TV EXPERIENCE AND HISTORY
(2003, Norfolk, VA. USS Portland Homecoming from Iraq)
Currently, I work as one of the morning photographers and live-truck operators for WVEC, 13News, in Norfolk, Virginia.
The station and area have provided for some great stories, from the daily military stories due to the presence of the world's largest naval base, Langley Air Force base, Ft. Story in Virginia Beach, and NASA in Hampton, to the number of breaking news stories that unfold in the culturally-diverse area.
WVEC is a good place to work. They have provided me with great tools to work with, as far as the equipment and live-trucks, but the company 1999 Blazer and helicopter don't hurt either. I have the opportunity to larger-scale work from here as the station is good about travel pieces. They have sent photographers to Iraq, Cypress, Washington and New York for 9-11, and Texas for the tragic space shuttle crash. I hope to be included in one of these endeavors in the "not-so-distant" future.
For three months, I spent a short stay in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, working as a bureau photojournalist for Nexstar's two shared-services stations in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton market.
I spent more time driving than shooting and editing, and had to slap together two packages a day, which was less creative and more "fast-food" video journalism in an attempt to just "fill time." After playing "fetch" for three months, I took a better position and situation at WVEC in Norfolk, Virginia.
My news director wasn't thrilled with my short stay, but I refused to work under such unrewarding and slavelike conditions especially with better opportunities for me elsewhere.
I worked as the morning photojournalist at KSNF-TV, the NBC affiliate in Joplin. My first week of work, a plane crashed into a house in Carterville, Missouri and I was called in at 1 a.m. The scene was tragic, all six aboard perished, and we were on the scene for 12 hours. The footage I shot was routed to the Springfield NBC affiliate and ultimately to network. It aired across the nation and a still was pulled from my video and placed on the MSNBC website.
It was an eventful first week. I worked for KSN from the summer of 2001 until the fall of 2002. After four months in the position of morning photographer and live-truck operator, I took over as "Hometown Today's" producer, still working in the field as a photojournalist, concentrating more on features for the show. I truly enjoyed my time at KSN as it provided me with some of the more creative pieces that I've done in my career.
KODE-TV Ch. 12
Joplin's
News12
I started working at KODE
in the summer of 2000.
I worked in the production department as a video technician and
audio engineer.
I quickly learned the other aspects of the newscasts, running studio cameras, graphics, directing some weekend newscasts and the station's public service program, Focus. On the weekends, I began shooting video for VO/SOT's and packages and was given several special assignments including "The Great Zebra Hunt," in which a stray zebra escaped into a local park for a week and "The Sonic Robberies."
After a year at Joplin's
ABC affilate, I left to join KSNF as a full-time photojournalist.
My experience at KODE was immeasurable and the production department had one of the best teams that I have had the pleasure to work with in local news.
I started as a station board member at Missouri Southern's TLC affiliate, KGCS-LP TV.
I began producing my own show, Locals Only, which was a 30-minute local music program, and worked as producer, director, photographer, and writer.
I became the student production manager in 2000 and became responsible for the overall production of the station's programs and commercials. I was also tasked with the production of promos, PSA's, and program openings and graphics, along with contionuing to help with the station's shows and my own series.
In October of 2000, I was given the opportunity by the college to shoot footage for a documentary in New York City. The college sponsors an international piano competition, in which the winner winsa the chance to play a recital at Carnegie Hall.
I shot footage about the trip and the performance. While in New York, I was able to shoot an episode of Locals Only at the famous nightclub, CBGB's, in Manhatan's lower east side. This program would later win the 2000 KGCS Program of the Year award.
I was then promoted to student station manager, in which my duties were more administrative. I was tasked with the scheduling of programs and responsible for the student's productions.
I resigned from KGCS in 2001 when I was hired full time as a news photojournalist at KSNF-TV. I enjoyed my experience at KGCS and the freedom of creativity that it allowed.
Missouri Southern's Department of Communications Communications Faculty and Staff KGCS-LP (MSTV): Southern's TV
station which coordinates it's programming with The Learning Channel, a
division of Discovery Communications.
KOAM was the first job I had in live
television. However, my stay was short. I worked as a News
Assistant and the commute was too far. I got a job at KODE
shortly after but I enjoyed the experience I gained at channel 7.
KOAM-TV Ch. 7 