Expecting the Unexpected (or how to keep from pulling your hair out)

We've had some surprises this semester. How do you keep from going crazy when the unexpected happens? Well, you plan for it....the worst-case scenario. You plan for setbacks. That way, when they happen, it's not such a big deal because you have a back up plan.

Let me digress. I certainly didn't plan to have a flood in my room on Monday. And, certainly didn't expect it to happen again on Thursday. But instead of throwing up my hands, my (lesson) plans adapted well to the situation. We worked exclusively in the edit rooms or went out to shoot more footage (that you evidently needed anyway). Beginning class went out to do more interviews and I turned the dehumidifiers and fans on "stun".

So, extended deadline in place, talk about what set you back during this assignment and how you plan to keep that from happening NEXT time. What will you do in order to cushion yourself and your group from getting trapped by the ticking deadline clock? How will you work next week on your next assignment? What, to you, is the value of getting a project finished early instead of past deadline? How do you make that work? Please give me at least a paragraph of reflection here for your blog; but don't waste time staring at a blank page...you've got work to do!

Wasting Time

Allow me this observation before you accuse me of being critical; I noticed this week that you're wasting time. What I'm talking about is that instead of chewing on your stories to see what they are made of, you're spending time viewing them from afar. As a result, many of you....halfway into your allotted time before deadline...have decided to change stories.

There is one big problem with this. If something is wrong with equipment or your tape, or your edit bay, your interview doesn't come through etc., you don't have time to fix it before you reach the eleventh hour. Most professionals I know begin working as soon as they get the assignment BECAUSE there is likely to be problems. That way, they can account for that time lost and still come in on deadline.

I'm sure it's my fault, so here is what I want you to do: when you come up with your story idea (on the first day of the assignment...because you have been looking all week for story ideas, right?) I want you to begin asking yourself some questions. Does this story have visual elements? Are the experts that I want to interview for this story likely to be available in the time I need? Are there local experts available at all? Is there someone at the school who I could ask about this story? Are there any students at the school who have experienced this? How can I find out if there are? What do I want to accomplish with my story; entertain, inform, create action, manifest empathy? What will be the element in the story that will tell your audience something that they didn't already know about your subject?

Talk to me about your story. What have you been thinking about it over the weekend and what are you going to do this week to make sure that is it a well-done, well-researched, tell-me-something-new story. Will there be surprises in your story? Will your photography be different and artsy? What will make it stand out? What will make it the best? Time is NOT a renewable resource. Once it's gone, it's gone; make the most of it!