stations and the live press conference feeds are usually provided as in-house service for a minimal fee.

That way, when a major news story or event takes over the news industry, we won't be overwhelmed by endless reports on an issue, meanwhile getting less than satisfactory coverage of all the other going-ons in the world. And we won't be saturated by a constant flow of information that will make us stop caring about a potentially important issue, or worse, make us actually care about a non-important issue. Like Lindsay Lohan being sentenced to jail.

I don't know about you, but if I could buy non-stop quality coverage of the next shuttle launch, I would. Even if I know I could watch it for free online at NASA TV. Why? Because I can get everything I need to know about that one topic in one spot. And because I'm a space geek. And a political geek would buy coverage to Obama's visit to Canada, and a TV geek would purchase a CRTC telecommunications panel package. In this case, the repetition of the news cycle wouldn't be such a bore because you would choose to watch it.

What do you think? Could dedicated temporary cable streams be the future of TV news?

I guess there's only one way to find out... Stay tuned!

On the new #CBC News Network

So, what do you think?

Personally, I like the new CBC News Network, overall. I like the fonts, I like the colours, I like the feel... but.

There is a "but".

I don't like the casual feel of CBC NN.

Let me explain.

I know Jennifer McGuire says that's what Canadians want from CBC. The new jingles? Yes, they're catchy. In a Euro pop kinda way. But some of them dismiss the seriousness of the headlines. They make me feel like I'm watching CNN. And I have many a bone to pick with CNN.

I'm not sure what the point is to having a "news now" block graph in your lower third... Or the CBC logo, for that matter. I miss my transparent bug: it's a much less cluttered look and still does the job branding-wise. There's a reason I'm watching CBC instead of CTV's Canada AM or CP24 (if it were available in Quebec!)

And the scrolling headlines? They no longer scroll! It took a while, but I've gotten used to it. Unfortunately, I find that the information contained in the scrolls is not as complete as it used to be.

The weather lower third is useful, sure, but all day long? At least give us a more relevant forecast like Now, Later, Tonight. Or something along those lines. Not Now, Tuesday and Wednesday. I can get that information online or on the Weather Network.

Speaking of the weather... Pointing to a giant screen (how much did those cost, by the way?) seems ineffective so far. I miss my swirling weather maps, and I bet the meteorologists feel insecure at no longer being in control of the switching. I'm glad they're alternating with the green screen instead of making it all big screen.

I do love the set. I like the clean lines and open space: it matches the crisp fonts and bold wipes. I think some anchors are really embracing the standing up news-telling and it fits them well - especially Carol MacNeil. I'm also glad to hear, via a tweet by Hill reporter Rosemary Barton, that they don't really have to stand if they don't want to. Plus, the anchors are seated when interviewing in-studio guests.

More on the set: I love that Entertainment and Business and all that stuff is now in studio. I like the hits from across the newsroom, but I really do wish the camera was on a tripod instead of handheld. It looks amateur, not trendy.

I don't like seeing a reporter on the big screen behind the anchor. It diminishes the anchor (literally and otherwise!) and is way too CNN for my liking.

I know CBC will be working out the kinks for the next few days -like segment wipes with audio timing - and I hope they take our feedback and truly make it a network for Canadians.

Again, there's a but. I have a big problem with all these changes. As much as I like them (see below for more on that), it puts extra pressure on the already strained local workforce. The local crews not only have to deal with extended 1.5h newscasts, it now also has to put on a nightly newscast. And those will be live, not pre-taped.

And although the extended local newscasts are very repetitive with 3 nearly identical blocks at 5pm, 5:30pm and 6pm, the producers and reporters are still overworked, trying to make the content seem original or putting together multiple versions of the same package. With all the added workload and the smaller workforce, it's no wonder the reporters trip on their words during their live fronts. And yet, there's no added value for the viewers. In fact, we don't even notice. As one of my CBC friends puts it, "It's more work for less people, with a shiny cover put over it to make us all feel better."

But there are some positives:

I like that new stories are introduced on the 2pm newscast. Who needs to hear the same packs all day?
I like repeat in-depth interviews with guests like CBC's Defence specialist Bill Gillespie. Give me more extracts from that and less of this morning's pack.
I like variations on the same story, ie the H1N1 virus/vaccine. Not just the clinics opening and the US story, but also the pregnant couple who needs to find a new pre-natal class.
I like Carol asking a Toronto hospital official if they've over-hyped the pandemic. That's CBC bringing us into the news-making process.
I like Anne-Marie Mediwake as my mid-morning anchor. She looks right at home on the set.
I like the breaking news reporter, even though she's stuck in the newsroom. It adds a different voice to the mix.
I like that Your View or Your Voice or whatever it used to be called is now simply POV. Much easier to remember.
I like the new accompanying websites for The National, Connect with Mark Kelley, World Report, and Politics & Power. They've got great cross-platform integration features.

I love that the anchors now throw to each other between shows. No more awkward "hey, where'd she go?"
I'm in love with the yellow in the fonts. Bright! Happy! A bit of positivity in an often negative news cycle.
I love Colleen Jones' style on the story of the day... She makes it personable and shows us how it relates to us.
I love how well Carol fits in to the redesign. It's like it was made for her.

I still wish CBC would make it easier to find News Network stories online, and put them up there quicker. I can't wait for their "make your own lineup" feature. I hope it's easy to share and doesn't apply exclusively to The National.

I also wish they would cut to developing stories even without tape, especially if they have that breaking news reporter on air instead of one on the scene. If not, make mention of it, and say you're going to follow up on it. A good example? Today's House of Commons climate change flash protest. It was tweeted by a CBC reporter 20 minutes before CBC NN made any mention of it at all. The information wasn't right, but you can safely report the fact that the protest is happening.

And I wish there were more sports... Apart from Jeff Marek's new morning show sports segment, there is barely any sports content throughout the day. I understand that it's not developing news, but neither is entertainment, and at least it would mix it up a bit. It wouldn't be that difficult to put together a template for moving from a recap kind of pack to a preview pack as the day progresses, and hey! Maybe even add in some sports business news, like today's NHL/bankruptcy court action in Phoenix.

And so while I like the new CBC News Network overall, all of these changes haven't really improved news content, have they?

PS: Follow my tweets on this and other topics at http://twitter.com/nailaj.

Concordia Reports - Remembrance Edition

Our second TV show is now on YouTube, published yesterday, just in time for Remembrance Day. Appropriately, there's a lot of memorial and veteran content in this show.

This time, I hosted, had a pack on carepacks to Afghanistan, and helped with the show packaging and opener. I also interviewed veterans from General Vanier Branch 234 in Quebec of the Royal Canadian Legion, aka the Roxboro Branch.

I really had a lot of fun on and with this show, and I think it came together nicely.

As always, I look forward to reading your thoughts and opinions on the show, so post away! Positive and negative comments are welcome, I always want to learn :)


Enjoy!!

TV Thoughts

Yesterday's Heroes was many ways of awesome. But first off, I need to point out that while Zachary Quinto could pull off a convincing Spock, he reminds me more of Christopher Higgins, of Montreal Canadiens fame.

Next, Heroes came to Montreal!!!!! Sure, it was sort of an obvious assumption based on the previous show (and the promos!), but it was really cool when it finally happened. Too bad the outdoor scene lasted all of 20 seconds, and I missed part of it. I wonder who that Adam guy is, and if they'll actually film in Montreal. So far, I haven't heard that they have...

I really like the split in Maya and Alejandro's characters, and the Claire storyline is getting more... dangerous, shall we say?
As for point two of awesomeness... The Ukrainian guy was in Red October. I know, I know... it's sort of geeky, but that's what I love about Heroes! They take all our secret geek fantasies and put them into one beautifully packaged show.

On to a different kind of TV...

Our first newscast is now on YouTube, courtesy of Elias Makos.
It was Group 3's first newscast, and my first Assignment Editor position of the term/year. I also did a reporting stint and a one-on-one interview with Mike Boone. I'd love to get feedback on anything from flow to visuals, to specific comments about reports...

Bonus incentive? The chimps!!!

Stay tuned...